General merchandiser vs general merchandise clerk

The differences between general merchandisers and general merchandise clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a general merchandise clerk has an average salary of $34,415, which is higher than the $30,372 average annual salary of a general merchandiser.

The top three skills for a general merchandiser include sales floor, inventory management and back room. The most important skills for a general merchandise clerk are product knowledge, product displays, and customer service.

General merchandiser vs general merchandise clerk overview

	General Merchandiser	General Merchandise Clerk
Yearly salary	$30,372	$34,415
Hourly rate	$14.60	$16.55
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	213,261	137,799
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	High School Diploma, 36%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	-	-

What does a general merchandiser do?

A General Merchandiser creates displays and promotes the products and services in retail stores. Among their primary duties and responsibilities include shelf placement strategies and in-store displays for maximum product exposure to potential customers. They train staff to carry out their tasks in the merchandise store effectively. As the brain of almost every decision in retail chains, merchandisers ensure every customer the best experience they can get while shopping.

What does a general merchandise clerk do?

This individual works in the GM section of a store. They interact with customers and assist them as they purchase merchandise. In this role, they are expected to place all special orders and to take stock of all products annually. Other responsibilities of this position include developing merchandise plans and ensuring they are compliant with quality standards. They may also have to evaluate merchandise and ensure credit payments are accurate.

General merchandiser vs general merchandise clerk salary

General merchandisers and general merchandise clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Merchandiser	General Merchandise Clerk
Average salary	$30,372	$34,415
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $45,000	Between $27,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between general merchandiser and general merchandise clerk education

There are a few differences between a general merchandiser and a general merchandise clerk in terms of educational background:

	General Merchandiser	General Merchandise Clerk
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	High School Diploma, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

General merchandiser vs general merchandise clerk demographics

Here are the differences between general merchandisers' and general merchandise clerks' demographics:

	General Merchandiser	General Merchandise Clerk
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1%	Male, 50.2% Female, 49.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.0% Asian, 6.4% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 23.0% Asian, 5.9% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between general merchandiser and general merchandise clerk duties and responsibilities

General merchandiser example responsibilities.

Manage jewelry stock and inventory balances accurately.
Control inventory and compute pricing and enter inventory in the POS system.
Maintain a sterile and clean work environment and used daily math conversions.
Pack and fulfill web orders, setup pick-ups for delivery with FedEx.
Monitor and update price tags using POS program to make tags as needed for sales demands.
Send out transfers with packing lists, labels using Fedex and getting ready to have it send out.

General merchandise clerk example responsibilities.

Provide great customer service while effectively bagging groceries.
Collect all carts from outside help cashiers bag groceries for customers and sometimes help the customers take groceries to their car.
Execute grain futures orders for special accounts that require extraordinary attention to detail as well as personalized service.
Work in almost every department in the Kroger store.

General merchandiser vs general merchandise clerk skills

Common general merchandiser skills

Sales Floor, 60%
Inventory Management, 21%
Back Room, 6%
Stock Merchandise, 5%
Product Knowledge, 3%
Working Independently, 1%

Common general merchandise clerk skills

Product Knowledge, 44%
Product Displays, 20%
Customer Service, 9%
Stock Shelves, 6%
Sales Floor, 3%
Math, 3%

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General Merchandiser
General Merchandiser vs General Merchandise Clerk

Updated January 8, 2025

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