General merchandiser vs store sales associate

The differences between general merchandisers and store sales associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a general merchandiser has an average salary of $30,372, which is higher than the $30,284 average annual salary of a store sales associate.

The top three skills for a general merchandiser include sales floor, inventory management and back room. The most important skills for a store sales associate are sales floor, POS, and product knowledge.

General merchandiser vs store sales associate overview

	General Merchandiser	Store Sales Associate
Yearly salary	$30,372	$30,284
Hourly rate	$14.60	$14.56
Growth rate	1%	-
Number of jobs	213,261	524,877
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	38	43
Years of experience	-	6

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 store sales associate do?

A store sales associate is responsible for assisting store customers, directing them to the correct area of their needs, and responding to their inquiries and concerns regarding a product. Store sales associates also support the store's promotional campaigns, selling goods and services to the customers by demonstrating the product and its benefits. They keep the store premises clean and tidy to avoid any potential hazards during operations. A store sales associate must have excellent communication skills, especially on resolving customer complaints, processing replacements, and issuing refunds.

General merchandiser vs store sales associate salary

General merchandisers and store sales associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Merchandiser	Store Sales Associate
Average salary	$30,372	$30,284
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $45,000	Between $23,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	-	Elizabeth, NJ
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Rooms To Go
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between general merchandiser and store sales associate education

There are a few differences between a general merchandiser and a store sales associate in terms of educational background:

	General Merchandiser	Store Sales Associate
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

General merchandiser vs store sales associate demographics

Here are the differences between general merchandisers' and store sales associates' demographics:

	General Merchandiser	Store Sales Associate
Average age	38	43
Gender ratio	Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1%	Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3%
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, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	9%

Differences between general merchandiser and store sales associate 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.

Store sales associate example responsibilities.

Manage to sales KPI's (including sales and expense budget numbers), assuring efficient and effective use of resources.
Earn management trust by serving as keyholder, responsibly opening and closing the store.
Audit all jewelry counts daily, banking deposit log, cashier logs, sales logs.
Utilize the company's POS system to cash customers out or administer returns to the store.
Work as a sales associate and keyholder throughout the summer and a bit of the school year.
Help customers choose jewelry, pierce ears, open and close out register, set up displays.

General merchandiser vs store sales associate skills

Common general merchandiser skills

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

Common store sales associate skills

Sales Floor, 20%
POS, 10%
Product Knowledge, 10%
Store Sales, 8%
Customer Service, 6%
Stock Room, 5%

General Merchandiser vs. similar jobs

General Merchandiser related careers

General Merchandiser related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
General Merchandiser
General Merchandiser vs Store Sales Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs