What does an in-stock associate do?
An In-Stock Associate is responsible for ensuring that the shelves of a retail store or warehouse are stocked with up to standard items and merchandise. They follow a supervising staff or manager's instructions while adhering to the company's policies and regulations, reporting problems should there be any. An In-Stock Associate's tasks will also revolve around loading and unloading shipments or deliveries, monitoring the quality and quantity of items, and operating devices such as scanners and forklifts, communicate and assist customers, and cleaning up stockrooms and shelves.
In-stock associate responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real in-stock associate resumes:
- Perform basic customer service skills, cleaning skills, and math skills.
- Offer customer service & cashier duties while stocking wine cases deliver to the store.
- Accommodate in customer service with sizing and recommending certain styles of clothing for kids and infants.
- Stock overnight groceries and provide customer service
- Restock groceries while providing excellent customer service for shoppers.
- Support pet parents by responding on products and services.
- Arrange Walmart products and isles ensuring they are neat and presentable.
- Evaluate products for appropriate disposal according to standards convey by OSHA.
- Close store, handle customers, help customers pick out beer, wine & spirits.
- Used shop math, read flow charts and keep records of items entering and leaving with identifying codes.
- Stock clerks are responsible for safely and correctly using ladders and pallet jacks to move merchandise throughout the store.
- Set floor displays, end caps and sidekicks to provide a presentation that adheres to Walmart strategic marketing strategy.
- Utilize pallet jacks, box carts, box cutters, cardboard compactor machine, scanners, mechanical risers and ladders.
- Operate POS system, set up displays for upcoming sales and promotions, replenish items to maintain a fully stock product.
- Operate POS system and appropriately handle transactions quickly and efficiently
In-stock associate skills and personality traits
We calculated that 8% of In-Stock Associates are proficient in Food Handling, Stock Room, and Ladders. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Customer-service skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of In-Stock Associates that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Food Handling, 8%
Follow safe food handling and personal hygiene practices.
- Stock Room, 8%
Stock room position including the organization and tidiness of all inventory including shipments.
- Ladders, 7%
Utilized pallet jacks, box carts, box cutters, cardboard compactor machine, scanners, mechanical risers and ladders.
- Customer Service, 7%
Provide exceptional customer service by assisting customers with loading, unloading merchandise and demonstrating merchandise to customers.
- POS, 7%
Operated POS system, set up displays for upcoming sales and promotions, replenish items to maintain a fully stocked product.
- Loss Prevention, 7%
Help decrease shortage by researching inventory shortages and reporting loss prevention activities.
Most in-stock associates use their skills in "food handling," "stock room," and "ladders" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential in-stock associate responsibilities here:
Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for an in-stock associate to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "production, planning, and expediting clerks are frequently in contact with suppliers, vendors, and production managers and need to communicate the firm’s scheduling needs effectively." Additionally, an in-stock associate resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "unload, sort, stock merchandise; organize displays; assist customers; utilize hand-trucks and hand-held scanners, communication devices"
Customer-service skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling in-stock associate duties is customer-service skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "stock clerks sometimes interact with customers in retail stores and may have to get the item the customer is looking for from the storeroom." According to an in-stock associate resume, here's how in-stock associates can utilize customer-service skills in their job responsibilities: "enter loss prevention tickets into the loss prevention computer system.- work with floor sales associates to locate different products for customers. "
Detail oriented. in-stock associates are also known for detail oriented, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to in-stock associate responsibilities, because "material and product inspecting clerks check items for defects, some of which are small and difficult to spot." An in-stock associate resume example shows how detail oriented is used in the workplace: "focused on the detail in food/service quality and cleanliness"
Math skills. For certain in-stock associate responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "math skills." The day-to-day duties of an in-stock associate rely on this skill, as "some material recording clerks use math to calculate shipping costs or take measurements." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what in-stock associates do: "used shop math, read flow charts and kept records of items entering and leaving with identifying codes. "
The three companies that hire the most in-stock associates are:
- Harbor Freight Tools2,745 in-stock associates jobs
- Walmart1,181 in-stock associates jobs
- Ross Stores433 in-stock associates jobs
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Compare different in-stock associates
In-stock associate vs. Merchandise stocker
A merchandise stocker is an employee who ensures that shelves and aisles are stocked with the merchandise in retail stores or warehouses. Merchandise stockers must receive the goods, unload or unpack them, mark them with codes to be identified, and stock them on shelves. They help customers to fill orders through mail, web, or phone while preparing the customers' merchandise for shipment. They must also operate a forklift so that they can lift or place merchandise at the assigned shelves.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between in-stock associates and merchandise stocker. For instance, in-stock associate responsibilities require skills such as "ladders," "pos," "loss prevention," and "cleanliness." Whereas a merchandise stocker is skilled in "kids," "customer satisfaction," "work ethic," and "store management." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Merchandise stockers really shine in the retail industry with an average salary of $30,952. Comparatively, in-stock associates tend to make the most money in the retail industry with an average salary of $31,433.merchandise stockers tend to reach similar levels of education than in-stock associates. In fact, merchandise stockers are 1.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.In-stock associate vs. Night stocker
A night stocker is responsible for organizing store shelves and stocking merchandise to the appropriate areas. Night stockers ensure that the items are accurately categorized, ensuring that products are free of any damage. They monitor inventories, report short supplies for delivery requests, remove expired products from the shelves, maintain the cleanliness and presentability of the items, and move merchandise carefully from one place to another. A night stocker must have excellent time-management and organizational skills, as well as the ability to multi-task.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that in-stock associate responsibilities requires skills like "food handling," "ladders," "pos," and "loss prevention." But a night stocker might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "customer satisfaction," "pallets," "perishables," and "electric pallet jack."
In general, night stockers achieve similar levels of education than in-stock associates. They're 0.0% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.In-stock associate vs. Overnight stocker
An overnight stocker is responsible for monitoring inventories, stocking items, and organizing products on shelves. Overnight stockers' duties also include checking the manufacturing and expiration dates of the products, labeling and validating prices, escalating defective items to the management, and categorizing products for special offers and promotions. An overnight stocker must be detail-oriented and has excellent multi-tasking skills to complete and update the inventory as needed. Overnight stockers should also be strict on following the sanitation procedures to keep the items neat and free of any possible damage.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from in-stock associate resumes include skills like "food handling," "ladders," "pos," and "loss prevention," whereas an overnight stocker is more likely to list skills in "sales floor," "pallets," "electric pallet jack," and "safety procedures. "
Overnight stockers make a very good living in the retail industry with an average annual salary of $31,065. On the other hand, in-stock associates are paid the highest salary in the retail industry, with average annual pay of $31,433.When it comes to education, overnight stockers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to in-stock associates. In fact, they're 0.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.In-stock associate vs. Overnight stock clerk
An overnight stock clerk works at night in retail and wholesale outlets, department stores, or warehouses to replenish stock. You will inspect goods on the shelves for expiry or damage, unpack new consignments for stocking, log inventory, track merchandise, monitor quality control, verify packing slips against packaging content, and tag goods with bar codes and prices. Overnight stock clerks also fill customer orders and prepare an order report for restocking and arranging goods on shelves.
Types of in-stock associate
Updated January 8, 2025
