Key Holder Vs Merchandising Associate

The differences between key holders and merchandising associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a merchandising associate has an average salary of $33,201, which is higher than the $31,779 average annual salary of a key holder.

The top three skills for a key holder include sales floor, product knowledge and visual standards. The most important skills for a merchandising associate are cleanliness, sales floor, and customer service.

Key holder vs merchandising associate overview

	Key Holder	Merchandising Associate
Yearly Salary	$31,779	$33,201
Hourly rate	$15.28	$15.96
Growth Rate	-6%	-
Number Of Jobs	431,956	370,401
Job Satisfaction	4	-
Most Common Degree	High School Diploma, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average Age	43	41
Years Of Experience	6	-

What does a Key Holder do?

A keyholder is responsible for ensuring the store's daily security before and after the operation. Keyholders' duties include assisting with administrative tasks, handling customers' inquiries, managing and escalating customers' complaints, monitoring the alarm system, keeping track of the deliveries, supporting staff training, cooperating in company's events, and recommending operational strategies to meet business goals and objectives. A keyholder must have excellent customer service and time-management skills, as well as the ability to multi-task, especially during high customer volume.

What does a merchandising associate do?

Merchandise associates ensure that customers get a complete shopping experience. They pleasantly arrange and stock merchandise on shelves for customers to purchase. Also, they assemble product displays and make sure popular and on-sale products are visible to customers. Part of their duty is to place the appropriate sales tag on items and record new developments in the store's inventory. Skills required for the job include excellent customer service, being detail-oriented, and relevant experience in sales.

Key holder vs merchandising associate salary

Key holders and merchandising associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Key Holder	Merchandising Associate
Average Salary	$31,779	$33,201
Salary Range	Between $25,000 And $39,000	Between $26,000 And $42,000
Highest Paying City	New York, NY	New York, NY
Highest Paying State	Wisconsin	Hawaii
Best Paying Company	Connecticut Children's Medical Center	Uline
Best Paying Industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between key holder and merchandising associate education

There are a few differences between a key holder and a merchandising associate in terms of educational background:

	Key Holder	Merchandising Associate
Most Common Degree	High School Diploma, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most Common Major	Business	Business
Most Common College	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi	-

Key holder vs merchandising associate demographics

Here are the differences between key holders' and merchandising associates' demographics:

	Key Holder	Merchandising Associate
Average Age	43	41
Gender Ratio	Male, 28.1% Female, 71.9%	Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2%
Race Ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.6% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	9%	7%

Differences between key holder and merchandising associate duties and responsibilities

Key Holder Example Responsibilities.

Achieve and exceed store and company sales and KPI goals.
Manage monetary transactions and POS operations.
Used upselling techniques daily when selling gaming systems and accessories.
Maintain operational duties in the manager's absence including scheduling and review of KPI reports.
Used social networking, such as Facebook, to keep customers update on new arrivals and merchandise.
Maintain a cleanly environment for customers, employees, and other animals, especially after any pet messes.

Merchandising Associate Example Responsibilities.

Manage e-commerce websites to maintain accurate information and maximize sales.
Maximize sales by displaying merchandise and maintain store cleanliness while executing superior customer service.
Assist customer with picking groceries in the absence of other staff.
Create monthly PowerPoint presentations for the team to use in high-level meetings.
Conduct market research in the sale of pet products, identifying consumer trends.
Complete reports for products end of life and prepare merchandise for shipments back to depot.

Key holder vs merchandising associate skills

Common Key Holder Skills

Sales Floor, 18%
Product Knowledge, 11%
Visual Standards, 9%
Bank Deposits, 7%
Loss Prevention, 7%
Store Management, 6%

Common Merchandising Associate Skills

Cleanliness, 26%
Sales Floor, 25%
Customer Service, 21%
Loss Prevention, 15%
Store Management, 3%
Visual Standards, 2%

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Key Holder
Key Holder vs Merchandising Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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