How to hire a merchandise distributor

How to hire a merchandise distributor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step merchandise distributor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a merchandise distributor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new merchandise distributor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your merchandise distributor job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a merchandise distributor for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect merchandise distributor also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of merchandise distributor salaries for various roles:

   Type of Merchandise Distributor	Description	Hourly rate
   Merchandise Distributor	Material recording clerks track product information in order to keep businesses and supply chains on schedule. They ensure proper scheduling, recordkeeping, and inventory control.	$15-26
   Route Sales Driver	A route sales driver is the company driver in charge of distributing goods or products to customers on a specific route or area. In some companies or organizations, they are also tasked with the role of collecting payment for delivered goods and also keeping a record of it... Show more	$16-31
   Driver	Drivers are responsible for safely transporting people, packages, or goods from one destination to another. They should be familiar with the different routes that may be taken to reach the desired goal... Show more	$10-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Sales Floor
   • Merchandise Product
   • Grocery Store
   • Retail Locations
   • Increase Sales
   • Retail Store
   • Store Management
   • Sales Trends
   • Customer Expectations
   • POS
   • Hand Trucks
   • Allocation Strategies
   • Inventory Control

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage vendor relationships for current season catalogs, UPC codes, and discrepancies in catalog and merchandise data.
   • Assist with POS advertisement placement.
   • Lift heavy objects, move large pallets and operate large machinery.
   • Display promtional materials, such as POS, & signage accordin to company and store policies.
   • Provide nutritional product educational presentations and recruit potential distributors
   • Provide nutritional product educational presentations and recruit potential distributors

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your merchandise distributor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A merchandise distributor can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, merchandise distributors' average salary in florida is 41% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level merchandise distributors 43% less than senior-level merchandise distributors.
   • Certifications. A merchandise distributor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a merchandise distributor's salary.

   Average merchandise distributor salary

   $42,437yearly

   $20.40 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level merchandise distributor salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 30, 2026

4. Writing a merchandise distributor job description

   A job description for a merchandise distributor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a merchandise distributor job description:

   Merchandise distributor job description example

   Work days/Shift Hours - if applicable: Night shift - 6pm start time. Must have availability to work weekdays and weekends. Full time, 40+hrs/week.
   
   Additional Relevant Information: Previous grocery, retail or merchandising experience preferred. Must have valid Driver's license and reliable personal vehicle.
   General Purpose
   
   Join our team! Our Merchandisers work in local stores to keep Coca-Cola products fully stocked on the shelves. This position is primarily responsible for maintaining product availability and merchandising products at all designated accounts. This job description does not include all job duties associated with this position.
   
   Duties and Responsibilities
   Maintains product in Store racks, shelves, displays, and coolers by identifying replenishment needs; transporting product between backroom and display floor with manual equipment (for example, pallet jack, hand truck); utilizing hand tools; replenishing, facing, and rotating product; building, changing, and taking down product displays; maintaining product signage; cleaning product space; and securing damaged or defective product.
   Manages backroom by organizing and consolidating backstock (product); identifying, monitoring, and reporting backstock inventory levels; evaluating and processing damaged or defective product; re-packing product; organizing backroom materials (for example, pallets, product shells); operating powered equipment (for example, straddle stacker, powered pallet jack) and manual equipment (for example, pallet jack); completing Store documentation; and cleaning backroom.
   Maintains areas of responsibility in designated accounts by communicating status and concerns to Store and Company personnel; identifying and reporting unsafe working conditions; attending and completing Company training and certifications; following Company and Store policies regarding backroom, display floor, replenishment, equipment, and safety; following applicable local, state, and federal laws; utilizing a mobile device to complete work activities; and operating a motor vehicle.
   Provides customer service to Consumers and Store personnel by identifying and resolving concerns; answering questions; locating product; and responding to assistance requests.
   Qualifications
   Education: High School diploma or equivalent.
   Experience: Must be 18 years of age.
   Must be eligible to work in the United States.
   Must have a valid driver's license.
   Must have current vehicle liability insurance.
   Must have a driving record with no major moving violations in the last three (3) years.
   Must provide and maintain a personal vehicle for use during employee working hours.
   Ability to repetitively lift, carry, and position objects weighing up to 50 pounds without assistance.
   Ability to repetitively push and pull objects weighing up to 50 pounds without assistance while kneeling; squatting; reaching above the head; reaching at the waist; reaching below the knees; and bending at the knees.
   Ability to repetitively push and pull manual transport equipment (for example, pallet jack, hand truck) containing product loads a minimum of 100 yards without assistance.
   Ability to repetitively grasp and manipulate objects of varying size and weight requiring fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
   Ability to exert oneself physically over sustained periods of time to complete job activities.
   Ability to read information in small, medium, and large print.
   Ability to stand a minimum of 6 hours during the workday.
   Ability to walk a minimum of 4 miles during the workday.
   Preferred Qualifications
   1-year experience working in replenishment or as Merchandiser.
   1-year experience working in grocery, retail, consumer goods, warehousing, or related field. 1-year experience working in physically demanding fields such as construction, food service, landscaping, manufacturing, military, nursing, or related experience.
   1-year experience working with manual or powered pallet jacks.
   Straddle stacker certification.
   Powered pallet jack certification.
   1-year experience working under little or no supervision.
   1 year of college coursework in business, marketing, communication, or related area.
   
   Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find merchandise distributors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your merchandise distributor job on Zippia to find and recruit merchandise distributor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting merchandise distributors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new merchandise distributor

   Once you've found the merchandise distributor candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new merchandise distributor. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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