Merchandising associate vs merchandising representative

The differences between merchandising associates and merchandising representatives 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 $32,303 average annual salary of a merchandising representative.

The top three skills for a merchandising associate include cleanliness, sales floor and customer service. The most important skills for a merchandising representative are little supervision, store management, and plan-o-grams.

Merchandising associate vs merchandising representative overview

	Merchandising Associate	Merchandising Representative
Yearly salary	$33,201	$32,303
Hourly rate	$15.96	$15.53
Growth rate	-	4%
Number of jobs	370,401	351,931
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	41	47
Years of experience	-	4

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.

What does a merchandising representative do?

Merchandising representatives are professionals who are responsible for providing point-of-purchase and shelf management services to produce sales. These representatives are required to plan and develop merchandising strategies so that they can balance the expectations of customers and the organization's objectives. They must maintain store shelves and display products appropriately so that they can maximize the interest of customers and sales levels. Merchandising representatives must also analyze sales figures, the reactions of customers, and market trends to anticipate their product needs and plan product stock.

Merchandising associate vs merchandising representative salary

Merchandising associates and merchandising representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Merchandising Associate	Merchandising Representative
Average salary	$33,201	$32,303
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $42,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Maine
Best paying company	Uline	ECMD
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between merchandising associate and merchandising representative education

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

	Merchandising Associate	Merchandising Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Merchandising associate vs merchandising representative demographics

Here are the differences between merchandising associates' and merchandising representatives' demographics:

	Merchandising Associate	Merchandising Representative
Average age	41	47
Gender ratio	Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2%	Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 73.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	7%	6%

Differences between merchandising associate and merchandising representative duties and responsibilities

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.

Merchandising representative example responsibilities.

Manage Nintendo's promotional programs; secure and maintain point-of-purchase displays that alert customers to brand availability.
Update POS promotional materials such as cardboard temporary decorative displays.
Coordinate and administer jewelry entries for industry awards and advertisements in national fashion magazines.
Assist patients with Critical/Triage calls; document necessary symptoms for medical assistants to determine what medical intervention is necessary.
Place IRC on assign products for promotional sales.
Increase sales by installing displays and instant rebate coupons (IRC).

Merchandising associate vs merchandising representative skills

Common merchandising associate skills

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

Common merchandising representative skills

Little Supervision, 24%
Store Management, 23%
Plan-O-Grams, 13%
Customer Service, 9%
Product Knowledge, 6%
Working Independently, 5%

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Merchandising Associate
Merchandising Associate vs Merchandising Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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