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.
Merchandising associate responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real merchandising associate resumes:
- 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.
- Receive product from shipping area, inspect product, pack product out ensuring POG adherence.
- Participate in strategy and tactical development meetings with vendors; sample reviews and sketch reviews.
- Put out freight in a timely fashion using ladders and store equipment while assisting customers around the store with questions.
- Set up displays, follow plan-a-grams, do POS (point of sale), communicate with managers and associates.
- Process customer sales transactions, returns, exchanges, and collect payment by operating cash register in accordance with POS guidelines.
- Update and cross-reference line information in PLM and assortment forms when changes are received from designers, vendors, and merchandisers.
- Maintain merchandise presentations in jewelry and shoe departments.
- Provide e-Commerce team with product specifications and additional inquiries.
- Expedite merchandise percentage markdowns and communicate relate results and data files to management.
Merchandising associate skills and personality traits
We calculated that 26% of Merchandising Associates are proficient in Cleanliness, Sales Floor, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Selling skills, Interpersonal skills, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Merchandising Associates that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Cleanliness, 26%
Retained responsibility for assisting customers, maintained store cleanliness, and upheld store standards of operations.
- Sales Floor, 25%
Maintained the stockroom and sales floor to maximize customer experience and store profitability
- Customer Service, 21%
Provided positive customer shopping experience by answering questions in polite and knowledgeable manner, and responding immediately to customer service calls.
- Loss Prevention, 15%
Processed returns in an organized and timely manner Implemented security and loss prevention.
- Store Management, 3%
Negotiated with store management for optimum space on selling floor and communicated with sales representatives regarding store-level needs and issues.
- Visual Standards, 2%
Assisted with register sales -Provided superior guest service -Actively worked with team members to uphold visual standards -Routinely performed closing procedures
Common skills that a merchandising associate uses to do their job include "cleanliness," "sales floor," and "customer service." You can find details on the most important merchandising associate responsibilities below.
Selling skills. One of the key soft skills for a merchandising associate to have is selling skills. You can see how this relates to what merchandising associates do because "retail sales workers must be persuasive when interacting with customers." Additionally, a merchandising associate resume shows how merchandising associates use selling skills: "increased sales, reducing theft, while working beside loss prevention. "
Interpersonal skills. Another essential skill to perform merchandising associate duties is interpersonal skills. Merchandising associates responsibilities require that "a friendly and outgoing personality is important for these workers because the job requires almost constant interaction with people." Merchandising associates also use interpersonal skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, product knowledge, selling techniques, and maintaining sales floor presentation and visual standards. "
Math skills. merchandising associates are also known for math skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to merchandising associate responsibilities, because "retail sales workers must have the ability to calculate price totals, discounts, and change owed to customers." A merchandising associate resume example shows how math skills is used in the workplace: "conduct sales, provide excellent customer service, merchandising hobbies/interest/affiliations: design, fashion, mathematics, science, photography"
Customer-service skills. For certain merchandising associate responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "customer-service skills." The day-to-day duties of a merchandising associate rely on this skill, as "retail sales workers must be responsive to the wants and needs of customers." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what merchandising associates do: "assisted customers with merchandise returns while managing inventory and store loss prevention. "
The three companies that hire the most merchandising associates are:
- The TJX Companies2,230 merchandising associates jobs
- Winston Retail443 merchandising associates jobs
- Walmart130 merchandising associates jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable merchandising associate resume templates
Build a professional merchandising associate resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your merchandising associate resume.
Compare different merchandising associates
Merchandising associate vs. Associate retailer
An Associate Retailer is responsible for keeping the sales area up to standard and assisting customers while inside the store's premises. Most of the tasks revolve around keeping items on shelves clean and well-organized, greeting and offering assistance to customers, responding to inquiries and locating products, and even providing suggestions or recommendations when necessary and in adherence to the store's policies and regulations. In other stores and retail outlets, the Associate Retailer may also process payments and returns while still putting importance to customer satisfaction.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, merchandising associate responsibilities require skills like "visual standards," "visual displays," "customer satisfaction," and "pallets." Meanwhile a typical associate retailer has skills in areas such as "retail store," "math," "work ethic," and "good time management." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Associate retailers tend to make the most money working in the hospitality industry, where they earn an average salary of $29,543. In contrast, merchandising associates make the biggest average salary, $33,557, in the manufacturing industry.associate retailers tend to reach similar levels of education than merchandising associates. In fact, associate retailers are 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Merchandising associate vs. Cashier/merchandiser
A customer service retail associate is responsible for providing the highest customer service for the store's customers by responding to their inquiries and concerns and recommending them goods and services that would fit their needs. Customer service retail associates support the marketing campaigns and promotional strategies of the store by offering and demonstrating products to the customers, as well as arranging stock displays, and monitoring the adequacy of inventories. They also escalate high-level complaints to management for immediate resolution and assist with product replacement and issuing refunds as needed.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real merchandising associate resumes. While merchandising associate responsibilities can utilize skills like "store management," "visual standards," "visual displays," and "ladders," cashiers/merchandiser use skills like "planograms," "cash drawers," "front end," and "tidiness."
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Cashiers/merchandiser tend to reach similar levels of education than merchandising associates. In fact, they're 1.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Merchandising associate vs. Customer service retail associate
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a merchandising associate is likely to be skilled in "cleanliness," "store management," "visual standards," and "visual displays," while a typical customer service retail associate is skilled in "retail environment," "bank deposits," "product line," and "retail store."
Customer service retail associates earn the highest salary when working in the finance industry, where they receive an average salary of $32,384. Comparatively, merchandising associates have the highest earning potential in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $33,557.Most customer service retail associates achieve a similar degree level compared to merchandising associates. For example, they're 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Merchandising associate vs. Apparel associate
Types of merchandising associate
Updated January 8, 2025
