How to hire a merchandising internship

How to hire a merchandising internship, step by step

Here's a step-by-step merchandising internship hiring guide:

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

What does a merchandising internship do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the merchandising internship you need to hire. Certain merchandising internship roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A merchandising internship's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, merchandising interns from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of merchandising internship salaries for various roles:

   Type of Merchandising Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Merchandising Internship		$12-22
   Display Coordinator	A display coordinator manages and oversees the visual presentation of products and services. Despite having different responsibilities depending on their organization or industry of employment, it usually involves conducting market research and analyses, developing and implementing plans, communicating and negotiating with internal and external parties to secure supplies, and spearheading various events such as exhibits and shows... Show more	$12-33
   Retail Coverage Merchandiser	A retail coverage merchandiser is responsible for assisting store customers by responding to their inquiries and concerns about a product, directing them to the correct area of their needs, and recommending items according to their requests. Retail coverage merchandisers ensure that the shelves are accurately filled and maintained... Show more	$11-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PowerPoint
   • POS
   • Sales Floor
   • Purchase Orders
   • Product Development
   • Indesign
   • Photo Shoots
   • Line Sheets
   • E-Commerce
   • Market Trends
   • Retail Locations
   • Guest Service
   • Product Knowledge
   • Instagram

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead seasonal consolidation/re-assortment of own consignment estate jewelry to strengthen merchandise productivity by door.
   • Research and create city guides for major U.S cities using PowerPoint.
   • Work with divisional team in analyzing the POS process and developing nonfood and service products.
   • Perform daily tasks of cash handling, POS usage, stocking, store opening and closing procedures.
   • Lead seasonal consolidation/re-assortment of own consignment estate jewelry to strengthen merchandise productivity by door.
   • Perform all ambassador duties representing the EPSON line of printers.

   More merchandising internship duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your merchandising internship job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A merchandising internship salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, merchandising interns' average salary in alabama is 34% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level merchandising interns earn 47% less than senior-level merchandising interns.
   • Certifications. A merchandising internship with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a merchandising internship's salary.

   Average merchandising internship salary

   $16.72hourly

   $34,770 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level merchandising internship salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average merchandising internship salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$44,225	$21
   2	New York	$40,435	$19
   3	Rhode Island	$38,768	$19
   4	Massachusetts	$37,324	$18
   5	Illinois	$36,659	$18
   6	Ohio	$36,022	$17
   7	Minnesota	$35,938	$17
   8	Wisconsin	$34,986	$17
   9	Colorado	$34,371	$17
   10	North Carolina	$34,259	$16
   11	Nebraska	$34,009	$16
   12	Arizona	$33,728	$16
   13	Georgia	$32,836	$16
   14	Texas	$32,088	$15
   15	Florida	$31,693	$15
   16	South Carolina	$30,948	$15
   17	Tennessee	$30,035	$14
   18	Arkansas	$29,487	$14
   19	Indiana	$29,443	$14

   Average merchandising internship salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	ALDI USA	$46,631	$22.42
   2	Target	$40,979	$19.70	17
   3	Global Partners	$39,628	$19.05
   4	American Civil Liberties Union Foundation	$38,605	$18.56
   5	Sherwin-Williams	$38,444	$18.48	31
   6	Sephora	$37,910	$18.23	1
   7	Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32	$37,776	$18.16
   8	Gavilon	$36,946	$17.76
   9	Mohawk Industries	$36,359	$17.48
   10	Kroger	$36,098	$17.35	32
   11	RANDA Solutions	$35,857	$17.24	25
   12	Proper Cloth	$35,453	$17.04
   13	Advantage Sales & Marketing	$35,430	$17.03	1
   14	Advantage Solutions	$35,191	$16.92	2
   15	Walmart	$35,120	$16.88	75
   16	Boston Proper	$34,850	$16.75
   17	P&S Surgical Hospital	$34,829	$16.74
   18	Finish Line	$34,814	$16.74
   19	United Legwear & Apparel Co.	$34,414	$16.55
   20	Factory Motor Parts	$34,207	$16.45

4. Writing a merchandising internship job description

   A merchandising internship job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a merchandising internship job description:

   Merchandising internship job description example

   At SpartanNash, we deliver the ingredients for a better life through customer-focused innovation. We do this for our supply chain customers and U.S. military commissaries, retail store guests and, most importantly, our Associates. In fact, we see a day when each will say, “I can't live without them.”
   
   Our SpartanNash family of Associates is 17,500 strong, ranging from bakery managers to order selectors; from IT developers to vice presidents of finance; from HR Business Partners to export specialists. Each of them plays an integral role in SpartanNash's People First culture, Operational Excellence and Insights that Drive Solutions. Ready to contribute to the success of our food solutions company? Apply now!
   Job Description:
   
   A day in the life of a Produce Merchandising Intern, a hybrid role at SpartanNash, is never the same. In this role, you will gain experience across many functions of the company.
   
   What You'll Do Wholesale customer data dive and analysis for all divisions. This would include some version of a data dashboard and/or interactive map that displays key metrics of wholesale customers with the option to go view a deeper set of metrics. The final PowerBI report or similar will provide field merchandisers with actionable information to help them better serve our customers and develop additional business. Additionally, a DC analysis project would coincide with the customer project to better define where we are having issues and correlate those with what we are seeing from our wholesale customers. Assisting in food expo, planograms and execution, hierarchal category updates and related tasks. Responsible to complete or participate in at least one strategic project during the internship and give a short presentation to the executive team that showcases the project. Participate in learning opportunities that may include tours of our warehouses and retail stores, a community service event (such as SpartanNash Expo, Helping Hands, or Special Olympics) Attend workshops for developing skills, team building, etc. Sound Like You? Here's what you'll need: High School Diploma or equivalent (GED) GPA of 3.0 (Preferred)
   Some College Degree (Required to be an active student going into the summer) MS Office Proficiency Good written and verbal communication skills. Good organizational, prioritization and detail-oriented skills. Ability to take initiatives and seek opportunities to learn in a fast-paced environment.
   Live near Byron Center, Michigan to work in office primarily, as this is hybrid role.
   SpartanNash is a certified Veteran-Friendly Employer. We value the perspectives, backgrounds, skills, work ethic and leadership that those who are military connected bring to the workforce.
   
   As part of our People First culture, SpartanNash is proud to offer a robust and competitive Total Rewards benefits package.
   
   SpartanNash is an Equal Opportunity Employer that celebrates diversity and believes employing a diverse workforce is key to our success. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals.
   
   We are not able to sponsor work visas for this position.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right merchandising internship for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your merchandising internship job on Zippia to find and recruit merchandising internship candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting merchandising interns 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 to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   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 merchandising internship

   Once you've selected the best merchandising internship candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new merchandising internship first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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