Merchandising manager vs store manager

The differences between merchandising managers and store managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a merchandising manager, becoming a store manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a merchandising manager has an average salary of $86,346, which is higher than the $46,950 average annual salary of a store manager.

The top three skills for a merchandising manager include sales floor, POS and apparel. The most important skills for a store manager are store management, retail store, and customer service.

Merchandising manager vs store manager overview

	Merchandising Manager	Store Manager
Yearly salary	$86,346	$46,950
Hourly rate	$41.51	$22.57
Growth rate	10%	6%
Number of jobs	268,577	446,127
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	39	44
Years of experience	10	6

What does a merchandising manager do?

A merchandising manager is responsible for supervising stock inventories, retail pricing, and managing product displays by analyzing customer preferences through researching the current market trends that would improve the store's sales condition and achieve profitability goals. Merchandising managers negotiate with reliable third-party vendors, minimizing costs without compromising the quality of the products. They also assist with planning floor layouts for store visuals that would attract customers and marketing promotional offers and special discounts to increase more revenues.

What does a store manager do?

A store manager is responsible for monitoring the daily operations, making sure of its smooth and efficient performance with the best services provided to the customers. Store managers' duty also includes tracking the budget of the store to ensure that all expenses are meeting the sales goals. A store manager must also be able to plan and share strategies to boost sales performance and provide the needed support for the employees by communicating with them regularly, listening on suggestions, and taking necessary actions for complaints as required.

Merchandising manager vs store manager salary

Merchandising managers and store managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Merchandising Manager	Store Manager
Average salary	$86,346	$46,950
Salary range	Between $64,000 And $116,000	Between $30,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City	Woonsocket, RI	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Delaware
Best paying company	Roku	Meta
Best paying industry	Retail	Manufacturing

Differences between merchandising manager and store manager education

There are a few differences between a merchandising manager and a store manager in terms of educational background:

	Merchandising Manager	Store Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Georgia	University of Pennsylvania

Merchandising manager vs store manager demographics

Here are the differences between merchandising managers' and store managers' demographics:

	Merchandising Manager	Store Manager
Average age	39	44
Gender ratio	Male, 47.7% Female, 52.3%	Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between merchandising manager and store manager duties and responsibilities

Merchandising manager example responsibilities.

Manage and plan ROI, CPC and bid management on external online shopping sites.
Manage hardware, plumbing, kitchen and bath, kitchen design, and night operations.
Create all marketing materials (paper/media), organize logistics of readings, manage financials.
Manage merchandising for lumber, building materials, paint, hardware, plumbing, electrical, and the garden department.
Lead website development committee, including RFP development, ROI analysis, marketing, brand-enhancement strategies, and back-end integration solutions.
Manage creative development and production of indirect channel POS fixtures creating brand consistency

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Store manager example responsibilities.

Store achieve highest UPT in company for FY11.
Assist the DM and help to manage the district in her absence.
Manage the store's inventory with GNC guidelines; receiving, checking and shelving all merchandising orders.
Train and develop to manage multi-unit operations.
Create implementation plans to support execution of Starbucks initiatives to achieve both operational excellence and business results.
Develop and implement operational strategies utilizing less payroll expenses and allot hour usage to accomplish logistical and operational excellence.

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Merchandising manager vs store manager skills

Common merchandising manager skills

Sales Floor, 10%
POS, 9%
Apparel, 7%
Pallets, 6%
Merchandise Presentation, 5%
Drive Sales, 5%

Common store manager skills

Store Management, 8%
Retail Store, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
PET, 5%
Loss Prevention, 5%
Sales Floor, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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