Merchandising supervisor vs retail supervisor

The differences between merchandising supervisors and retail supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a merchandising supervisor and a retail supervisor. Additionally, a retail supervisor has an average salary of $34,740, which is higher than the $34,175 average annual salary of a merchandising supervisor.

The top three skills for a merchandising supervisor include customer service, HR and drive sales. The most important skills for a retail supervisor are POS, cash handling, and product knowledge.

Merchandising supervisor vs retail supervisor overview

	Merchandising Supervisor	Retail Supervisor
Yearly salary	$34,175	$34,740
Hourly rate	$16.43	$16.70
Growth rate	10%	6%
Number of jobs	179,796	240,666
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	6	6

What does a merchandising supervisor do?

Merchandising supervisors are professionals who create a pleasing shopping environment to entice customers to purchase additional products and gain maximum profit. These supervisors are required to identify trends and make sales predictions based on product popularity, past sales data, and information gained by attending product shows. They are required to make attractive point-of-sales displays so that the customers can easily locate the merchandise. Merchandising supervisors must also handle inventory levels by keeping track and submitting order requests to the purchasing department.

What does a retail supervisor do?

The retail supervisor's main job responsibility is to oversee the work of retail staff in a physical store environment. They check and monitor employee activity, coordinate the receiving and shipping of merchandise, and assist customers in their purchases, ensuring smooth day-to-day overall operation. They work for any type of retail store, whether it is clothing, home goods, or an electronics store. In addition, they typically work in a mixed environment that consists of both an office and a sales floor.

Merchandising supervisor vs retail supervisor salary

Merchandising supervisors and retail supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Merchandising Supervisor	Retail Supervisor
Average salary	$34,175	$34,740
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $27,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	-	Peabody, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Live Nation Entertainment
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between merchandising supervisor and retail supervisor education

There are a few differences between a merchandising supervisor and a retail supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Merchandising Supervisor	Retail Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Merchandising supervisor vs retail supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between merchandising supervisors' and retail supervisors' demographics:

	Merchandising Supervisor	Retail Supervisor
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3%	Male, 41.0% Female, 59.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 6.7% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between merchandising supervisor and retail supervisor duties and responsibilities

Merchandising supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage a group of supervisors and hold weekly SWAS meetings.
Assist store leadership in effectively leading, managing and developing store and/or department operations and associates to maximize sales and profitability.
Co-Manage the firearms and hunting departments with hardlines management team.
Handle SWAS meetings for all merchandise specializing in top merchandise.
Supervise merchandising and associate relations for the hardlines area of the store.
Lead IMS team ensuring trucks are unloaded and perpetual inventory are accurate.

Retail supervisor example responsibilities.

Assist store leadership in effectively leading, managing and developing store and/or department operations and associates to maximize sales and profitability.
Prepare food and ensure cleanliness of work area as well as served as a retail sales associate in the gift shop.
Prepare receipts for food using cash registers, computers, calculators, POS systems and other acceptable payment methods.
Maintain restaurant cleanliness, and delegate restaurant duties as necessary.
Monitor and submit weekly payroll and expense reports with modifications when need.
Perform management operations flawlessly and economically schedule employees, while maintaining weekly payroll.

Merchandising supervisor vs retail supervisor skills

Common merchandising supervisor skills

Customer Service, 24%
HR, 20%
Drive Sales, 18%
Store Operations, 15%
Sales Floor, 5%
Store Management, 2%

Common retail supervisor skills

POS, 8%
Cash Handling, 8%
Product Knowledge, 7%
Cleanliness, 6%
Sales Floor, 5%
Wine, 5%

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Merchandising Supervisor
Merchandising Supervisor vs Retail Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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