Retail representative vs distribution sales representative

The differences between retail representatives and distribution sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a distribution sales representative has an average salary of $41,865, which is higher than the $31,790 average annual salary of a retail representative.

The top three skills for a retail representative include flexibility, store management and certification programs. The most important skills for a distribution sales representative are product knowledge, territory sales, and customer accounts.

Retail representative vs distribution sales representative overview

	Retail Representative	Distribution Sales Representative
Yearly salary	$31,790	$41,865
Hourly rate	$15.28	$20.13
Growth rate	-	4%
Number of jobs	402,132	235,775
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	41	47
Years of experience	-	4

What does a retail representative do?

A retail representative is in charge of assisting customers with their shopping needs in retail stores, ensuring customer satisfaction. Their responsibilities include greeting customers and identifying their needs, answering inquiries, locating products, offering promotions and recommendations, and conducting demonstrations when possible. There are also instances where they must process payments or refunds. Furthermore, as a retail representative, it is essential to arrange products on shelves to make it look attractive to customers, all while maintaining the cleanliness of the sales floor.

What does a distribution sales representative do?

A distribution sales representative is a sales professional who usually works for wholesale and manufacturing companies, aiming to secure sales with retailers and individuals. Their duties entail conducting market research and analyses to find client and business opportunities, generating leads, communicating with clients through calls, arranging appointments, answering inquiries, discussing product or service specifications, and negotiating contracts, building positive relationships along the way. Moreover, as a distribution sales representative, keeping up with the latest trends to enhance sales pitches is essential.

Retail representative vs distribution sales representative salary

Retail representatives and distribution sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Retail Representative	Distribution Sales Representative
Average salary	$31,790	$41,865
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $38,000	Between $25,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between retail representative and distribution sales representative education

There are a few differences between a retail representative and a distribution sales representative in terms of educational background:

	Retail Representative	Distribution Sales Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Retail representative vs distribution sales representative demographics

Here are the differences between retail representatives' and distribution sales representatives' demographics:

	Retail Representative	Distribution Sales Representative
Average age	41	47
Gender ratio	Male, 43.6% Female, 56.4%	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 6.8% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 72.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	7%	6%

Differences between retail representative and distribution sales representative duties and responsibilities

Retail representative example responsibilities.

Manage Nintendo's promotional programs; secure and maintain point-of-purchase displays that alert customers to brand availability.
Execute the proper POS in accounts, particularly with products on sale.
Befriend category managers and backroom personnel to positively impact on OSA, POS placement, and other sell-in tactics.
Educate consumers about products and services and troubleshoot any existing customer concerns relate to service or equipment.
Collaborate with board members to prepare PowerPoint presentations and other written reports and present concepts to management.

Distribution sales representative example responsibilities.

Manage merchandising and POS materials at the retail store level ensuring meticulous compliance with all current corporate initiative regulations.
Provide power design solutions to OEM 's
Excel in responsive customer support; personally responsible for worldwide international service centers and primary aircraft OEM accounts.
Develop and implement marketing programs for distributors and retailers, including co-op advertising plans, promotional events, and merchandising techniques.
Install and maintain software, hardware and networking and troubleshoot computer systems for problems ranging from software incompatibilities to electrical problems.

Retail representative vs distribution sales representative skills

Common retail representative skills

Flexibility, 36%
Store Management, 36%
Certification Programs, 11%
PET, 7%
Customer Service, 2%
Product Knowledge, 1%

Common distribution sales representative skills

Product Knowledge, 30%
Territory Sales, 12%
Customer Accounts, 6%
Sales Presentations, 5%
Business Development, 4%
Medical Sales, 4%

Retail Representative vs. similar jobs

Retail Representative related careers

Retail Representative related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Sales Industry
Retail Representative
Retail Representative vs Distribution Sales Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse sales jobs