How To Become A Retail Supervisor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a retail supervisor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A retail supervisor is a manager who oversees the daily operations of a retail store. They manage staff, create schedules, and work to meet sales goals. Other duties include monitoring inventory levels, ordering merchandise, and handling customer complaints. Retail supervisors need communication and leadership skills to motivate their team and provide exceptional customer service. They also stay up-to-date with industry trends and consumer preferences to make informed decisions about merchandising and products.

ScoreRetail SupervisorUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $34,740

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.4

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.65%

Asian 6.90%

Black or African American 8.37%

Hispanic or Latino 17.66%

Unknown 4.64%

White 61.78%

Gender

female 58.96%

male 41.04%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress level

9.4

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.2

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.6

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a retail supervisor?

Pros

Opportunity for career advancement
Competitive salary and benefits
Opportunities for bonuses and incentives based on performance
Flexibility in scheduling and work hours
Opportunity to be creative with displays and promotional events

Cons

Long hours including evenings, weekends, and holidays
High turnover rate which can lead to frequent hiring and training new staff members
Lack of work-life balance due to the demanding nature of the job
Pressure to meet sales goals which can result in sacrificing customer service or employee satisfaction
Risk of burnout due to the demanding nature of the job.

Key steps to become a retail supervisor

Explore retail supervisor education requirements

Most common retail supervisor degrees

Bachelor's

48.9 %

Associate

21.4 %

High School Diploma

18.2 %

Start to develop specific retail supervisor skills

Skills	Percentages
POS	7.95%
Cash Handling	7.71%
Product Knowledge	6.52%
Cleanliness	5.98%
Sales Floor	5.35%

Complete relevant retail supervisor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New retail supervisors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a retail supervisor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real retail supervisor resumes.

Research retail supervisor duties and 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.

Prepare your retail supervisor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your retail supervisor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a retail supervisor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable retail supervisor resume templates

Build a professional retail supervisor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your retail supervisor resume.