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.
Store manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real store manager resumes:
- 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.
- Provide exceptional customer service by building a trusting relationship with pharmacy patients and customers.
- Execute operational efficiency through inventory management, customer retention techniques, discipline POS practices, and hiring decisions.
- Climb and descend ladders carrying merchandise.
- Provide monthly updates to regional store managers on apparel sales.
- Monitor and control accounts payable and process all vender payments using QuickBooks.
- Train and develop multi-unit management skills, assisting the district manager with various task.
- Partner with marketing team to drive customer traffic though grass roots and localize market.
- Complete task often requiring heavy lifting, climbing ladders, and personally assembling store fixtures.
- Used relationship influence to build and maintain Starbucks culture and standards within other strong brand teams.
Store manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 8% of Store Managers are proficient in Store Management, Retail Store, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Leadership skills, and Management skills.
We break down the percentage of Store Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Store Management, 8%
Communicated effectively with all members of store management and consistently challenged self and team to exceed corporate goals and objectives.
- Retail Store, 5%
Participate in and supervise the preparation and accountability of retail store physical inventory and develop action plans to achieve expected results.
- Customer Service, 5%
Monitor and positively affect profitability in the areas of customer service, sales, inventory/expense control and risk management.
- PET, 5%
Developed innovative marketing materials and created free weekly seminars in basic pet discipline development skills to increase training program enrollment.
- Loss Prevention, 5%
Evaluate and maintain store security requirements and loss prevention procedures; implement controls designed to reduce overall shrinkage levels.
- Sales Floor, 4%
Manage and support sales floor execution by managing customer traffic and ensure enhanced customer experience.
Common skills that a store manager uses to do their job include "store management," "retail store," and "customer service." You can find details on the most important store manager responsibilities below.
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a store manager to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what store managers do because "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." Additionally, a store manager resume shows how store managers use communication skills: "gained exposure to reading and analyzing financial reports and managing inter-departmental communication. "
Leadership skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling store manager duties is leadership skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." According to a store manager resume, here's how store managers can utilize leadership skills in their job responsibilities: "executed all operational functions that include hiring, scheduling, training, marketing, loss prevention and team leadership assist. "
Problem-solving skills. For certain store manager responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "problem-solving skills." The day-to-day duties of a store manager rely on this skill, as "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what store managers do: "identified and resolved major loss prevention issues and instituted policies to prevent future problems. "
Time-management skills. Another common skill required for store manager responsibilities is "time-management skills." This skill comes up in the duties of store managers all the time, as "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." An excerpt from a real store manager resume shows how this skill is central to what a store manager does: "identified reasons for cash or inventory shortages and submitted financial reports to the corporate on time. "
The three companies that hire the most store managers are:
- Dollar General9,632 store managers jobs
- PetSmart2,255 store managers jobs
- CVS Health1,936 store managers jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable store manager resume templates
Build a professional store manager resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your store manager resume.
Compare different store managers
Store manager vs. Assistant store manager/operations manager
An assistant store manager/operations manager is responsible for supervising the overall store operations, ensuring the highest customer satisfaction, and managing the staff's performance. Assistant store managers/operations managers strategize techniques to enhance the team's productivity and efficiency. They also identify business opportunities by conducting market research that would generate more revenue resources for the business and increase profits. An assistant store manager/operations manager assists the customers with their inquiries and concerns, resolve complaints, and process replacements and refunds as necessary.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, store manager responsibilities require skills like "store management," "pet," "retail sales," and "cleanliness." Meanwhile a typical assistant store manager/operations manager has skills in areas such as "front end," "store operations," "direct supervision," and "operational standards." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
The education levels that assistant store manager/operations managers earn slightly differ from store managers. In particular, assistant store manager/operations managers are 0.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a store manager. Additionally, they're 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Store manager vs. Regional operation manager
A regional operation manager is in charge of overseeing multiple stores or warehouses in a particular region, ensuring efficiency and profitability. Their responsibilities typically revolve around setting sales targets, devising marketing and workforce management strategies, and gathering extensive data to produce progress reports and presentations. They must also address issues and concerns, dealing and resolving them in a timely and professional manner. Furthermore, as a regional operation manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that store manager responsibilities requires skills like "store management," "pet," "loss prevention," and "sales floor." But a regional operation manager might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "regional operations," "oversight," "continuous improvement," and "patients."
Regional operation managers earn a higher average salary than store managers. But regional operation managers earn the highest pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $82,385. Additionally, store managers earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $41,968 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Regional operation managers tend to reach higher levels of education than store managers. In fact, they're 7.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Store manager vs. Assistant general manager
An assistant general manager is responsible for supporting the daily business operations under the general manager's supervision, ensuring that the team delivers the required tasks with the highest quality and standards. Assistant general managers' duties also include managing and delegating individual tasks, addressing concerns from the staff, managing and resolving client's complaints immediately, providing recommendations and business opportunities, sharing best practices to increase revenues and profitability, and submitting reports. An assistant general manager should have excellent leadership and decision-making skills to help in managing the overall operations.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, store managers are more likely to have skills like "store management," "retail store," "pet," and "loss prevention." But a assistant general manager is more likely to have skills like "math," "strong analytical," "food safety," and "guest service."
Assistant general managers make a very good living in the hospitality industry with an average annual salary of $50,180. On the other hand, store managers are paid the highest salary in the manufacturing industry, with average annual pay of $41,968.When it comes to education, assistant general managers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to store managers. In fact, they're 1.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Store manager vs. Retail operation manager
A retail operation manager is an individual who is responsible for managing the daily operations of retail stores while maintaining their physical space tidy and organized. Retail operation manager must ensure proper staffing at all stores as well as train employees to enhance their job performance and retention. They are required to conduct inventory analysis to ensure optimal stock levels. Retail operation managers must also visit retail locations so that they can evaluate the sales performance and level of customer satisfaction of each store.
Types of store manager
Updated January 8, 2025
