What Does a Store Sales Associate Do?

A store sales associate is responsible for assisting store customers, directing them to the correct area of their needs, and responding to their inquiries and concerns regarding a product. Store sales associates also support the store's promotional campaigns, selling goods and services to the customers by demonstrating the product and its benefits. They keep the store premises clean and tidy to avoid any potential hazards during operations. A store sales associate must have excellent communication skills, especially on resolving customer complaints, processing replacements, and issuing refunds.

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Store Sales Associate Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real store sales associate resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

Manage to sales KPI's (including sales and expense budget numbers), assuring efficient and effective use of resources.
Earn management trust by serving as keyholder, responsibly opening and closing the store.
Audit all jewelry counts daily, banking deposit log, cashier logs, sales logs.
Utilize the company's POS system to cash customers out or administer returns to the store.
Work as a sales associate and keyholder throughout the summer and a bit of the school year.
Help customers choose jewelry, pierce ears, open and close out register, set up displays.
Compute sales prices, total purchases and receive and process cash or credit payment using a POS system.
Maintain store organization and cleanliness.
Organize assigned departments and maintain cleanliness.
Exhibit rudimentary math skills and advance communication skills when efficiently cashiering in a fast pace environment.
Establish CRM database to capture demographics and provide interactive communication tools.
Modify existing CRM system to optimize customer data base for marketing /sales initiatives
Promote to leadership role with accountability for training and motivating team members.
Demonstrate strong leadership, communication and supervisory skills by providing coaching and feedback to maximize individual and store performance.

Store Sales Associate Job Description

Between the years 2018 and 2028, store sales associate jobs are expected to undergo a growth rate described as "decline" at -2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. So if the thought "should I become a store sales associate?" Has crossed your mind, maybe you should take the growth rate into account. In addition, the number of store sales associate opportunities that are projected to become available by 2028 is -105,200.

On average, the store sales associate annual salary is $30,284 per year, which translates to $14.56 an hour. Generally speaking, store sales associates earn anywhere from $23,000 to $39,000 a year, which means that the top-earning store sales associates make $15,000 more than the ones at the lower end of the spectrum.

It's hard work to become a store sales associate, but even the most dedicated employees consider switching careers from time to time. Whether you're interested in a more challenging position or just looking for a fresh start, we've compiled extensive information on becoming an associate sales representative, sales associate and customer service, sales associate sporting goods, and sales associate and cashier.

Learn More About Store Sales Associate Job Descriptions

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12 Store Sales Associate Resume Examples

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Diana Griffin Store Sales Associate Contact Information Hoffman Estates, IL (450) 555-6006 dgriffin@example.com Skills Water Glasses HR Clean Kitchen Sales Goals Retail Sales Kitchen Equipment Guest Departure Sales Floor Customer Service Dishes Employment History Store Sales Associate 2015 - Present Sears Holdings Hoffman Estates, IL Inspect, unpack, price, and stock merchandise, and move to the sales floor. Processed customer transactions and maintained cash register. Worked on sales floor in Women's apparel, Jewelry department and Customer Service. Utilized POS for all sales transactions. Handled inside retail sales and general store operations Created an engaging and profitable sales floor experience. Store Sales Associate 2011 - 2015 Darden Restaurants Atlanta, GA Balance cash drawer, operate POS terminal and issue receipts. Helped target wanted items and met sales goals for the store. Ranked # 2 Retail Sales Manager in the US in 2012. run and maintain the a dry cleaning store, payroll, weekly reports, hiring. Busser 2007 - 2011 Darden Restaurants Atlanta, GA Provided a clean restaurant for our guests in a timely and fashionable manner. Fast-paced work requiring team coordinated and communication, as well as awareness of situations to best accomplish tasks. Practiced commitment to open, honest communication, mutual respect and strong teamwork. Education High School Diploma 2007 - 2007


Nicholas Ferguson Store Sales Associate Contact Info New York, NY (500) 555-2867 nferguson@example.com Skills Sales ReportsPotential CustomersSales TransactionsBusiness GoalsPOSStore ManagementInternetCustomer ServiceProduct DemonstrationsCustomer Returns Employment History Store Sales Associate 2020 - Present Aeropostale New York, NY Meet or exceed sales goals set by Aeropostale. Maintained solid product knowledge to promote sales and provide customer service Unloaded trucks and stocked and replenished merchandise Support other sales associates in opening new accounts and upgrading existing service. Sales Representative Supervisor 2018 - 2020 Best Buy Bentonville, AR Maintained sales goals and quotas for the departments and set individual goals for my employees. Affirm company policies and procedures and ensure employee compliance. Exceed unit sales goals with corresponding accessories & services attachments. Head Cashier 2015 - 2018 Walmart Bentonville, AR General cashiering, customer service, and handling and general maintenance of self-check units. team management Provided quality customer service in person and over the phone. Unloaded deli products and transfer stock to storage areas. Education High School Diploma 2015 - 2015


Kathryn Foster Store Sales Associate Houston, TX (570) 555-1209 kfoster@example.com Experience Store Sales Associate2019 - Present Dillard's•Houston, TX Exceeded sales goals by 200%. Provided customer service in the retail business, display and organizing of merchandise. Completed sales transactions with guests as cashier. Retail Sales Lead2018 - 2019 The Home Depot•Chicago, IL Promote safety, security, and loss prevention, while supporting and communicating Company goals and objectives. Educated employees on new merchandise during seasonal workshops. Cashier * Provide customer service * Work in the fitting rooms Food server Front End Cashier2017 - 2018 The Home Depot•Chicago, IL Assist Front End Manager in overseeing operations. Provided Customer service including, Special orders, Returns, transfers, Phone sales, Quotes Provide valuable input into merchandising decisions to the store management team and operations team. Worked Service Desk checking in/out will call orders, special ordering, returns, cashier. Arranged sales floor to promote sales. Skills Customer TransactionsCustomer ComplaintsStore ManagementPositive AttitudeCustomer QuestionsUPTCustomer SalesBank DepositsInternetKey Control Education High School Diploma 2017 - 2017

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Store Sales Associate Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 20% of Store Sales Associates are proficient in Sales Floor, POS, and Product Knowledge. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Interpersonal skills, and Math skills.

We break down the percentage of Store Sales Associates that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Sales Floor, 20%
Provided diverse customer service, Accurately and efficiently operated registers and maintained all receipts, Maintained an inviting sales floor.
POS, 10%
Computed sales prices, total purchases and received and processed cash or credit payment using a POS system.
Product Knowledge, 10%
Trained employees on permission marketing and product knowledge to increase positive customer interactions.
Store Sales, 8%
Drive store sales by positively influencing associate behaviors.
Customer Service, 6%
Position required professional customer service and knowledgeable sales ability, enabling the development and continuation of positive relationships with customers.
Stock Room, 5%
Stock room holder made sure the stock room was kept in order and shipped and received freight.

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Most store sales associates list "sales floor," "pos," and "product knowledge" as skills on their resumes. We go into more details on the most important store sales associate responsibilities here:

Arguably the most important personality trait for a store sales associate to have happens to be customer-service skills. An example from a resume said this about the skill, "retail sales workers must be responsive to the wants and needs of customers" Additionally, other resumes have pointed out that store sales associates can use customer-service skills to "worked directly with loss prevention to implement procedures to maintain inventory and customer/employee safety. "

Another commonly found skill for being able to perform store sales associate duties is the following: interpersonal skills. According to a store sales associate resume, "a friendly and outgoing personality is important for these workers because the job requires almost constant interaction with people." Check out this example of how store sales associates use interpersonal skills: "trained sales team in product knowledge, interpersonal skills and merchandising. "

Another skill that is quite popular among store sales associates is math skills. This skill is very critical to fulfilling every day responsibilities as is shown in this example from a store sales associate resume: "retail sales workers must have the ability to calculate price totals, discounts, and change owed to customers." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "support general office duties such as monthly payroll, participate in weekly meetings, and oversee performance statistics. "

A thorough review of lots of resumes revealed to us that "selling skills" is important to completing store sales associate responsibilities. This resume example shows just one way store sales associates use this skill: "retail sales workers must be persuasive when interacting with customers" Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical store sales associate tasks: "assisted the store manager and develop and manages the store operations to increase the sales. "

See the full list of store sales associate skills.

After discovering the most helpful skills, we moved onto what kind of education might be helpful in becoming a store sales associate. We found that 47.2% of store sales associates have graduated with a bachelor's degree and 3.4% of people in this position have earned their master's degrees. While most store sales associates have a college degree, you may find it's also true that generally it's possible to be successful in this career with only a high school degree. In fact, our research shows that one out of every five store sales associates were not college graduates.

Those store sales associates who do attend college, typically earn either business degrees or psychology degrees. Less commonly earned degrees for store sales associates include communication degrees or criminal justice degrees.

Once you've obtained the level of education you're comfortable with, you might start applying to companies to become a store sales associate. We've found that most store sales associate resumes include experience from Citi Trends, Conn's, and Country Fair Store 79. Of recent, Citi Trends had 470 positions open for store sales associates. Meanwhile, there are 198 job openings at Conn's and 140 at Country Fair Store 79.

Since salary is important to some store sales associates, it's good to note that they are figured to earn the highest salaries at Rooms To Go, The Furniture Warehouse, and Conn's. If you were to take a closer look at Rooms To Go, you'd find that the average store sales associate salary is $33,698. Then at The Furniture Warehouse, store sales associates receive an average salary of $32,429, while the salary at Conn's is $32,329.

View more details on store sales associate salaries across the United States.

Some other companies you might be interested in as a store sales associate include Macy's, Nordstrom, and Walmart. These three companies were found to hire the most store sales associates from the top 100 U.S. educational institutions.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious store sales associates are:

Citi Trends470 Store Sales Associates Jobs
Conn's198 Store Sales Associates Jobs
Country Fair Store 79140 Store Sales Associates Jobs

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What Associate Sales Representatives Do

The duties of an associate sales representative depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Their responsibilities typically revolve around reaching out to clients through calls or door-to-door visits, offering products and services, collecting payments, addressing issues and concerns, and performing corrective measures when necessary. An associate sales representative often has a quota and deadline to reach; therefore, it is essential to be sales driven and goal-oriented. Furthermore, one must adhere to the policies and regulations of the company.

In this section, we take a look at the annual salaries of other professions. Take associate sales representative for example. On average, the associate sales representatives annual salary is $20,723 higher than what store sales associates make on average every year.

While the salaries between these two careers can be different, they do share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both store sales associates and associate sales representatives positions are skilled in sales floor, pos, and product knowledge.

As far as similarities go, this is where it ends because a store sales associate responsibility requires skills such as "store sales," "floor stock," "facebook," and "store management." Whereas a associate sales representative is skilled in "work ethic," "patients," "excellent interpersonal," and "excellent organizational." So if you're looking for what truly separates the two careers, you've found it.

Associate sales representatives receive the highest salaries in the health care industry coming in with an average yearly salary of $56,246. But store sales associates are paid more in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $32,458.

On average, associate sales representatives reach similar levels of education than store sales associates. Associate sales representatives are 2.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.7% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties Of a Sales Associate And Customer Service?

Sales and customer service associates are employees who are responsible for closing out sales deals and attending to customer needs. They are in charge of selling company goods and services to potential clients, often citing the common needs of prospective clients to ensure sales. They also handle customer inquiries and complaints and try their best to mitigate any problems that would arise. They are expected to be experts on company products to ensure that they can provide the best service to customers. Sales and customer service associates should have strong interpersonal skills, customer service skills, and communication skills.

The next role we're going to look at is the sales associate and customer service profession. Typically, this position earns a lower pay. In fact, they earn a $1,630 lower salary than store sales associates per year.

A similarity between the two careers of store sales associates and sales associate and customer services are a few of the skills associated with both roles. We used resumes from both professions to find that both use skills like "sales floor," "pos," and "product knowledge. "

But both careers also use different skills, according to real store sales associate resumes. While store sales associate responsibilities can utilize skills like "store sales," "floor stock," "facebook," and "store management," some sales associate and customer services use skills like "plumbing," "booking," "cross-referencing," and "inbound calls."

Sales associate and customer services may earn a lower salary than store sales associates, but sales associate and customer services earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $30,394. On the other side of things, store sales associates receive higher paychecks in the hospitality industry where they earn an average of $32,458.

On the topic of education, sales associate and customer services earn similar levels of education than store sales associates. In general, they're 1.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How a Sales Associate Sporting Goods Compares

A sales associate and cashier is an employee who takes on the dual role of helping customers with their product inquiries and facilitating the purchase of the customer. As a sales associate, the employee must be familiar with the different products offered by the company and should be able to direct customers to the product that best suits their needs. As a cashier, the employee must be familiar with the cash register and the system that the company uses to manage sales and facilitate payment. He/She or she must be able to work the equipment needed for a smooth checkout process.

The sales associate sporting goods profession generally makes a lower amount of money when compared to the average salary of store sales associates. The difference in salaries is sales associates sporting goods making $2,694 lower than store sales associates.

By looking over several store sales associates and sales associates sporting goods resumes, we found that both roles utilize similar skills, such as "sales floor," "pos," and "product knowledge." But beyond that the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers as shown by resumes from each profession. Some of those differences include the skills required to complete responsibilities within each role. As an example of this, a store sales associate is likely to be skilled in "store sales," "stock room," "facebook," and "store management," while a typical sales associate sporting goods is skilled in "background checks," "pallets," "goods sales," and "ammo."

Sales associates sporting goods typically study at similar levels compared with store sales associates. For example, they're 1.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of a Sales Associate And Cashier

The fourth career we look at typically earns lower pay than store sales associates. On average, sales associate and cashiers earn a difference of $4,145 lower per year.

While both store sales associates and sales associate and cashiers complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like sales floor, pos, and product knowledge, the two careers also vary in other skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a store sales associate might have more use for skills like "store sales," "facebook," "store management," and "retail store." Meanwhile, some sales associate and cashiers might include skills like "basic math," "mathematics," "front end," and "credit card payments" on their resume.

Sales associate and cashiers earn a higher salary in the retail industry with an average of $27,492. Whereas, store sales associates earn the highest salary in the hospitality industry.

In general, sales associate and cashiers reach similar levels of education when compared to store sales associates resumes. Sales associate and cashiers are 2.2% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Updated October 2, 2020