Retail Sales Workers Career Information
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Significant Points
· Good employment opportunities are expected due to the need to replace
the large number of workers who leave the occupation each year.
· Many salespersons work evenings, weekends, and long hours from Thanksgiving through the beginning of January, during sales, and in other peak retail periods.
· Opportunities for part-time work are plentiful, attracting people looking to supplement their income; however, most of those selling high-priced items work full time and have substantial experience.
Nature of the Work
Whether selling shoes, computer equipment,
or automobiles, retail salespersons assist customers in finding what they are
looking for and try to interest them in buying the merchandise. They describe
a product's features, demonstrate its use, or show various models and colors. For some sales jobs, particularly those involving expensive and complex
items, retail salespersons need special knowledge or skills. For example, salespersons
who sell automobiles must be able to explain to customers the features of various
models, warranty information, the meaning of manufacturers' specifications,
and the types of options and financing available.
Consumers spend millions of dollars every day on merchandise and often form their impressions of a store by evaluating its sales force. Therefore, retailers stress the importance of providing courteous and efficient service in order to remain competitive. When a customer wants an item that is not on the sales floor, for example, the salesperson may check the stockroom, place a special order, or call another store to locate the item.
In addition to selling, most retail salespersons, especially those who work in department and apparel stores, make out sales checks; receive cash, check, and charge payments; bag or package purchases; and give out change and receipts. Depending on the hours they work, retail salespersons may have to open or close cash registers. This may include counting the money; separating charge slips, coupons, and exchange vouchers; and making deposits at the cash office. Salespersons often are held responsible for the contents of their registers, and repeated shortages are cause for dismissal in many organizations.
Salespersons also may handle returns and exchanges of merchandise, wrap gifts, and keep their work areas neat. In addition, they may help stock shelves or racks, arrange for mailing or delivery of purchases, mark price tags, take inventory, and prepare displays.
Frequently, salespersons must be aware of special sales and promotions. They must also recognize possible security risks and thefts and know how to handle or prevent such situations.
Working Conditions
Most salespersons in retail trade work in
clean, comfortable, well-lighted stores. However, they often stand for long
periods and may need supervisory approval to leave the sales floor.
The Monday-through-Friday, 9-to-5 workweek is the exception rather than the rule in retail trade. Most salespersons work evenings and weekends, particularly during sales and other peak retail periods. Because the holiday season is the busiest time for most retailers, many employers restrict the use of vacation time from Thanksgiving through the beginning of January.
This job can be rewarding for those who enjoy working with people. Patience and courtesy are required, especially when the work is repetitious and the customers are demanding.
Retail salespersons held about 4.3 million wage and salary jobs in 2009. They worked in stores ranging from small specialty shops employing a few workers to giant department stores with hundreds of salespersons. In addition, some were self-employed representatives of direct-sales companies and mail-order houses. The largest employers of retail salespersons are department stores, clothing and clothing accessories stores, building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers, other general merchandise stores, and motor vehicle and parts dealers.
This occupation offers many opportunities for part-time work and is especially appealing to students, retirees, and others seeking to supplement their income. However, most of those selling big-ticket items work full time and have substantial experience.
Because retail stores are found in every city and town, employment is distributed geographically in much the same way as the population.
Training, Qualifications, Adv.
There usually are no formal education requirements
for this type of work, although a high school diploma or equivalent is preferred.
Employers look for people who enjoy working with others and have the tact and
patience to deal with difficult customers. Among other desirable characteristics
are an interest in sales work, a neat appearance, and the ability to communicate
clearly and effectively. The ability to speak more than one language may be
helpful for employment in communities where people from various cultures tend
to live and shop. Before hiring a salesperson, some employers may conduct a
background check, especially for a job selling high-priced items.
In most small stores, an experienced employee, or the proprietor, instructs newly hired sales personnel in making out sales checks and operating cash registers. In large stores, training programs are more formal and usually conducted over several days. Topics usually discussed are customer service, security, the store's policies and procedures, and how to work a cash register. Depending on the type of product they are selling, they may be given additional specialized training by manufacturers' representatives. For example, those working in cosmetics receive instruction on the types of products available and for whom the cosmetics would be most beneficial. Likewise, salespersons employed by motor vehicle dealers may be required to participate in training programs designed to provide information on the technical details of standard and optional equipment available on new models. Because providing the best service to customers is a high priority for many employers, employees often are given periodic training to update and refine their skills.
As salespersons gain experience and seniority, they usually move to positions of greater responsibility and may be given their choice of departments. This often means moving to areas with potentially higher earnings and commissions. The highest earnings potential usually is found in selling big-ticket items. This type of position often requires the most knowledge of the product and the greatest talent for persuasion.
Opportunities for advancement vary in small stores. In some establishments, advancement is limited, because one person, often the owner, does most of the managerial work. In others, however, some salespersons are promoted to assistant managers.
Traditionally, capable salespersons without college degrees could advance to management positions. Today, however, large retail businesses usually prefer to hire college graduates as management trainees, making a college education increasingly important. Despite this trend, motivated and capable employees without college degrees still may advance to administrative or supervisory positions in large establishments.
Retail selling experience may be an asset when applying for sales positions with larger retailers or in other industries, such as financial services, wholesale trade, or manufacturing.
During economic downturns, sales volumes and the resulting demand for sales workers usually decline. Purchases of costly items, such as cars, appliances, and furniture, tend to be postponed during difficult economic times. In areas of high unemployment, sales of many types of goods decline. However, because turnover of sales workers usually is very high, employers often can adjust employment levels by simply not replacing all those who leave. Job Outlook
As in the past, employment opportunities for retail salespersons are expected to be good because of the need to replace the large number of workers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force each year. In addition, many new jobs will be created for retail salespersons. Employment is expected to for all occupations through the year 2010, reflecting rising retail sales stemming from a growing population.
The starting wage for many retail sales positions is the Federal minimum wage, which was $5.15 an hour in 2009. In areas where employers have difficulty attracting and retaining workers, wages tend to be higher than the legislated minimum.
Median hourly earnings of retail salespersons, including commissions, were $8.98 in May 2009. The middle 50 percent earned between $7.46 and $12.22 an hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $6.38, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $17.85 an hour. Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of retail salespersons in May 2009 were as follows:
| Automobile dealers | $18.61 |
| Building material and supplies dealers | 10.85 |
| Department stores | 8.47 |
| Other general merchandise stores | 8.36 |
| Clothing stores | 8.17 |
Compensation systems vary by type of establishment and merchandise sold. Salespersons receive hourly wages, commissions, or a combination thereof. Under a commission system, salespersons receive a percentage of the sales they make. This system offers sales workers the opportunity to increase their earnings considerably, but they may find that their earnings strongly depend on their ability to sell their product and on the ups and downs of the economy. Employers may use incentive programs such as awards, banquets, bonuses, and profit-sharing plans to promote teamwork among the sales staff.
Benefits may be limited in smaller stores, but benefits in large establishments usually are comparable to those offered by other employers. In addition, nearly all salespersons are able to buy their store's merchandise at a discount, with the savings depending on the type of merchandise.
Salespersons use sales techniques, coupled with their knowledge of merchandise, to assist customers and encourage purchases. Workers in other occupations who use these same skills include sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing; securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents; counter and rental clerks; real estate brokers and sales agents; purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents; insurance sales agents; sales engineers; and cashiers.
Information on careers in retail sales may be obtained from the personnel offices of local stores or from State merchants’ associations. General information about retailing is available from: Information about retail sales employment opportunities is available from: Information about training for a career in automobile sales is available from:Sources of Additional Information