A retail manager (or store manager) is the person ultimately responsible for the day-to-day operations (or

management Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a Government agency, government bodies through business administration, Nonprofit studies, nonprofit management, or the political s ...

) of a

retail store The retail format (also known as the retail formula) influences the consumer's store choice and addresses the consumer's expectations. At its most basic level, a retail format is a simple marketplace, that is; a location where goods and services ar ...

. All

employees Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any othe ...

working in the store report to the retail/store manager. A store manager reports to a district/area or general manager.

Roles and responsibilities

Responsibilities of a store manager include: *

Staff management Staff management is the management of subordinates in an organization. Often, large organizations have many of these functions performed by a specialist department, such as personnel or human resources, but all line managers are still required to s ...

: managing staff rotas; hiring, training, and firing of staff members; mediating disputes between staff; and taking overall care of staff and their well-being * Presentation of store and advertising displays, managing sales promotions as well as organising in-store promotional events * Product management, including ordering, receiving, price changes, handling damaged products, and returns * Handling customer complaints and queries * Utilising

retail software Retail software is computer software, typically installed on PC-type computers post 2005, delivered via the Internet (also known as cloud-based). Traditionally this software was delivered via physical data storage media sold to end consumer but ve ...

in stores management and materials control Responsibilities may differ if a manager runs an independent store or works for a

chain store A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate many retail markets, dining markets, and service categories in many p ...

. For example, a store manager of a chain may be asked to implement marketing strategies from internal marketing teams.

Sales generation

A store manager must meet the monthly, quarterly, or annual sales goals, depending on the company's fiscal cycle. This involves setting individual sales goals (quotas), holding contests for employees, or offering sales promotions. The manager may also find ways to make employees more productive to meet the goals. Thus, the store manager may be forced to reduce

payroll A payroll is a list of employment, employees of a company who are entitled to receive compensation as well as other work benefits, as well as the amounts that each should obtain. Along with the amounts that each employee should receive for time ...

expenditures by decreasing employees' hours, or otherwise reducing operating

cost Cost is the value of money that has been used up to produce something or deliver a service, and hence is not available for use anymore. In business, the cost may be one of acquisition, in which case the amount of money expended to acquire it i ...

. A store manager should motivate their team to achieve the target set for the store. A store manager should set an example for their subordinates to follow.

Safety and security

The Store manager is the store's primary key-holder and may be called to the store before, during, or after business hours in the event of an emergency. They are also responsible for the safety of all customers and employees on store premises. Store managers may be required to hold safety meetings, especially as dictated by union practices in cases where store employees belong to a union.

Division of responsibility

A store manager may have several subordinates who have management-level responsibility. These employees may be called deputy managers, assistant managers, department managers, supervisors, key holders, shift leads, or leads. Sometimes members of the management team may be several grades below the store manager. One example would be store manager - deputy manager - department manager - department leads. A store manager has over-all responsibility for all day-to-day activity of the store. Managing & controlling staff, and planning are essential points of the store manager.

Hiring, training and development

The store manager is responsible for hiring, training, and in some cases, development of employees. The manager must ensure staffing levels are adequate to effectively operate the store, and ensure employees receive training necessary for their job responsibilities. Managers may be responsible for developing employees so the company can promote employees from within and develop future

leaders Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the c ...

, potentially for employment at other locations. Store managers also have the

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...

powers to any under-performing or misbehaving employees. The role of store managers with regards to the other employees varies from company to company and each respective company's operating methods but in general a store manager will be required to deal with and try to solve any and all problems that may occur at any given time

References