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First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of retail sales workers in an establishment or department. Duties may include management functions, such as purchasing, budgeting, accounting, and personnel work, in addition to supervisory duties.
Related: First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment & Recreation Workers  First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation & Serving Workers  First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping & Janitorial Workers  First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers  First-Line Supervisors of Office & Administrative Support Workers 
Industries: Retail 

  • Summary

  • Details

    • Work Activities

    • Hire, train, and evaluate personnel in sales or marketing establishments, promoting or firing workers when appropriate.
    • Establish credit policies and operating procedures.
    • Estimate consumer demand and determine the types and amounts of goods to be sold.
    • Direct and supervise employees engaged in sales, inventory-taking, reconciling cash receipts, or in performing services for customers.
    • Assign employees to specific duties.
    • Keep records of purchases, sales, and requisitions.
    • Inventory stock and reorder when inventory drops to a specified level.
    • Monitor sales activities to ensure that customers receive satisfactory service and quality goods.
    • Review inventory and sales records to prepare reports for management and budget departments.
    • Provide customer service by greeting and assisting customers and responding to customer inquiries and complaints.
    • Establish and implement policies, goals, objectives, and procedures for the department.
    • Formulate pricing policies for merchandise, according to profitability requirements.
    • Plan and coordinate advertising campaigns and sales promotions and prepare merchandise displays and advertising copy.
    • Perform work activities of subordinates, such as cleaning and organizing shelves and displays and selling merchandise.
    • Instruct staff on how to handle difficult and complicated sales.
    • Review inventory and sales records to prepare reports for management and budget departments.
    • Inventory stock and reorder when inventory drops to a specified level.
    • Plan and coordinate advertising campaigns and sales promotions and prepare merchandise displays and advertising copy.
    • Plan and coordinate advertising campaigns and sales promotions and prepare merchandise displays and advertising copy.
    • Plan budgets and authorize payments and merchandise returns.
    • Provide customer service by greeting and assisting customers and responding to customer inquiries and complaints.
    • Perform work activities of subordinates, such as cleaning and organizing shelves and displays and selling merchandise.
    • Examine products purchased for resale or received for storage to assess the condition of each product or item.
    • Enforce safety, health, and security rules.
    • Confer with company officials to develop methods and procedures to increase sales, expand markets, and promote business.
    • Examine merchandise to ensure that it is correctly priced and displayed and that it functions as advertised.
    • Plan and prepare work schedules and keep records of employees' work schedules and time cards.
    • Perform work activities of subordinates, such as cleaning and organizing shelves and displays and selling merchandise.
    • Hire, train, and evaluate personnel in sales or marketing establishments, promoting or firing workers when appropriate.
    • Plan budgets and authorize payments and merchandise returns.

    Skills

    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    Abilities

    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.

    Knowledge

    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    Education

    Education
    High school diploma or equivalent
    Work Experience
    Less than 5 years work experience
    Training
    No on-the-job training
    Education and Training Opportunities

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    58460/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    28.11/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    38,710
    Yearly Projected Openings
    4240

    Personality

    Enterprising: People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Integrity
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Cooperation
    • Leadership
    • Dependability
    • Adaptability/Flexibility

    Tools

    • Adjustable widemouth pliers
    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Bar code reader equipment
    • Cash registers
    • Desktop computers
    • Electronic funds transfer point of sale equipment
    • Ladders
    • Laser fax machine
    • Laser printers
    • Magnetic stripe readers and encoders
    • Personal computers
    • Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers
    • Point of sale POS terminal
    • Point of sale payment terminal
    • Screwdrivers
    • Security cameras
    • Security tags
    • Video cassette players or recorders

    Technology

    • Accounting software
    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Business intelligence and data analysis software
    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Cloud-based data access and sharing software
    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Customer relationship management CRM software
    • Data base management system software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Data mining software
    • Desktop publishing software
    • Document management software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Financial analysis software
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Human resources software
    • Internet browser software
    • Inventory management software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Point of sale POS software
    • Presentation software
    • Process mapping and design software
    • Project management software
    • Sales and marketing software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Time accounting software
    • Video conferencing software
    • Video creation and editing software
    • Web page creation and editing software
    • Word processing software

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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