Store manager tasks

What are a store manager's tasks?

Whether it's an online shop or brick and mortar store: shops need managers. As store manager, you make strategic decisions on-site, are responsible for the performance of the retail or e-commerce shop, monitor and optimise business activities and are the contact person for the shop's staff.

Store manager job description – what does a store manager do?

In this retail management job, you'll be responsible as a manager for one or more shops. But what does a store manager do exactly? The store manager job is versatile and includes creative, operational, strategic and administrative tasks. The aim of the position is to create a smooth workflow for all employees, increase the quality of service and therefore improve turnover and hit sales targets.

The most important tasks of the store manager include:

• Strategic orientation and optimisation of the store
• Management of staff, recruitment, preparation of shift plans and personnel development
• Monitoring and reporting of business activities
• Organisational management of the store
• Maintaining internal and external relationships
• Ensuring occupational safety and compliance with legal regulations

As a store manager, you always have an overview of all sales figures, earnings, costs and inventory levels and check the efficiency of your store based on key figures such as turnover figures and conversion rate.

The skills you need as a store manager

If you want to find a job as a store manager, you need leadership skills that you can develop, for example, in a business administration degree or in a retail apprenticeship. Alongside leadership skills, you should be conscientious, disciplined, communicative and highly organised. You need these soft skills to be able to keep the varied tasks of the store manager position in focus at all times. A results-orientated attitude and decisiveness help in dealing with daily challenges.

Flexibility is also an excellent skill to have in retail management jobs. Flexible working hours, changing market circumstances and new trends require you to be agile. Creativity when implementing tasks as well as a dynamic approach simplify business activities, which can be hectic, and reduce the burden put on the entire staff. You act as a role model and confidant for them.

Find store manager jobs: average starting salary

Being a role model also means that you should be involved in all the processes of the store. Working on the tills, keeping the online shop tidy and well stocked, checking the accounts and conducting staff interviews and reviews. You need to be able to master all of these tasks and know the store processes inside out so you can support the workflow during peak times. This is the only way to optimise the running of the store without putting pressure on staff. Store manager salaries vary significantly from store to store, but can range from a starting salary of £20,000 to £60,000 or more for experienced managers.

Salary information from nationalcareers.service.gov.uk