Store manager
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A store manager is the person ultimately responsible for the day-to-day operations (or management) of a retail store. All employees working in the store report to the store manager. A store manager reports to a district or general manager.
[edit] Roles and responsibilities
Responsibilities of a store manager may include:
- Human Resources, specifically: recruiting, hiring, training and development, performance management, payroll, and schedule workplace scheduling
- Store business operations, including managing profit and loss, facility management, safety and security, loss prevention (also called shrinkage), and banking
- Product management, including ordering, receiving, price changes, handling damaged products, and returns
- Team Development, facilitating staff learning and development
- Problem solving, handling unusual circumstances
[edit] Sales generation
A store manager must meet 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 receive a monetary incentive (or "bonus") tied to financial performance over a specific period. This incentive may be based on net sales, profitability, or both. Thus, the store manager may be forced to reduce payroll expenditures by decreasing employees' hours, or otherwise reducing operating costs.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Division of responsibility
A store manager may have several subordinates who have management-level responsibility. These employees may be called assistant managers, supervisors, keyholders, shift leads, or leads.
[edit] 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, potentially for employment at other locations.
[edit] Visual merchandising and inventory control
In retail locations, store managers are responsible for visual merchandising. Many companies communicate how to merchandise their stores using direction such as planograms to indicate product placement. While managers have a varying degree of autonomy in deviating from corporate direction, it is important to ensure that stores are compliant with the company's brand image. Managers must ensure that the proper amount of inventory is displayed for customers to purchase, by ensuring that shelves and racks remain stocked and that product is frequently rotated out of storage areas. Managers are also concerned with shrinkage, and must ensure that merchandising techniques and customer service skills minimize the possibility of product being stolen.
