Store Manager Skills: Add to Improve Your Resume!

Include these in-demand Store Manager skills for a stand-out resume!

If landing a Store Manager job is your goal, writing your resume with that target will require you to have a deep appreciation of the skills necessary. By incorporating the right Store Manager skills, you'll be well on your way to bypassing an employer's applicant tracking system (ATS) and getting the attention you desire from employers.

In this post, we cover the top skills employers look for in a Store Manager resume and provide tips on how to include them.

What is the role of a Store Manager?

The most straightforward Store Manager definition is one who oversees the operations of retail establishments. Ensuring things are running smoothly, customers are happy, and staff are doing their jobs well is foundational to a Store Manager's success.

Being responsible for the day-to-day operations of retail establishments, a Store Manager wears several hats. Their myriad of duties require them to:

Understand financial management to create budgets, analyze data, and monitor financial performance
Provide excellent customer service to maintain high customer ratings and ensure consumers enjoy their experience when interacting with the establishment
Know how to hire, train, and supervise staff effectively
Oversee marketing and sales efforts to increase sales and leads
Have a clear understanding of inventory management to keep the store stocked appropriately
Be able to develop employees to improve and do their jobs well
Understand laws and safety rules to remain in compliance

Where can Store Managers work?

There are several types of establishments where you'll find open Store Manager positions. They include:

Convenience stores
Grocery stores
Department stores
Boutiques
Supermarkets
Warehouse stores
Specialty stores
Discount stores
Dollar stores

Essentially, any retail establishment that sells services or products with a storefront has a Store Manager to oversee the store's operations. The skills required are similar, regardless of the type of establishment, with rare exceptions. For example, the product knowledge required of a Store Manager will vary between establishments.

What are the different types of Store Manager skills?

For this post, we focus on three categories of skills:

Soft skills
Technical skills
Industry-specific skills

Soft skills

Soft skills are the skills required for us to function at work in a way that allows us to get along with coworkers and enhance the work environment. Also referred to as people skills, soft skills are subjective and not easily measured. However, it's agreed by most that a strong set of soft skills is necessary for success at work. After all, without skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, it would be difficult to succeed in many jobs available throughout the world. Soft skills tend to be transferable across jobs and industries.

Technical skills

Technical skills are the skills required to do a job. They're objective – making them easy to measure – and learned through education or training. Also referred to as hard skills, many technical skills, like certain types of computer skills, are transferable to other jobs and industries.

Industry-specific skills

These skills are a subcategory of technical skills. Industry-specific skills are those required to function and do well in a specific field or industry.

You can niche industry skills down further to specific types of establishments. For example, sales and product knowledge are both industry-specific skills required for any Sales Manager position. However, product knowledge can be niched down even further.

For a specific type of retail establishment, you must have product knowledge that is particular to that establishment. As an example, if you work at a grocery store, the product knowledge you require would be focused on groceries and produce, which you would not need if you worked at a boutique clothing store. Instead, the product knowledge requirements would be focused on items like clothing, accessories, and shoes at the boutique.

Top Store Manager skills & proficiencies

Below, we list a mix of 13 of the most in-demand soft, hard, and industry-specific Store Manager skills employers expect to see on a resume, including:

Customer Service
Leadership
Inventory Management
Hiring
Performance Management
Process Improvement
Market and Product Knowledge
Conflict Resolution
Problem-solving
Point of Sales System
Organization
Communication
Sales

Customer Service

It goes without saying that a Store Manager must possess solid customer service skills. They need to carefully listen to customers, understand their needs, and provide the level of service they expect. To have solid customer service skills, one must possess empathy, active listening, conflict resolution, and problem-solving skills, to name just a few of the requirements.

Leadership

Store Managers oversee the store's employees, from clerks and stockers to baggers and specialty positions like florists, baristas, and butchers. As a result, they must be able to motivate and inspire these individuals to do their jobs well and provide the utmost customer service required for success.

Inventory Management

Customers get very frustrated when the items they need are out of stock. One role of the Store Manager is to ensure that products meet patrons' supply and demand requirements. As part of inventory management, Store Managers review current stock numbers, place orders when needed, and are also skilled at ensuring that there's not an unnecessary excess or overstock of inventory. Fostering productive vendor relationships is another important skill of inventory management.

Hiring

Store managers are often responsible for hiring staff. They must be adept at interviewing and understanding the legal requirements of the hiring process. For example, they must know the dos and don'ts of interviewing in terms of what you can and can't ask candidates, as well as how to complete an I-9 and W-2 as part of the employment eligibility verification process.

Performance Management

Without productive employees, you don't have a successful establishment. Store Managers play an essential role in performance management, which includes employee growth and development, performance appraisals, and performance improvement plans. They also have the unpleasant role of terminating employees when performance isn't up to par.

Process Improvement

Continually assessing and improving processes supports continued efficiency and productivity. This makes process improvement a highly beneficial skill for Store Managers.

Market and Product Knowledge

Promoting sales and achieving the highest possible revenue and profits is difficult when you don't know or understand the products or items you're selling. Therefore, product knowledge is an industry-specific skill that managers must have so they can do their jobs well. Store Managers need an acute understanding of the different types of products they sell.

Market knowledge is also important for Store Managers to keep up with industry trends, consumer behavior, and what the competition is doing. Keeping up with industry trends is central to an establishment remaining competitive.

Conflict Resolution

Managers must be able to remain calm during conflict, which can be a common occurrence in retail establishments. Whether it's conflict between coworkers, between coworkers and consumers, or between the Store Manager and employees or consumers, Store Managers must be able to support moving through conflict in a way that ends with a positive result as frequently as possible.

Problem-solving

There are a myriad of challenges that can occur on any single day at a retail establishment. Technology breakdowns, unhappy customers, customers or employees accidentally breaking and spilling things, and employees unexpectedly missing shifts are just a few examples. Store Managers have to be on their toes at any given moment to deal with such things; they must be able to quickly assess and analyze problems, determine viable solutions, and move forward with one of those solutions for resolution.

Point-of-Sale Systems

Retail establishments use numerous types of point-of-sale systems, and store managers must be aware of the type of system their establishment uses. With technological improvements, many systems have a lot of additional functionality that goes beyond simply checking and cashing out. Coupons, QR codes, and other items are often configured as part of present-day point-of-sale systems that Store Managers should be aware of.

Organization

Organization is required with the many moving parts of running a store, as managers must be able to manage and prioritize several tasks simultaneously. Among other tasks, organizational skills are required to maintain staff schedules, maintain inventory, and streamline operations with effective processes and systems.

Communication

From the customers and vendors to the employees and leadership team, store managers have several people with whom they must be able to communicate effectively. As a result, steller verbal and written communication skills are needed to succeed as a Store Manager. They must also have excellent active listening skills for effective communication.

Sales

Retail establishments aren't successful if the products they're selling remain on the shelves. Store Managers need stellar marketing and sales skills to apply themselves and to pass on to and train their teams.

Effective sales aim to ensure that the patrons who walk through the door walk out with plenty of goodies in their shopping bags. Learning sales tactics to offer compelling product demos, upselling, and free samples are just a few examples that help amplify the success of a Sales Manager position.

Additional Store Manager skills & proficiencies

Here are additional technical and soft skills you might find on a Store Manager resume.

Store Manager technical skills

Budgeting
Accounting and Finance
Marketing
Staffing
Vendor Management
Strategic Planning
Financial Management
Loss Prevention
Pricing

Store Manager soft skills

Client Relationships
Ability to Motivate Others
Delegation
Quick Learner
Multitasking
Team Player
Results Driven
Adaptability
Attention to Detail
Flexibility
Empathy
Caring
Compassionate
Diligent
Decisive
Strong Work Ethic

Where to include Store Manager skills on your resume

Now that you have several Sales Manager skills to consider for your resume, where should you incorporate them? The main areas to incorporate your skills include:

Resume summary

Your summary is also an excellent place to include a few skills that are relevant to the job. After giving your resume a quick skim, the summary will likely be the first section most employers will read. Make sure you get the most bang for your buck by incorporating the most significant skills required for the position as outlined in the job description.

Core competencies list

One of the best places to list skills on your resume is in a core competencies list, which is generally placed just below your resume summary or profile. Include 9 to 12 competencies in this list, which is one of the first things a hire manager sees near the top of your resume.

Work history section

The Work History section makes up the bulk of your resume, so be very mindful of what you include within the section. For each job list, include around five bullet points highlighting your key accomplishments. As you incorporate your accomplishments, be sure to include or speak to the skills required to support each achievement.

Additional sections

If, when writing your resume and reviewing job descriptions, you find that you have some skills gaps, consider how you might have those skills through other types of experience, like hobbies and interests or volunteering. When it makes sense, you can include additional resume sections to cover these experiences, which in turn helps fill those gaps.

Related reading: How Do I Add Volunteering to My Resume?

Target your resume to the job

If you want to increase your chances of landing a job interview, target your resume to each job application you submit. As you review the job description and highlight the Store Manager skills listed, ensure those are the skills – assuming you have them – you incorporate throughout your resume.

The Store Manager skills you find in the job description are the keywords you need to tailor your resume to the job, which, of course, increases your chances of landing an interview.

How do I become a successful store manager?

Below are a few tips to help improve your skills and success as a Store Manager.

Training

Seek out training for skills you would like to improve upon or acquire. If you want to improve your communication, you might find a course focused on communication styles and how to be an effective communicator.

Or suppose it's writing skills that need improvement. In that case, you can take a writing course on how to convey information correctly and effectively. There are numerous free online and low-cost courses that are worth considering.

Certifications

Certifications fall under the umbrella of training, though they are often a bit more specialized and offer the value of receiving a certificate after completion. There are various certifications focused on specific types of store manager roles, like the Food Safety Manager and Certified Retail Management Expert certifications.

You can also look for certifications that are transferable across industries and positions, like a process improvement or Microsoft Office-oriented certification. Certifications serve as a great resume booster and increase your hireability and promotionability.

Ask for feedback

Another great option to help improve your ability as a Store Manager is to ask others for input and feedback. Ask your peers, staff, and even some regular customers what they see as your strengths and areas for improvement.

Review customer satisfaction ratings

Customer satisfaction surveys can give you a lot of insight into what customers' experiences like related to your establishment. By reviewing customer service ratings, you can identify areas for improvement for both you and the store as a whole.

Shadow others

If you know of a store you'd like to work at or another store within your company that's doing really well and you're aspiring to get to their level, consider asking to shadow a Store Manager at those establishments. Shadowing allows you to observe how you could improve your approach in certain areas.

Role-playing

Depending on the skills you want to improve, role-play can be an excellent option to help. Let's say you want to improve your conflict resolution skills with customers. In that case, you can search for a script online or create one and practice using it with somebody else who's playing the customer. That's just one example of how you use role-playing to improve your skill set.

Set SMART goals

SMART goals allow you to focus on and achieve goals effectively. Using the SMART system, you set specific (S), measurable (M), attainable (A), relevant (R), and timebound (T) goals.

Adopt new technology

When it falls under your purview, ensuring you have the latest and most efficient technology can boost store operations and management. Technological advancements can also help you market and understand consumer behavior better. Stay abreast of retail management and other types of software, from inventory management and sales tracking to scheduling and performance management, to support you in being the best Store Manager possible.

Show off your Store Manager skills to land the job!

Take pride in the Store Manager skills you possess and leverage them to create a resume that you're proud to submit. Use the tips and skills listed above as inspiration to craft an interview-winning resume.

If you need help incorporating these skills into your resume or with your resume in general, our TopResume writing experts are here to assist you. You can also take advantage of our free resume review to receive valuable tips on how to enhance your resume today!