Here are the most in-demand Retail Sales Associate skills for resumes!

Some aspire to be a Retail Sales Associate because they seek a career path in the retail sector. Others seek experience where their proven transferable skills can help them land a job in other fields, like sales, marketing, call centers, and advertising. 

Regardless of why you're seeking a job in retail, your resume needs to showcase in-demand Retail Sales Associate skills that employers look for in job applicants. Read on to learn more about Retail Sales Associate positions and the skills required to help your resume stand out. 

What are the primary responsibilities of a Retail Sales Associate?

Retail Sales Associates act as the face of the company and play a vital role in a store's success. A Retail Sales Associate often wears many hats, from cashier to inventory restocker to customer service representative. 

Incumbents in this role interact with and support consumers by answering their questions, helping them select products or services to meet their needs, checking them out using a point of sale (POS) system, and assisting them with returns. They also assist with day-to-day store operations, including restocking shelves or floor displays, opening and closing the establishment, and reporting sales. 

A Retail Sales Associate might also be referred to as a:

  • Sales Representative

  • Sales Associate

  • Retail Sales Representative 

  • Sales Assistant

  • Retail Sales Assistant

  • Customer Representative

What are the key qualifications for Retail Sales Associate jobs?

Many consider Retail Sales Associate jobs entry-level positions. However, some organizations prefer to hire individuals with some sales experience under their belts. Retail Sales Associates can also choose to work their way up within an organization, advancing their skill set and expanding their responsibilities. 

If you're interested in landing a Retail Sales Associate position, here are the minimum qualifications you can expect:

  • A high school diploma or equivalent

  • Proficiency with POS systems and computer software

  • Ability to quickly learn industry and product knowledge

  • Must have superb customer service and interpersonal skills

  • Basic math skills

  • The ability to stand for long periods of time, up to 8 hours per day

  • Some Retail Sales Associate positions also require the ability to lift over 20 pounds

What types of establishments hire Retail Sales Associate positions?

The great thing about working in retail is that there's a lot of versatility and numerous options available to support all kinds of interests. First, there are several types of retail stores where you can land a job, including:

  • Discount stores

  • Department stores

  • Grocery stores

  • Specialty stores

  • Drug stores

  • Convenience stores

  • Chain stores

  • Online stores

  • Local mom-and-pop establishments

  • Malls

  • Warehouses

From there, you have what seems like infinite possibilities in terms of the type of area or interest you can focus on. For example, you could work for an establishment that targets:

  • High-end fashion

  • After-market discount clothing

  • Hardware and building

  • Food and produce

  • Flowers and floral arrangements

  • Weddings

  • Technology (e.g., phones, computers, computer hardware, and software)

  • Beauty

  • Furniture

  • Electronics

  • Gardening

  • Automotive

  • Books

  • E-commerce

  • Shoes

  • Seasonal sports

Having so many options presents an invaluable opportunity to land a Retail Sales Associate job that supports the future career path you're interested in. For example, if you want to work in the fashion industry or as a mechanic, then a job in a retail establishment that is tailored to those areas – like a fashion-focused store and an automotive store – could be the perfect resume booster. 

Why are Retail Sales Associate skills important for your resume?

Retail Sales Associate skills are vital for your resume, as they help ensure you stand out and land the job. Effectively representing these skills on your resume means you're:

  • Incorporating keywords into your resume

  • Increasing your chances of getting past an ATS

  • Highlighting your ability to succeed

  • Grabbing the attention of recruiters and hiring managers

Incorporating keywords into your resume

Keywords are words found in job descriptions that are specific to the position or employer. Examples of keywords in a Retail Associate Sales job description might include:

  • Customer Service

  • Point of Sale (POS) Systems

  • Restocking

  • Cashier Duties

  • Basic Math Skills

If you're working for a fashion clothing store, then industry-specific keywords and phrases might include:

  • Knowledge of current fashion trends

  • Ability to style mannequins

  • Passion for clothing and shoes is a plus

Increasing your chances of getting past an ATS

When you use keywords from the job description in your resume, it helps your resume get past an employer's applicant tracking system and, from there, get noticed by hiring teams. 

How? 

One of the main roles of an ATS is to screen out irrelevant resumes so they don't waste the recruiter or hiring manager's time. Irrelevant resumes include those lacking keywords from the job description and those that aren't easily read or make sense to an ATS. 

No matter how qualified you are, if your resume doesn't get past the ATS, then it won't be seen by a human reader. Including the right Retail Sales Associate skills increases your chances of getting past an ATS.

Highlighting your ability to succeed

Skills emphasize your ability to succeed on the job. Hard skills show you have technical know-how, while soft skills show you have the ability to get along well with others, including coworkers and consumers. 

Hiring managers want to see that you have the minimum skills required, and it's an added bonus when you can highlight skills with work accomplishments that show you go above and beyond to get the job done.

Grabbing the attention of recruiters and hiring managers

In the few seconds that a hiring manager takes to skim over your resume, one of the first things they're looking for is the skills listed throughout. If you at least have the minimum skills required, as outlined in the job description, and additional relevant skills beyond that, your chances of landing an interview increase. 

Types of Retail Associate skills

In the retail world, skills can be broken down into two main categories: hard skills and soft skills. Some skills can also be categorized as industry-specific skills.

Hard skills

Hard skills are the technical skills we learn through training and education. When you think of hard skills, think of a skill you have where the aptitude of the skill can be measured. For example, you can be tested on how well you know what the opening and closing procedures are for a store or how fast you calculate basic math. 

You can acquire new technical skills through training, certifications, and experience.

Soft skills

Research shows that those in sales who work on their soft skills are more likely to meet their sales goals. Soft skills are the people skills we possess that stem from behaviors. They're subjective and intangible, making them difficult to test. 

As you consider the soft skills you have, think of how you can meet the needs of a Retail Sales Associate position. For example, you have to be able to offer customer service, be personable, communicate well, and work well under stress. These are all soft skills required for success on the job and will allow you to work well with others. It's possible to improve upon soft skills over time and through training. 

Industry-specific skills

Another category of skills that might help get the creative juices flowing to make your own list is industry-specific skills. Industry-specific skills are skills related to a specific industry that aren't necessarily transferable to other industries.

Regardless of the type of retail sales establishment you might work for, you must have skills specific to the retail sales industry. Skills like knowing how to use a point of sale (POS) system, product sourcing, and sales techniques are required by many individuals who work in retail sales. However, these skills wouldn't typically be required for someone who works in accounting, human resources, or IT. 

Top Retail Associate skills and proficiencies 

Let's break down some of the most important Retail Sales Associate skills and talk about different skills work together. These include:

  • Leadership

  • Team Player

  • Verbal Communication

  • Customer Service

  • Marketing

  • Product Knowledge

  • Sales-related Technology 

Leadership

Skill type: soft

You don't have to have a leadership role to display leadership skills. Regardless of your level, leadership skills come in handy as a Retail Sales Associate. 

Suppose your supervisor or the Store Manager has to step out for a moment, and you're the only one on the floor. Who will handle anything that might come up with customers? You guessed it - you will. 

You'll be the one to step up and answer customer questions, handle complaints, and coordinate immediately necessary activities. All of these actions require leadership ability and can help to set you up for advancement and promotions. 

Related Retail Sales Associate leadership skills:

  • Project Management

  • Decisiveness

  • Delegation

  • Business Strategy

  • Training

  • Recruiting

  • Accountability

  • Management

Team Player

Skill type: soft

People enjoy working with people they like. A Retail Sales Associate who's a team player can go a long way in reducing stress for the entire sales team while supporting smooth operations and customer support. Examples of being a team player include:

  • Helping a coworker out when a customer issue begins to escalate

  • Jumping in to help coworkers when it's busy

  • Picking up a coworker's shift when they're sick or have a personal emergency

  • Doing what you can to help alleviate another employee's stress level

Related Retail Sales Associate team player skills:

  • Teamwork

  • Flexible

  • Dependable

  • Trustworthy

Verbal Communication

Skill type: soft

It's no surprise that verbal communication is a top skill required by Retail Sales Associates. You're often the first point of contact consumers interact with at a retail establishment, and you must be able to greet people appropriately and share product information clearly and accurately. 

If you're bilingual, your ability to communicate effectively can be boosted if part of your customer base speaks your language. It's worth mentioning that, though being bilingual supports the soft skill of communication, knowing a foreign language is a hard skill. 

Related Retail Sales Associate communication skills:

  • Reading Nonverbal Cues

  • Active Listening

  • Emotional Intelligence (EI)

  • Presentation Skills

Customer Service

Skill type: hard and soft 

Customer service is a skill that requires various types of effective communication. However, it also requires the ability to have empathy, understand social cues, and anticipate customer needs and problems. 

In other words, it requires communication to merely answer a consumer's questions. However, customer service skills include not only answering a customer's questions but doing so in a way that you also give them advice on product types they're inquiring about (this product knowledge part falls into the hard skill category), all while being able to genuinely engage with them as they share how their day is going.

Related Retail Sales Associate customer service skills:

  • Product Knowledge

  • Empathy

  • Conflict Resolution

  • Patience

  • Adaptability

  • Problem-solving

  • Call Center Skills

Marketing

Skill type: hard and soft

Marketing skills fall into both the hard and soft skill categories. Marketing, as a soft skill, relates to how one thinks, and as a hard skill, relates to what one knows. For example, if you have strong marketing soft skills, you likely know how to listen and communicate to reach customers in a way that serves their needs. Hard skills in Marketing include applying specific marketing techniques and tools, like social media, to reach people, build brand awareness, and meet marketing and sales goals. 

Whether you're referring to hard or soft skills, marketing skills assist Retail Sales Associates in increasing sales. Knowing how to reach and inspire people to buy products, setting up enticing displays, and increasing lead generation are all valuable skills to have. Good marketing skills also allow Sales Associates to work with customers through each stage of the sales process. 

Related Retail Sales Associate marketing skills:

  • Visual Merchandising

  • Store Displays

  • Persuasion

  • Lead Generation

  • Sales Closing

  • Reporting

  • Sales Techniques

Product Knowledge

Skill type: hard, industry-specific

If your customers come in and ask you questions about a product, and you appear oblivious or don't know the answer, what do you think the result will be? If you're thinking you'll feel a bit silly and the customers a bit frustrated, you're probably right. 

Given that more than 50% of shoppers research products before making a purchase online or in the store, Retail Sales Associates also need to stay on top of the product knowledge for the stores they represent. Otherwise, their customers might come in knowing more than they do. 

Yes, Retail Sales Associates must know the ins and outs of the products and services they represent. However, the type of product knowledge one needs to have as a Retail Sales Associate is dependent upon the type of retail establishment they work for. 

In the retail arena, you can break product-knowledge skills down even further based on the store's area of focus (e.g., books, clothing, hardware, electronics). Using the fashion clothing store example above, product-specific skills related to working at that type of establishment would include knowledge of current trends, the clothing styles the store sells, and taking people's measurements. 

Or, if you were a Retail Sales Associate for an automotive store, you'd need to have product knowledge related to the automotive industry, including the types of vehicles on the market and vehicle parts. You'd also need a different type of product knowledge for grocery stores vs. electronics stores vs. bookstores, and… you get the picture. 

Use the following types of information to emphasize Retail Sales Associate product knowledge on a resume:

  • Product names

  • Product types

  • Benefits of a particular product

  • Product attributes

  • Product success rate or statistics 

  • Industry-specific Language

Sales-related Technology Skills

Skill type: hard, industry-specific

Simple cash registers are no longer the only technology with which Retail Sales Associates interact today. Several retailers are using digital technology to reach and support their target markets. 

For example, VR technology helps customers shop, and AI technology supports customer communications. iPads, employee smartphones, and digital scanners are also common in today's stores. Retail Associates need to be familiar with how to use what their stores offer. 

In today's technologically advanced world, sales associates should also be familiar with digital coupons, QR codes, electronic tags, and Near Field Communication (NFC). 

Related Retail Sales Associate sales-related technology keywords:

  • Social Media

  • Point of Sale (POS)

  • Computer Skills

Additional Retail Sales Associate skills and proficiencies

Below is a list of additional Retail Sales Associate soft, hard, and industry-specific skills often required by employers. 

  • Organization

  • Dependability

  • Time Management

  • Interpersonal Skills

  • Analytical Thinking

  • Works Well Under Stress

  • Merchandising

  • Information Technology

  • Operations

  • Ordering

  • Payroll

  • Product Rotation

  • Product Sourcing

  • Purchasing

  • Receiving

  • Shipping

  • Marketing Techniques

  • Electronic Tags

  • Upselling

  • Online Sales Platforms

Tips to improve Retail Sales Associate skills

You've likely checked off plenty of skills from the above lists. Still, there may be skills you want to improve upon or new skills you'd like to acquire. Below are some considerations to help you upskill to advance your career.

  • Training. On-the-job training is one of the most obvious ways to improve your Retail Sales Associate skills. Ask for a project you'd like to learn how to do better or to shadow someone who has skills you'd like to improve upon. 

  • Courses. Taking online courses focused on sales skills is another option to improve your work productivity and performance. The great thing about online courses is that they're often self-paced, free, or low-cost, and you can do them from the comfort of your sofa. LinkedIn offers a Sales Representative Learning course series that is a great place to begin. 

  • Certifications. Though certifications aren't generally required to land a retail job, they can help increase your chances of landing a job in the future while also helping to advance your Retail Sales Associate skills. The Certified Professional Sales Consultant program is one option some Sales Associates turn to for certification. It's geared towards consultative selling, and you learn things like your communication style and sales ethics. 

  • Review sales scripts. Using sales scripts can be invaluable if you're attempting to improve your ability to sell or upsell. Well-written sales scripts can also help you understand how to best handle conflict and customer complaints and how to gather more information to help you navigate problem-solving. You can ask your employer if they have sales scripts available or do an online search for ones that would work well. 

  • Follow industry-focused news and social media. Following a retail establishment's social media channels, website, and newsletter is a great way to stay up to date with current trends, industry standards, and news. Reading industry-focused news can also be a valuable resource so you remain in the know and can bring that knowledge to the table at work. 

  • Role-playing. As a Retail Sales Associate, one of your key roles is successfully interacting with consumers. Role-playing is an excellent tool for improving your customer service, communication, and interpersonal skills. 

To role-play, you work with another person; and one of you plays the role of the Sales Associate, and the other plays the role of the customer. You can also include other roles, like more than one Sales Associate or customers who play the roles of spouses. From there, you act out scenarios, like how to handle a disgruntled customer or dealing with a customer who won't take “no” for an answer. Role-playing also works well if you want to practice conversing with your superiors or coworkers. 

Land a Retail Sales Associate job today!

Use these lists of Retail Sales Associate skills and tips to create your own list of skills. From there, you'll have what you need to create an interview-winning resume to land the Retail Sales Associate job you desire!

Once you have your Retail Sales Associate resume draft in hand, why not submit it for a TopResume free review? You'll receive tips and insights to help you improve your resume to get the attention you desire.

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