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Are you a sociable individual with a passion for great quality customer service? Would you be keen to put your leadership skills to good use? If so, then you might want to think about becoming a store manager.
To help you find out more about what life as a store manager is like and how to get started, we’ve teamed up with Holland & Barrett – the largest health and wellbeing retailer in Europe – who are currently hiring leadership roles for their teams across the UK.
What do store managers do?
Store managers play a key role in overseeing the daily operations of retail establishments. Their responsibilities are wide-ranging – but all are designed to ensure the store’s success, profitability, and smooth functioning.
Typical tasks undertaken by a store manager might include…
- Staff supervision – building, managing, and leading store employees, including hiring, training, scheduling, and performance evaluations
- Inventory control – overseeing inventory management, including ordering, stocking, and minimising stock discrepancies
- Sales and revenue – developing strategies to drive sales, meeting revenue targets, and monitoring financial performance
- Customer service – ensuring exceptional customer service and handling complex customer inquiries or complaints
- Visual merchandising – planning and executing visual displays and layouts to attract customers and promote products effectively
- Budget management – managing the store’s budget, controlling expenses, and optimising profitability. Store managers will also implement loss prevention measures to safeguard inventory and assets
- Reporting – providing regular reports on store performance, including sales, inventory, and employee productivity
- Problem-solving – addressing issues and challenges in the store, finding effective solutions to improve operations
- Compliance and policies – ensuring adherence to company policies, safety regulations, and local laws
What skills do I need to become a store manager?
To be successful in your application for a store manager position, you will usually need to have…
- Previous retail management experience
- Excellent communication and people management skills – including sensitivity and understanding
- The ability to work under pressure and handle challenging situations in a fast-paced retail environment
- The ability to understand and analyse sales figures daily to enable the store to trade within company parameters and meet goals
- Passion and enthusiasm for the services and products being sold
- The ability to complete regular computer-based training to ensure exceptional product knowledge
- The ability to be agile and flexible to multi-task and achieve the best results
What will I love about being a store manager?
- Inspiring your employees to achieve greatness
- Giving a little back to your local community – for example, at Holland & Barrett, you’ll improve the health and wellness of customers via the products you recommend and the issues you help resolve
- Great progression opportunities
- Autonomy within your store to make great changes!
What are the challenges of being a store manager?
- Unhappy customers can get you down, but if you resolve the problem this should quickly improve!
How much will I earn as a store manager?
The average base salary for a store manager in the UK is £36,829. As a store manager at Holland & Barrett, you could earn anywhere in the region of £27,000 – £47,000.
Are there opportunities to progress?
As a store manager, you can progress by changing stores and covering a unit that has a higher profit margin, larger footfall, more product offerings, or a flagship store. But you could also progress to become a regional manager and even a director of stores.
How do I get started as a store manager?
You can search for store manager roles on online job boards or by checking the jobs and online careers sections of your favourite retail establishments.
To be successful in your application for store manager, you’ll usually need to have previous retail management or leadership experience – though this usually doesn’t have to be directly related to the area of retail you’re applying to work in.
You may also have an advantage if you have a degree or experience in accounting and finance, business studies, or marketing.
Retailers will also be looking for candidates with specific qualities, such as strong communication skills, the ability to work well under pressure, and a passion and enthusiasm for great quality customer service.
If you don’t have the skills and/or experience needed to become a store manager but you like the idea of working in a sociable environment, then you might want to consider applying for a role as a retail assistant instead – as this also provides opportunities to work your way up.
Alternatively, you can gain management experience through volunteering.
Holland & Barrett are currently hiring store managers across the country, so why not find out more and apply?
You can find out more about Holland & Barrett and what they have to offer using the button below.
Or, perhaps you want to dive right in and search for store manager roles near you?
Are you interested in becoming a store manager? Did you find this page helpful? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.