Assistant Retail Manager Responsibilities

Behind the operations and management of any retail store in your neighborhood or at any location, the assistant retail manager responsibilities are very important. An assistant retail manager is more of a leader who has to maintain a smooth flow of work through proper coordination and motivation.

An assistant retail manager is ranked just below the general manager or service manager. The title of this job signifies the importance of this person and of the tasks he does at the store. In a situation when the general manager is not available at the store and cannot be contacted, the assistant retail manager has to take all the decisions for the store.

An assistant retail manager oversees the functioning of different departments and activities of the staff in the store. He provides advice and support to the staff. He maintains daily sales reports, opening and closing stock details and other records as well. He conducts regular meetings with the staff members to analyze which areas of the store need improvement to perform better. He may also organize performance improvement trainings so that the staff is able to adapt new skills and deliver better results.

The assistant retail manager may also be asked to coordinate with the external agencies, advertise new jobs, recruit and train interns and new staff, etc. He has to work with the merchandisers to set up attractive display and also with the advertising and marketing staff to develop and launch seasonal offers and other schemes.

A detailed description of the assistant retail manager responsibilities will further add to the work delegated under this title.

Define Targets

• The assistant retail manager defines the targets for sales, profits, service delivery and other performance areas of the store with the general manager or store manager.
• He communicates the targets with the different departments and helps in achieving those targets by developing and implementing new strategies.

Recruitment, Orientation and Training Evaluation

• The assistant retail manager helps the human resource department in the hiring of interns and staff. He may advertise the positions on job portals, newspapers or other media.
• He may personally interview the applicants and provide his feedback to the recruitment officer.
• He schedules orientation and training programs for new employees and for current employees so that they can stay updated with the latest advancements.
• He prepares periodical reports to assess staff performance.

Inventory Management and Merchandising

• The assistant retail manager monitors the consumption of stock in the store and provides requirements to the warehousing department. This helps in maintaining adequate supplies of the stock in the store.
• He helps the merchandisers to set up store display by providing the information about products and the order in which they should be arranged to increase visibility.

Budgeting and Quality Control

• The assistant retail manager helps in budgeting and allocation of funds according to the requirements of a specific department.
• He has to ensure that quality standards are followed in every operation of the store and a professional environment is maintained in the store.

Skills of an Assistant Retail Manager

An assistant retail manager is expected to be an individual with expertise in organizing and leading operations and staff. He must know how to tackle problematic situations without letting those affect the staff or operations. Assistant retail manager must be conversant with the applications used in a retail store. Ability to motivate employees and outperform regularly is also a must.

Becoming an Assistant Retail Manager

The requisite qualifications for this position differ with different organizations. While some employ candidates with a degree in business management or a relevant course; others may hire high school diploma holders who are experienced of working in a retail environment.

Career Scope for Assistant Retail Manager

As an assistant retail manager, you are entitled to an annual compensation of $30,000 to $50,000 exclusive of performance incentives and other allowances. You can advance to a higher position and/or a rise in salary provided that your performance brings in significant improvement in the functioning and profits.

Once you have read the description of assistant retail manager responsibilities, you can easily pursue a specific course and/or apply for this job.