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Retail Sales and Merchandising

The retail sales and merchandising field is quite large, encompassing a myriad of jobs that are all related to the promotion and sale of products and services. If you're an outgoing person who loves to help others shop, you might think about a job in retail sales.

Is Retail Sales and Merchandising For Me?

Retail sales and merchandising professionals promote and sell goods and services to the general public for personal consumption. Retail outlets sell many types of products and services, such as apparel, jewelry, medications, food, refrigerators, facials, massages or even lawn care.

There usually aren't degree requirements to land a job in retail sales. However, for advancement into high-paying sales jobs or management positions, many employers prefer a bachelor's degree. Large retail stores generally offer training programs that may last several days, while smaller operations often give on-the-job training. During training programs, employees may learn about the company or store policies, customer service, security and the products and services to be sold.

If you're interested in retail sales and merchandising, you can pursue a variety of jbos, such as sales representative, advertising sales agent, pharmaceutical sales agent, retail buyer, retail manager, and fashion merchandiser. Most retail sales positions require working with the general public. Patience, tact, poise, communication skills, courteous behavior and a professional appearance are traits that employers seek when hiring for retail sales positions.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job prospects for retail salespeople were expected to be good from 2008-2018. Job growth was projected to be about as fast as average for all occupations. The BLS reported that the annual median wages for all retail salespersons in May 2010, with the exception of cashiers, was $20,670. During the same period, first-line supervisors of retail sales workers earned a median annual income of $35,820.

How Can I Work in Retail Sales and Merchandising?

A high school diploma is usually all that is required to work in sales. However, you will definitely have an advantage when it comes to the better paying positions if you have an associate's degree in retail management or a bachelor's degree in a related field. If you're interested in management positions, you may consider a Bachelor of Science in Business with an emphasis on retail management or even a master's degree in retail marketing.

If you're interested in working specifically in fashion sales and merchandising, you can earn associate's degrees in fashion merchandising, bachelor's degrees in fashion merchandising and master's degrees in related areas.

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