Retail Sales Jobs

Working in retail can mean many things, however the thing that most people associate with retail is sales. It is similar to the restaurant industry, where people assume that if you work in a restaurant, you must be a server. In reality, there are cooks, dishwashers, prep cooks, managers, and hosts who all support the servers or otherwise work to make your stay pleasant.
The same goes for retail. When you are working in retail, the most common starting position and the position that is most often seen by the public is the position of cashier. A cashier rings up your products, takes your money, and hopefully thanks you for your business, but they are only the face of the company for you, and are a small fraction of the people that are actually working to make your shopping experience a good one.
A retail job might include positions that are considered executive, like human resources managers, technical specialists, accountants or bookkeepers, buyers, loss prevention officers, and more. These are the people who run the store from behind the scenes. They may be the ones called upon to give you a discount on your merchandise, but they are also the people who set schedules, track shipments, make sure that there is enough inventory in the store, hire new employees, and many other jobs.
There are also many supervisory positions that you may see all around a retail store. These people might be managers of many different kinds, who coordinate the supervisors, or they may be the supervisors who actually coordinate the employees. Supervisors may train employees who are new to the business, assign tasks, and sometimes have many other jobs.
However, even if you work in a selling position in a retail store, your job may entail much, much more than just handing someone their change. Any of the following job duties might be things you're responsible for doing while working:
Cleaning the store: While most stores have a janitorial crew, some smaller stores do not. You might be in charge of sweeping, wiping counters, picking up products, organizing the shelves or racks, and washing the windows.
Reporting shoplifters: In some companies, cashiers are specially trained to spot shoplifting when it happens. You might be asked to help catch thieves as well as confront them.
Customer service: If your store doesn't have a customer service desk, it might be up to you to help customers find what they need or relay complaints and problems to your manager or the store's owner.
Take phone calls: Most cashier desks have a phone nearby, and it might be your job to answer it if possible. Callers will commonly ask things like when the store opens and closes, what sales you're offering for the day, how to get to your store, and so forth. You may have to also answer harder questions about your merchandise or pass the call on to the appropriate person.
As you can see, retail is not just about selling. While this is the main goal of any store, it is important to remember that you can find a job in retail that is more than putting a person's purchases in bags and taking their money. Even as a cashier, the more responsible you act, the more job duties you will be given, which leads to higher pay and, if you're lucky, promotion