Role of the Retail Supervisor
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READING ASSIGNMENT
What Makes a Good Supervisor?
Supervisors play a key role in the success of retail operations. Good supervisors have several skills in
common. The graphic here shows some critical interpersonal and intrapersonal skills for retail supervisors:
communication skills, empathy, delegation skills, flexibility, confidence, and humility.
Next, you’ll be introduced to Amara and Jose, two retail supervisors with different organizational structures.
Throughout this assignment, Amara and Jose will serve as examples for the roles and responsibilities you’ll
see in the retail supervisor position.
Read What Are the Attributes of a Good Supervisor? for more information on the qualities of a good
supervisor.
Importance of the Retail Supervisor
Store managers count on retail supervisors to help make sure stores are open for business on time and
are ready to serve customers that come through the doors. To gain employment as a retail supervisor, you
need to be able to describe the key tasks and skills companies expect of retail supervisors on the job.
Meet Amara, the supervisor of Eats and Treats.
Meet the Retail Supervisors
Hi! My name is Amara. I’m a supervisor at Eats and Treats, a boutique dessert and snack store in my
neighborhood. I started working here as a cashier when I was in high school, and as I learned more about
the store and customers, I was given more responsibility. My official job title is assistant manager, and I've
been in that role for five years. Someday, I want to be the manager or open my own store.
Meet Jose, the shift supervisor at Charley & Hon.
Hello, my name is Jose. I’m a shift supervisor at Charley & Hon, a large wholesale retailer. I enjoy my job
and look forward to going to work most days. I’ve worked here for 10 years, first as a sales associate,
then at the customer service desk, and now I’ve been a shift supervisor for the past two years. My plan is
to supervise the merchandiser team and then become an assistant manager in the next few years.
Jose’s Organizational Structure
The Organizational Hierarchy Chart for Jose’s Store
At Charley & Hon’s, there are about 80 employees, and about 50 work whenever the store is open. At
night, there are usually 7 to 10 employees working to prepare the store for the next day as well. This is too
much responsibility for the store manager to watch carefully alone, so there are several shift supervisors
to help. Charley & Hon’s has two shifts and is open seven days a week, so there are four shift
supervisors, with two or three working every day. The rest of the employees are either department
supervisors, sales associates, or merchandisers. Employees have a list of responsibilities called job
assignments that they’re expected to complete each day.
When I’m on duty, it’s my responsibility to make sure that all customers are satisfied, the store environment
is safe, and employees have everything they need to do their jobs correctly. Sometimes, by the end of the
day, I lose my voice from talking so much. Other days, my feet hurt from walking around, but most days I
enjoy what I do and appreciate the people I work with.
Amara's Organizational Structure
The Organizational Hierarchy Chart for Amara’s Store
Eats and Treats doesn’t have very many employees. Customers come throughout the day, but there are
usually only two people working at a time. This means whoever is working has to do many different things
each day. There’s usually one cashier on duty on each shift, and there are two shifts each day. The
cashier helps customers find what they’re looking for and makes sure the cash register is used correctly
with each customer. The store manager or one of the assistant managers is always in the store with the
cashier. Sometimes, when a cashier is sick or can’t come to work, the managers will have to work the
store alone for a little while before another cashier can come to work. The store only has 8 to 10
employees total. This means that everyone has to work hard to make sure all responsibilities are taken
care of—no excuses.
Retail Supervisor Responsibilities
Jose and Amara have already described ways their jobs are the same and different. Jose works at a large
store with many employees. Amara works at a small store with very few employees. One thing that’s the
same for both of them is how much work needs to be done.
The retail supervisor’s role can be divided into four basic areas.
1. Supervision and Leadership
Directly supervise employees
Assign employees to specific tasks
Enforce health, safety, and security rules
Model correct behavior for employees
Resolve employee­related problems
Evaluate employee performance and identify areas to improve
Track employee hours
2. Trainer and Coach
Train employees to use equipment and complete job­related tasks such as using the cash
register, greeting customers, and handling customer complaints
Provide corrective feedback to improve employee performance
Provide positive feedback (reinforcement) to recognize good performance
3. Administrator
Hire, promote, and terminate employees as needed
Plan budgets and authorize payments for merchandise and supplies
Create department policies, goals, objectives, and procedures
Create inventory and sales reports for management
4. Operations
Monitor sales activities to compare to goals
Resolve customer complaints
Check merchandise to make sure it’s correctly priced, displayed, and meets quality standards
Monitor inventory levels and reorder as needed
Plan and prepare work schedules
Make sure store is clean and organized
Amara’s Assistant Manager Responsibilities
Amara’s assistant manager responsibilities are categorized by supervision and leadership, trainer and
coach, administrator, and operations.
Supervision and Leadership
As an assistant manager, I supervise the cashiers who are working. I make sure they’re at work on time
and they stay until their shift is done. I tell them the extra tasks they need to do like clean the restroom,
count inventory, or clean the windows when needed. I serve as a good leader by demonstrating how to
take care of our customers and the store.
Trainer and Coach
We don’t have new employees very often, but when we do, I train them to use the cash register, clean the
store, and take care of customers. I teach them how to handle food safely. Right now, we’re training Bob to
become a new assistant manager, and I’m teaching him some of the responsibilities of my job.
Administrator
One of Amara’s administrator responsibilities includes verifying
the daily cash report.
There are two important things I do as an administrator. The first is to make sure that all of our paperwork
is completed correctly. Paperwork helps us keep track of cash in the store and make sure our bills are
paid. The second is to create reports that show how many of each item we sold and how many we need
for the next day. In my store, the manager hires and fires employees.
Operations
In a small store like mine, I spend a lot of my day working on the sales floor. I greet customers and help
them get what they need. It doesn’t happen very often, but when there’s a complaint I help make sure the
customer leaves satisfied. I clean and use the cash register as needed. I also put more of our treats on the
shelves if we start to run low. Our store manager makes the schedules.
Jose’s Shift Supervisor Responsibilities
Jose’s shift supervisor responsibilities are categorized by supervision and leadership, trainer and coach,
administrator, and operations.
Supervision and Leadership
Jose spends most of his time directly supervising other
employees.
As a shift supervisor, I watch to make sure employees are following all of our policies and procedures, like
putting extra money in the safe and not letting anyone else use their register. I walk around the store with
my employees so they know I’m around and can help them anytime.
Trainer and Coach
We have new employees often, either because they were just hired or they started a new role with us. We
have training programs for employees, but I help teach them what it’s really like when they’re working in the
store. I carefully watch new employees to help them if they’re unsure how to complete a task, and I give
them a partner to help them, too. I answer a lot of questions each day.
Administrator
I spend a lot of time completing banking reports. These reports keep track of how much money each
employee had in the register when they stopped and started their shift, identify missing money, and
communicate any problems to our security team and store manager. Usually, the merchandising team
takes care of inventory and stocking shelves, but sometimes I need to let them know if there’s a problem.
Operations
We have between 200 and 300 customers go through the line at the cash register every hour during our
busy times. This means we're moving quickly to serve our customers. I track how much time each sales
associate takes with each customer to make it as fast as possible. I call for additional people to work the
register when it’s busy and run to get a mop if there’s a spill during busy hours.
Daily Interactions
Amara and Jose interact with different groups throughout the course of their day.
As a retail supervisor, each day you might have the opportunity to work with many people. This list can
change depending on the company or store you work for. See how Jose and Amara interact with different
people while doing their jobs.
Jose’s Interactions
The most important people I interact with every day are my customers and the other employees at the
store, but I see many other people who have a critical part in making sure this store is successful. I see
the supplier trucks come in every night just before I leave, and sometimes they’re still unpacking in the
morning when I arrive. The merchandising team takes care of those deliveries most days, but if I’m the
supervisor on duty I sometimes have to help. I make sure to give the store manager the correct paperwork
each day, and we meet once a week to make sure we have the same information. We have city food
inspections and state inspectors come to test our cash registers. Corporate support for me includes the
HR manager or others if needed.
Amara’s Interactions
Sometimes I get really tired from interacting with so many people each day. It can be exhausting. Besides
the customers and employees, I also speak with the suppliers who bring our bakery ingredients and
supplies, health and safety inspectors who make sure we’re handling our food safely, and maintenance
workers who check our bakery equipment each week to make sure it’s working properly. I see the store
manager almost daily because we meet to discuss sales targets and make sure all reports are done
correctly.
Retail Supervisor Skills
What skills do retail supervisors need to be successful? Jose and Amara share their experiences below.
Keep in mind, the list of skills may be slightly different depending on the company you work for, the specific
requirements of the job, and the size of the retailer.
Jose’s Retail Supervisor Skills
Customer Service—Friendly, good listener, identifies and resolves customer complaints
Sales and Marketing—Identifies customers’ needs, sells them what they’re looking for, and
sometimes sells them things they didn’t know they needed
Time Management—Organizes own time and employees’ time to get everything done
Decision Making—Makes good decisions quickly based on facts and information to benefit the
business and customers
Amara’s Retail Supervisor Skills
Employee/People Skills—Listens to employees, gives positive and corrective feedback, develops
and coaches employees, and helps motivate them to do their jobs well
Merchandising and Product Knowledge—Knows how to merchandise products effectively to sell
them quickly, and knows about the products she sells and the answers to questions customers might
ask about them
Self­Leadership—Shows up on time and in uniform (setting an example for others), speaks
professionally, and remains calm in stressful situations
Reflect and Respond
Why is the Retail Supervisor Role Important?
You previously learned about retail industry jobs. Some positions work from a corporate office, and others work in a store, but
all work together to help the store operate smoothly, giving customers a safe place to buy what they want.
In your own words, explain why the retail supervisor’s role is important to help a retail store be successful.