Published: Dec 02, 2025 - The Retail Associate supports daily retail operations by providing excellent customer service, operating point-of-sale systems, stocking and displaying merchandise, and assisting with store opening and closing duties. This role involves coordinating and overseeing volunteers, supporting recruitment efforts, and ensuring retail and thrift shop activities align with department goals. The associate also collaborates with internal departments and vendors to supply goods across facilities while implementing methods to gather and act on customer feedback.

Tips for Retail Associate Skills and Responsibilities on a Resume
1. Retail Associate, Greenfield Thrift & Gifts, Lansing, MI
Job Summary:
- Focus on driving sales and delivering refined customer service while demonstrating strong and organized clienteling skills
- Develop strategies and plans to achieve sales results through clienteling, superior customer service, and store events
- Maintains up-to-date product knowledge, shop standards, policy, and procedure updates, and upcoming promotions and events
- Ensure a consistent, quality experience for customers
- Create custom gift assortments to accommodate guest needs
- Resolve customer issues with outstanding service and diplomatic skills
- Apply strategic thinking and personal ownership to continue sales growth
- Coach, motivate, and support team members to achieve personal sales goals and growth
- Maintain open lines of communication with the team and the Director, and participate in weekly Shop meetings
- Consistently implement the company's visual presentation and merchandising standards
- Be responsible for the shop and merchandise, stay on task, and take initiative to see what needs to be done in the shop or in storage areas
- Assist with the monthly inventory of shops, storage areas, and satellite retail locations
Skills on Resume:
- Sales Strategy (Hard Skills)
- Customer Service (Soft Skills)
- Client Relationship (Soft Skills)
- Product Knowledge (Hard Skills)
- Visual Merchandising (Hard Skills)
- Conflict Resolution (Soft Skills)
- Team Leadership (Soft Skills)
- Inventory Management (Hard Skills)
2. Retail Sales Associate, Maplewood Home Goods, Cedar Falls, IA
Job Summary:
- Work with internal winery clients, such as the wholesale team members and managers/directors, to schedule, set up, host, and tear down events and tours for internal needs.
- Assist with scheduled onsite events, including private events as well as public events
- Set up, hosting, and tearing down events.
- Provide administrative event support to the Events and Hospitality Manager by assisting with event inquiries and booking private events, wine experiences, and private/VIP picnics.
- Update and maintain the company calendar to reflect various events occurring at the winery.
- Attend and assist with off-site events
Skills on Resume:
- Event Coordination (Hard Skills)
- Client Communication (Soft Skills)
- Time Management (Soft Skills)
- Administrative Support (Hard Skills)
- Calendar Management (Hard Skills)
- Team Collaboration (Soft Skills)
- Customer Service (Soft Skills)
- Event Setup (Hard Skills)
3. Retail Associate, Sunrise Boutique & Gifts, Dover, NH
Job Summary:
- Prepare sales action plans and strategies
- Schedule sales activity
- Maintain customer database
- Maintain sales and promotional materials
- Make sales calls to new and existing customers
- Participate in cold calling
- Maintain sales activity records and prepare sales reports
- Ensure customer service satisfaction and good customer relationships
- Follow up on sales activity
- Conduct market research
- Participate in sales events
Skills on Resume:
- Sales Planning (Hard Skills)
- Customer Database (Hard Skills)
- Promotional Management (Hard Skills)
- Cold Calling (Hard Skills)
- Market Research (Hard Skills)
- Customer Relations (Soft Skills)
- Time Management (Soft Skills)
- Sales Reporting (Hard Skills)
4. Retail Sales Associate, ClearView Thrift Shop, Oconomowoc, WI
Job Summary:
- Greet customers and answer any questions they may have.
- Accurately operating cash registers and providing customers with professional service.
- Increasing in-store sales, cross-selling products, and directing customers to merchandise.
- Assisting in maintaining the stock room and helping to set up displays within the store.
- Maintaining business tidiness and appearance by keeping the area cleaned and organized at all times.
Skills on Resume:
- Customer Service (Soft Skills)
- Cash Handling (Hard Skills)
- Sales Promotion (Hard Skills)
- Product Knowledge (Hard Skills)
- Stock Management (Hard Skills)
- Visual Merchandising (Hard Skills)
- Organization Skills (Soft Skills)
- Communication Skills (Soft Skills)
5. Lead Retail Associate, Pinecrest Crafts & More, Ashland, KY
Job Summary:
- Monitors sales records and researches pricing policies to ensure the retail stores remain competitive.
- Provides customer service through the operation of a point of sale register system, taking phone orders, and conducting sales within a retail setting.
- Assists with stocking merchandise and effectively displaying merchandise.
- Assists with opening and closing duties of the retail shop.
- Assists in the planning and development of courses of action to achieve the department/service goals and coordinates operating functions.
- Works closely with volunteers, vendors, customers, employees, visitors, and patients and develops/maintains good rapport with same.
- Leads volunteers to perform the work required to achieve the identified goals of the department service.
- Advises on recruiting for volunteer staff and coordinates volunteers assigned to the shop.
- Coordinates and performs activities to meet department/service goals.
- Coordinates and participates in processes to validate achievement of goals to meet/exceed customer expectations.
- Implements methods for feedback from customers.
- Assists in the coordination of the daily operations of the thrift shop.
- Provides supplies and services to all company facilities in the region.
- Customers are internal company materials management facility departments.
Skills on Resume:
- Sales Analysis (Hard Skills)
- Customer Service (Soft Skills)
- Merchandise Display (Hard Skills)
- Store Operations (Hard Skills)
- Team Coordination (Soft Skills)
- Volunteer Management (Soft Skills)
- Recruitment Support (Hard Skills)
- Process Improvement (Hard Skills)
6. Retail Associate, Harbor Street Vintage Finds, Newport, RI
Job Summary:
- Provide and maintain excellent, professional, and personalized service to customers
- Build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers
- Manage inventory and maintain the presentable condition of the store (basic housekeeping)
- Adhere to SOP at all times
- Stock and maintain merchandise displays
- Receive and process cash or credit payments
- Assist in keeping the retail area clean at all times
Skills on Resume:
- Customer Service (Soft Skills)
- Team Collaboration (Soft Skills)
- Inventory Management (Hard Skills)
- SOP Compliance (Hard Skills)
- Merchandise Display (Hard Skills)
- Cash Handling (Hard Skills)
- Store Maintenance (Hard Skills)
- Communication Skills (Soft Skills)
7. Retail Sales Associate, Willow Lane Bookshop, Salem, OR
Job Summary:
- Welcome guests and offer assistance throughout the customer’s full shopping experience.
- Maintain knowledge of product lines to assist customers in a friendly manner.
- Provide an exceptional customer service experience by exceeding their expectations, demonstrating knowledge of the products, as well as the history and brand development
- Contribute to the daily operations of the store by maintaining a neat and organized storefront and stockroom
- Accurately total, process, and collect payments from guests to include, but not limited to, using the point of sale system, handling money, processing credit and debit cards, and making change
- Follow all company policies and procedures
Skills on Resume:
- Customer Service (Soft Skills)
- Product Knowledge (Hard Skills)
- Sales Assistance (Soft Skills)
- Store Organization (Hard Skills)
- Cash Handling (Hard Skills)
- POS Operation (Hard Skills)
- Team Collaboration (Soft Skills)
- Policy Compliance (Hard Skills)
8. Retail Associate, Riverbend Outdoor Gear, Prescott, AZ
Job Summary:
- Perform opening and closing duties.
- Conduct and assist in coordinating reserved experiences.
- Provide and lead sensational customer service.
- Assist with weekly ordering of food and supplies.
- Assist in the receiving, unpacking, and labeling of all food and merchandise orders.
- Receive and reconcile retail and food invoices for payment.
- Assist with weekly planning of food preparation and follow up with the food prep team.
- Assist the Hospitality Director in the maintenance of food expiration dates and cleanliness, as well as the organization of stockroom/warehouse storage.
- Provide general administrative support for the Hospitality Management Team.
- Assist with answering phones and general customer inquiries.
Skills on Resume:
- Customer Service (Soft Skills)
- Event Coordination (Hard Skills)
- Inventory Management (Hard Skills)
- Order Processing (Hard Skills)
- Invoice Reconciliation (Hard Skills)
- Food Preparation (Hard Skills)
- Administrative Support (Hard Skills)
- Team Collaboration (Soft Skills)
9. Retail Sales Associate, Oak Valley Pet Supplies, Tyler, TX
Job Summary:
- Achieve personal KPIs
- Deliver total customer satisfaction
- Assist customers in understanding why the products meet their needs
- Follow the end-to-end customer journey from entering the store to leaving the store
- Open and close sales transactions, including processing sales in line with company procedure
- Uphold company values in day-to-day work
- Encourage continuous improvement through ongoing feedback
- Be responsible for maintaining health, safety, and environmental standards in the store
- Help to ensure the store remains commercial, following the given guidelines, for example, visual merchandising and stockroom standards
- Protect the New Balance brand and assets at all times
- Actively own the own learning, for example, product knowledge, product fit
- Adhere to all company policies and procedures
Skills on Resume:
- Sales Performance (Hard Skills)
- Customer Service (Soft Skills)
- Product Knowledge (Hard Skills)
- Sales Processing (Hard Skills)
- Visual Merchandising (Hard Skills)
- Health Compliance (Hard Skills)
- Continuous Improvement (Soft Skills)
- Brand Protection (Soft Skills)
10. Retail Associate, Lakeside Home Decor, Flint, TX
Job Summary:
- Welcome the visitors with a big smile and provide the absolute best customer experience.
- Advise customers by giving expert product advice and making them feel at home.
- Assist with club events, ensuring that the experiences for the customers are executed professionally.
- Actively contribute to the achievement of monthly sales and delivery targets.
- Ensure that the club always looks and feels at its best, kept nice and neat.
- Execute customer test drives
Skills on Resume:
- Customer Service (Soft Skills)
- Product Knowledge (Hard Skills)
- Sales Targeting (Hard Skills)
- Event Coordination (Hard Skills)
- Store Maintenance (Hard Skills)
- Communication Skills (Soft Skills)
- Customer Engagement (Soft Skills)
- Test Drive (Hard Skills)
11. Retail Sales Associate, Silverwood Clothing Co., Bellflower, CA
Job Summary:
- Assist the Store Manager in the day-to-day operations of the gallery
- Assist guests and customers, including receiving walk-in guests and customers, directing guests and customers to the various parts of the gallery, sharing the expertise of products, and providing sales recommendations
- Provide the general upkeeping of the visual merchandising display in the gallery, ensuring outstanding cleanliness and maintenance of the store
- Perform sales transactions, delivery orders, upselling of products, and cashiering duties
- Maintain housekeeping and inventory duties
- Handle telephonic queries and feedback
- Manage the delivery of services to guests consistent with the company’s core service standards, brand attributes, and compliance
Skills on Resume:
- Store Operations (Hard Skills)
- Customer Service (Soft Skills)
- Product Knowledge (Hard Skills)
- Visual Merchandising (Hard Skills)
- Sales Processing (Hard Skills)
- Inventory Management (Hard Skills)
- Communication Skills (Soft Skills)
- Service Compliance (Hard Skills)
12. Retail Associate, Mountain Ridge Sporting Goods, Kennewick, WA
Job Summary:
- Ensures high levels of customer satisfaction by being knowledgeable on all products offered, and teaming up with co-workers to provide excellent sales service
- Delivers sales, outstanding customer experience, and operational expectations
- Develops positive relationships with consumers and teammates
- Connects with every customer by asking open-ended questions to assess needs
- Learns and shares expertise on products and trends to fit customers' needs
- Maintains an awareness of all product knowledge, and current or upcoming products/trends
- Contributes to a positive and inclusive work environment
Skills on Resume:
- Customer Service (Soft Skills)
- Product Knowledge (Hard Skills)
- Sales Performance (Hard Skills)
- Team Collaboration (Soft Skills)
- Customer Engagement (Soft Skills)
- Trend Awareness (Hard Skills)
- Communication Skills (Soft Skills)
- Workplace Inclusion (Soft Skills)
13. Retail Associate, Coastal Finds Thrift Store, Santa Clara, CA
Job Summary:
- Assist in handling retail sales and all guest requests to ensure smooth and efficient operation at all times
- Provide a high standard of service to all guests
- Replenish stock on the selling floor and assist in monitoring the stock levels of the merchandise for stock replenishment promptly
- Assist in doing the monthly inventory count
- Maintain the cleanliness and tidiness of the shop at all times
Skills on Resume:
- Customer Service (Soft Skills)
- Stock Replenishment (Hard Skills)
- Inventory Management (Hard Skills)
- Sales Assistance (Soft Skills)
- Store Maintenance (Hard Skills)
- Team Collaboration (Soft Skills)
- Cash Handling (Hard Skills)
- Organization Skills (Soft Skills)