Retail Store Manager Interview Preparation Guide

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Detail why you want a job with this specific company. Base your answer to this retail job interview question on what you have learned about the company from your pre-interview research.

How does this company differ from the competition? What about the way it operates attracts you? What interesting innovations have the company introduced such as customer loyalty programs and on-line services.

The company will expect you to have done your homework. Know their main competitors and be aware of current industry trends. The internet is a useful source of information.

This is another situation where strong problem solving skills are needed. Within store management there are certain situations that you are bound to face at some point, and being understaffed is one of them. Employers want to know that you will be able to properly handle such a situation. In answering this question, provide a detailed course of action that you would take to try to get the store properly staffed as quickly as possible, ending with your willingness to cover the shift if need be. This showcases your leadership abilities, which interviewers are looking for.

This one is such an important question, and is something of an extension to the first question. In fact, you may get your answer to this in the first answer. You want to hire someone who understands your brand, because, after all, your sales people are the face of your brand.

If you’re a manager at an upscale clothing store which prides itself on excellent customer service, you can’t hire someone who believes that your clothes are terrible quality and they can give your customers minimal service. That’s a no-brainer.

You want to know this prospect has the ability to mix and match items first for suggestive selling reasons. You need to know that your prospect can take a client buying a bedspread and show them the benefits of buying matching sheets.

Secondly, if you’re a clothes seller, you want to know that your sales person can do more than just suggestive sell. You need someone who can style an outfit.

Of course, your prospect does not have the benefit of having the inventory virtually memorized like you do, so you have to allow for a little bit of extra time. But overall, anyone who’s got a natural knack for sales should be able to pick out two related items and give some sort of pitch as to why you should buy them together.

Unless you are being interviewed for a position with a large department store, it is likely that there will only be one or two sales associates on duty at any given time. As such, when an employee does not report for duty, this can put the store in a bind. Your interviewer will want to know how you would handle such a situation. “I would first contact the employees who were scheduled off that day to find out if they are willing to cover the shift. If not, I would take it upon myself to cover that shift on my own.” This answer not only shows that you have a plan in place, but it also proves that you are dedicated to your job if that plan fails.

Questions about your skills will align with the competencies that the retailer seeks and the values of the company, so if they are an entrepreneurial company, for example, expect questions about times you took the initiative or improved something.

☛ The first step to preparing for these questions is to remind yourself of the attributes the company wants – reread the job ad.
☛ The next step is to come up with examples of when you developed and demonstrated these skills from your part-time jobs, internships, extra-curricular activities and your course.
☛ Practise explaining these examples – many graduates don’t show themselves in the best light they could. Use the CAR structure: explain the Circumstances (or background), the Actions you took and the Results (or outcomes). If you’re talking about when you worked in a team, focus on what you did.

Totally standard question, but you want to look for people who are comfortable working in an extremely fast paced environment and enjoy helping people. You should also look for people with standard computer skills. (I say this because, even though basic computer skills seem like basic motor skills these days, you wouldn’t believe how many coworkers I had who did not understand how to work any of our point of sale software for the duration of their employment.)

For most sales associate positions, I don’t think those you hire need to have any previous experience in retail. I also don’t think, depending on your brand, they even necessarily have to have any real experience. We all start somewhere, and if the person you hire has the right natural abilities, it doesn’t matter what they did beforehand; you were going to train them anyway. Sometimes it’s even a bonus to hire raw talent because you can mold them into the perfect employee for your brand.

Regardless, though, you need to be looking for people who can multitask, move and think quickly, and are willing to do as much as it takes to please a customer. These are three critical features to a good retail worker. You cannot hire someone who doesn’t have all three of these.

This question is asked to determine whether you have an understanding of what a retail manager’s position is. Use this opportunity to speak about the retail management business and what you think would be your responsibilities would be. Read up about the position! Once the interviewer is convinced that you understand the role of a retail manager, your chances of being hired are good.

Some duties and qualities required of the retail manager are:
☛ Team leadership and team development abilities.
☛ Managing the hiring process: HR activities and employee training.
☛ Workplace scheduling – Day to day operations.
☛ Problem solving skills – Communications skills.
☛ Sales management.
☛ Product and project management – Professional qualities and prioritization.

Focus on specific experience and training in your career history. Identify things you have done that match the job you are interviewing for. Emphasize what qualifies you for this particular job and how you can add value to the job and company.

What transferable skills have you gained in your previous jobs? Look at the job tasks such as buying merchandise, customer care, and highlight your experience in performing these. If there are areas of the job function that you do not yet have experience in then highlight what skills you have that will facilitate learning and succeeding in these tasks. For example your ability to remain calm under pressure and listen carefully will help you in a customer complaints function.

This question is similar to the previous question, however it is more targeted and speaks to a specific product. Even if you have strong sales experience, your interviewer will want to know that you have a plan for successfully selling their main products. As such, when answering this question you will want to detail your method for selling the specific product mentioned. If you have more than one method, mention them; this shows versatility and preparation, which the interviewer will appreciate. You will want to share an example here as well.