Retail Store Manager Interview Preparation Guide

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It’s important to ask a prospect how they would handle a difficult situation that you’ve seen take place on your sales floor. You shouldn’t expect them to come fully trained in your procedures, of course, but at the end of the day the judgement required to navigate through a tricky situation is very important, and tough to train for.

Additionally, creating a situation for them allows you to see how their problem-solving skills work on the fly. Retail selling is all about improvisation. If your prospect can’t come up with a good solution in the moment, they likely never will be able to.

I am workaholic and I involve myself so much into the work so much that I forget what time of the day it is.

Earlier I used to hesitate a lot while dealing with customers or speaking with large group of people but gradually I worked on these issues and have started to overcome these limitations

Most retail positions require flexibility with regard to working hours. It is important to assure the interviewer that you are able to accommodate different schedules. Give examples of how you have been able to meet the demands of a typical retail schedule in the past. If this is your first job in retail sales make sure your answer emphasizes that you do not have schedule restrictions.

I am keen to grow within this industry as I like Retail Industry. Therefore, in 3 years from now, I envisage myself playing a bigger and more responsible role for my employers.

For example, I want to use my customer service and team building skills so that I can handle a larger team (or more than one team) and manage multiple stores. In terms of position, I have a goal to be Area Operations Manager where I am also and giving my team product knowledge and guiding Store Mangers on day to day basis to perform better.

You might think it is best to answer this interview question with a “yes.” After all, the best types of retail store employees are those who take pride in their company and actual shop with them. However, don’t outright lie to suck up. Once again, this is your chance to shine. Provide honest feedback if you don’t shop there (why not and what would change your shopping habits). If you are an avid shopper, state why (whether it be the friendly staff, the quality products, or the good prices).

I have good communication skills and can work with different types of people of varying personality and skills.

I have a solid background in store operations with great problem solving abilities and team handling

My work experience as the Asst. Retail Store Manager has taught me skills like Time Management and Team Management which are required for this position.

Besides, I have good Selling Skills and Leadership Ability.

The interviewer wants you to provide an example of how you dealt with a demanding customer in the past.

You need to give a clear description of a specific situation when you did this. Describe the circumstances, the actions you took and the outcome. Similar behavioral questions that often come up in a retail job interview include:

Give me an example of when you went the extra mile for a customer.

Tell me about an improvement that you made to the customer service process.

Describe a situation in which you had to remain calm under great provocation from a customer.

As a manager you are responsible for the overall success of your store, so being able to motivate and assist other employees is a critical function. In answering this question, you will want to share a step-by-step process that you would follow when evaluating then assisting an employee to bring them up to par. This is also a great time to highlight your knowledge of effective sales techniques and your ability to teach them to others. Support your answer with a strong example of how you have assisted employees in the past with meeting company goals, even if you were not in a management position.

Consumers will object to sales initiatives for many reasons, but the two most popular reasons for objections have to do with price or lack of need. You will need to demonstrate that you are capable of overcoming them. “Customers often objected to purchasing ABC jeans because they cost $10 more per pair than XYZ jeans. However, I simply told them that ABC jeans were more comfortable and lasted many years longer than XYZ jeans, and this was often all it took to close the sale.” With this answer, you are demonstrating your ability to sell a product and overcome common objections.

This is a more important question than most people would think when it comes to determining who’s going to make a strong employee. Answers to this question will reveal how much someone understands about what happens on the floor. Anyone who answers just yes or just no hasn’t really thought about the question and doesn’t understand what it means to work on the retail floor.

Customers are wrong all of the time, quite frankly. I firmly believe it’s not that the customer is always right, but rather the customer must think they’re always right. A sales person’s job is to always steer a customer in the right direction, while making the customer think it was their idea the whole time.

Let me give you a true example. I worked with a customer who insisted that she was two sizes smaller than she truly was. My job was to make sure she left the store in clothes that fit her, happy about her purchases and her body image. I had to use a combination of tricks, including bringing her looser-silhouette items and telling her our sizes just ran smaller than usual, but I managed to sell her five items of clothing that just about fit her. She turned into a repeat customer.

Had I believed that the customer is always right, I would have let her walk out of the store with clothes that didn’t fit her (or without making a purchase), which she would have hated because they made her feel bad about her body. That would have translated into hatred of the brand.

Since the performance of the store’s employees will reflect upon you directly and impact the business significantly, it is very important for you to help anyone who seems to be struggling with meeting goals. “I would first observe the employee in an effort to determine why he or she is having difficulty. Once I have discovered the problem, I would take the time to role play with the employee so that he or she can practice overcoming objections, portraying confidence or any other issue that may be hindering him or her.” You may also discuss any fresh sales techniques you can bring to the table.

There are a few common objections that individuals face when trying to sell products to consumers. Some of the main objections include:

☛ Price: the consumers think it is too high or low
☛ Need: the consumer does not foresee a need for the product
☛ Value: the consumer does not recognize the quality in the item

To sell the customer on the product you must be able to successfully address these concerns and any others. Most importantly, you must be able to effectively communicate with customers to determine and address their particular objections.

In answering this question, express the strongest objections that you have faced when selling products to customers and detail how you have overcome them. Drive your answer home by sharing a brief, related instance where you closed the sale.

Store managers are responsible for much more than paperwork, scheduling and supervision. They are the backbone of the store and the individuals responsible for helping other employees meet their sales goals. Your interviewer will want to know the methods you have used to sell similar products in the past. “When I was in college, I worked in a clothing store. I was able to sell ABC jeans more often than XYZ jeans because they are one of my favorite brands and I have experience with it. Since I have familiarized myself with your product and even used it personally, I believe that I can build the value and need for this product that is necessary to sell it” is a phenomenal answer.

Product knowledge is key to providing good customer service. There are a number of ways that product knowledge can be learned such as informational material, on-line information, other employees and training. Focus on your proactive attempts to learn about the products including asking questions and reading up about the products.

This type of interview question for a retail management position is designed to get an idea of your method of management. Are you a manager who just goes with the flow? By the way, these aren’t the type of store managers that most retailers look for. If you were, your response would include letting each employee perform the tasks they normally do. If you were a take-charge kind of manager who is interested in producing the best results, your answer would involve assessing and communicating with each coworker first. The goal is to determine who is the most productive at what and go from there.

The answer to this question might seem a little bit tricky. After all, a good company does not want an employee who wastes company time and money on their payroll. However, an answer such as “terminate them immediately” might be jumping the gun too fast. One of the best answers for retail management interview questions along this line is an answer that involves checking their work history, providing a clear and simple reminder, and then possibly termination if an improvement was not made in a timely matter.

This is a very general and vague question. At the same time it is the often asked question during the initial part of the interview.

Many candidates give very short answer such as “My name is Muhammad Hussain, I belong to this city and I have come for the interview”. Yet there are candidates who would very long answers and most of it would be irrelevant which fails to impress the interview board.

The best course of action would be to tell the interviewer that you are briefly going to talk about your A. educational background, B. previous & current jobs or Career and C. family. Next, you should pick each one of these topics listed as A, B, C and begin describing about yourself to the interviewer with whatever information you feel is appropriate on those lines.

It is always good to start and end on a positive note. Make a list of the pros and cons of your previous job(s). Pick a few facets and add some specific examples. Speak about the most important first, and end with an upbeat anecdote. In the middle, speak briefly about a negative aspect. Speak with others in this field to get a better idea of what to emphasize.

Try to be specific in your interview answer to these type of retail job interview questions. Avoid generalizations such as "I enjoy people", rather say something along the lines of:

I enjoy talking to the customer and finding out exactly what they are looking for. I like the challenge of meeting the customer's needs, making useful suggestions and making sure the customer leaves satisfied.

A general yet brief answer would be vision, planning and follow through. An idea is just that until it is actualized. A manager needs to do just that – manage others, according to a planned and thought out strategy.
A retail manager is similar to the proprietor of a store and has many responsibilities as compared to the other employees. If a retail manager is good at planning and has a vision for the future, he or she can take the company to the next level.

The answer to this question is another tricky one. Your first impulse is to assume “this company doesn’t want to hear I think the store looks like crap.” Of course, you don’t want to use those exact words, but provide an honest answer. The best answers for retail management interview questions are honest ones. Ideal suggestions include have an employee greet me when I walk through the door, remove bulky displays in the aisles that hinder cart movement, and so forth.

Interview questions that involve asking ‘why’ are often referred to as motivational questions. Recruiters want to know what is motivating you to apply for a particular job with them, rather than for any other job with any other company. The key to answering this type of question well is to be specific and avoid giving generic answers about the retailer’s size or success, for instance. This will require you to do some research into the job and the company that you’re applying for so you can give a tailored answer.

To research the retailer, read its website thoroughly and identify specific things that interest you so you can discuss them in the interview. For example, familiarise yourself with the retailer’s values and identify any that you share, learn about projects or initiatives that it runs and research its role in society. You can also make notes on any recent news stories about the retailer that may have inspired you to work for it, such as information on its financial performance or any innovative sales tactics.

☛ Tell me a little about yourself
☛ How are you customer orientated?
☛ Tell me about yourself academically and socially, any hobbies, other awards or skills you may have.
☛ What have you got to offer the company?
☛ What skills can you offer the company?
☛ Why should we pick you?
☛ What are your strengths?
☛ What are your weaknesses?
☛ How would you deal will employees who are older than you and don't like you because of your age?

☛ Who are our main competitors?
☛ What tasks, when executed incorrectly, directly impact sales?
☛ A product is selling well at our competitors’ stores but not at our store. Why do you think this is?
☛ Describe the inventory process at your previous store. What are the necessary steps?
☛ How would you address shrink in your store?
☛ What’s the most important decision you make every day as a store manager?
☛ How would you teach a colleague how to close the register?
☛ What is your opinion on being friends with your coworkers?
☛ Describe a time you resolved a conflict between your colleagues.
☛ How do you think your colleagues would describe you as a manager?
☛ How many people have you fired at your last job? Why did you fire them?
☛ What would you do if you had an employee who was frequently late?
☛ What would you do if you had an employee who refused to follow a new policy?
☛ What strategies do you prefer for motivating employees?

☛ The customer's purchase totals $13.93. She gives you a ten dollar bill and a five dollar bill. How much change do you give her?
☛ If one bottle of soda costs .99, how much do three bottles cost? How much do they cost with 5% tax added on?
☛ Each pot of coffee holds 6 cups. We usually sell 10 cups of coffee every fifteen minutes. How many pots of coffee will you need to make during our two-hour rush?How many pots of coffee will you need to make?
☛ Potato chips are on sale at half price. They sell for $1.19. How much is 50% off?
☛ A customer buys $27 worth of gas. He gives you a $50 bill. How much change do you give him?
☛ 55 x 20 =
☛ 24 - 48 =
☛ 62 + 28 + 14 + 36 =
☛ 82.20 - 53.66 =
☛ 15 x 7% =
☛ 8.50 x 4% =
☛ 19 x 15%