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Retail Salespersons

THE JOB

No matter what is being sold, the main job of RETAIL SALESPERSONS is to get 
the customer interested by describing the merchandise and showing how it is 
used, as well as showing the different models, sizes, colors, etc.  They 
must be able to size up what a customer wants or needs quickly and politely, 
using their knowledge of the merchandise.  Salespersons may make out sales 
checks, take cash and credit card payments, and give change and receipts.  
They may handle returns and exchanges and keep work areas neat.  More stores 
are installing computer terminals that register sales, adjust inventory 
figures, and do simple calculations.  This equipment makes the employee's 
work simpler and lets them concentrate on customer service.

Salespersons may help order merchandise, stock shelves or racks, mark price 
tags, take inventory and prepare displays.  In jobs selling things such as 
food, hardware, linens and housewares, Salespersons usually only take 
payments and bag purchases.


WORKING CONDITIONS

Most Salespersons work in clean, comfortable, well-lit retail stores or 
showrooms.  Some Salespersons (for example Car Salespersons) may spend all 
or part of the working day outdoors, depending on the items sold.  
Salespersons are on their feet a lot.  Often, they must bend, lift, and 
stretch in order to arrange, store, or display merchandise.

A medium amount of stamina, strength, and flexibility is often needed.  Door-
to-door salespersons have to be able to walk long distances and must 
sometimes put up with bad weather to meet their customers.  Salespersons 
will sometimes have to deal with impatient, rude, and other difficult 
customers.  They should have tact, patience, and be able to deal with this 
sort of thing peacefully in order to make a sale or handle a complaint or 
return.


EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK

The California Projections of Employment, published by the Labor Market 
Information Division of the Employment Development Department, estimates 
that the number of Retail Salespersons in California will reach 511,830 by 
2005, an increase in new jobs of 109,020 over the number there was in 1993.
There will also be an estimated 159,210 job openings due to people retiring 
or leaving the occupation.  Added to the 109,020 new jobs expected, this 
makes for an estimated total of 268,230 job opportunities through 2005.

(These figures do not include self-employment nor openings due to turnover.)

The expected growth for Retail Salespersons reflects the needs and wants of 
California's growing population.  There is a high turnover rate in the 
occupation.  The turnover creates many job vacancies.  The retail sales 
industry has been a good source of job opportunities for the high school 
graduate with not much work experience.  It should continue to be full of 
opportunity, given the size of the industry and its rate of turnover.


WAGES, HOURS, AND FRINGE BENEFITS

Earnings for Retail Salespersons have a wide range, going from minimum wage 
to $50,000 per year or more.  Some Salespersons are paid a regular and fixed 
salary, while many earn a combination of salary and commission.  The amount 
of money Salespersons can earn is depends a lot on the real value or 
popularity of the merchandise they sell.  Salespersons working for an 
elegant jewelry shop can naturally expect to earn more than those working in 
a cut-rate or discount department store.  On the other hand, hard work and a 
lot of sales can make for good earnings in almost any work situation, 
particularly when working for a combination of salary plus commission.

Many sales positions are part-time only with schedules of 20-35 hours per 
week.  These employees are on duty during peak selling hours, including 
evenings and weekends.  Because weekends are busy days in retailing, almost 
all employees work at least one of these days and have a weekday off.  
Friday and Saturday are usually the busiest sales days of the week.

There aren't many employee benefits in smaller stores, but many retail 
outfits offer employees (and sometimes their family members) a discount of 
as much as 10-25 percent on the goods in stock.  Large department stores and 
retail chains offer life insurance policies, and health and pension plans.


ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS AND TRAINING

For most sales jobs, no specific training is needed.  Some sales jobs do 
require detailed knowledge of the product, and perhaps, as is the case with 
some furniture, antiques, or art work, a knowledge of the history of the 
item.  Some sales positions require a specific expertise, such as carpentry 
for tool sales, or interior design for furniture sales.  However, the 
average beginning sales job will require no more than a high-school 
education, good verbal communication skills, an out-going and courteous 
disposition, cleanliness, neatness of dress and grooming, and practical 
math.  Salespersons may receive on-the-job training on sales techniques, 
store policies, how to record sales, and classes on the store operations.


ADVANCEMENT

Promotions are possible into manager positions, such as assistant manager, 
department manager, or regional sales manager, but a college education is 
important for these positions.  Large retail businesses generally prefer to 
hire college graduates as management trainees.  There aren't many 
opportunities for promotion in small stores, where one person, often the 
owner, does most of the managerial work.  Though not a promotion, some 
salespersons earn enough to become store or franchise owners or partners.


FINDING THE JOB

Most beginning jobs are filled from applications made directly to the retail 
stores.  Job announcements for salespeople can be found in the classified ad 
section of most newspapers, or by visiting a Workforce Services Office of the 
California Employment Development Department.  College graduates can apply 
to stores through their campus placement office, since many major retail 
stores and chains recruit on campuses for their management trainee 
positions. Retail outlet shopping centers provide another good way to enter 
the retail sales industry

The months of November and December are usually the busiest for the retail 
trade industry, and many temporary hires occur during that time.  Although 
people are often hired on as a "temporary", retail's high turnover rate 
makes it likely that permanent positions will become available.  Different 
products have different peak sales seasons (for example, summer for garden 
supplies, and winter for wood-burning stoves and ski equipment), when a job 
seeker's chance to be hired is better in those sales areas.


ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION

National Retail Merchants Association
100 W. 31st Street
New York, NY 10001

Professional Salespersons of America
3801 Monaco N.E.
Albuquerque, NM 87111

RELATED OCCUPATIONAL GUIDES

Buyers                                   No. 118
Retail Store Managers                    No. 242
Food Products Sales Representatives      No. 285
Manufacturers' Sales Representatives     No. 542

OCCUPATIONAL CODE REFERENCES

DOT (Dictionary of Occupational Titles, 4th ed., Rev. 1)
Sales            250.000-000 through 290.000-000

OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) System
Vehicle Salespersons-Retail               490111
Salespersons-Retail (Non-Vehicle)         490112


Source:  State of California, Employment Development Department,
         Labor Market Information Division, Information Services Group,
         (916) 262-2162.