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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for General Merchandise Team Leader

💰 $45,000 - $70,000

RetailMerchandisingManagement

🎯 Role Definition

The General Merchandise Team Leader is a hands-on retail leader responsible for driving sales, executing merchandising standards, supervising hourly associates, managing inventory accuracy, and delivering exceptional customer experiences across general merchandise categories. This role combines operational execution with people leadership to achieve visual merchandising excellence, maintain stock availability, reduce shrink, and meet or exceed store KPIs such as sales, margin, and conversion. The ideal candidate has proven experience in retail leadership, strong merchandising and inventory management skills, and the ability to coach and develop teams to deliver consistent, measurable results.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • General Merchandise Associate
  • Assistant Department Supervisor / Lead Sales Associate
  • Inventory Control or Stockroom Lead

Advancement To:

  • Assistant Store Manager / Operations Supervisor
  • Merchandise Manager / Department Manager
  • Store Management (Store Manager / Multi-Unit Manager)

Lateral Moves:

  • Visual Merchandising Specialist
  • Inventory Analyst / Replenishment Coordinator
  • Loss Prevention or Customer Experience Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead the general merchandise floor team to achieve weekly and monthly sales targets, conversion, average transaction value (ATV), and margin goals by driving execution of store and corporate sales initiatives.
  • Plan, assign, and prioritize daily and weekly tasks for department associates, ensuring consistent coverage of high-traffic zones, timely replenishment, and rapid response to merchandising needs.
  • Execute and maintain accurate planograms and visual merchandising directives to corporate standards, including seasonal resets, promotional setups, and endcap placement to maximize product visibility and sell-through.
  • Monitor inventory levels and coordinate daily inventory reconciliation activities, cycle counts, and discrepancy investigations to improve on-shelf availability and reduce stock variance.
  • Coach, mentor, and develop hourly associates through onboarding, performance feedback, and targeted training plans focused on sales technique, product knowledge, and operational best practices.
  • Manage receiving, backroom organization, and stockroom processes to ensure efficient flow from backstock to sales floor while minimizing damage and loss of product.
  • Drive promotional execution for new product launches and weekly promotions, ensuring pricing integrity, accurate signage, and compelling merchandising that aligns with company promotional calendars.
  • Analyze department sales reports, inventory turnover, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to recommend corrective actions, assortment adjustments, and promotional priorities to the store leadership team.
  • Implement loss prevention and shrink reduction strategies within the general merchandise area, including CCTV monitoring, associate awareness, and adherence to company security policies.
  • Schedule and approve associate work hours, monitor labor productivity, and balance labor against sales forecasts to optimize staffing and control payroll expense while maintaining service levels.
  • Perform daily operational audits for standards compliance such as pricing accuracy, product integrity, safety checks, and cleanliness to ensure an outstanding customer shopping experience.
  • Collaborate with vendors, category managers, and supply chain partners to resolve delivery exceptions, expedite critical replenishment, and communicate merchandising timing for promotional events.
  • Support the store manager in creating and executing the departmental budget, monitoring gross margin impacts, markdowns, and clearance strategies to protect profitability.
  • Lead cross-functional merchandising projects such as seasonal resets, store reconfigurations, and special event set-ups, coordinating associates, contractors, and cross-department teams to meet deadlines.
  • Serve as the first point of escalation for customer issues in the general merchandise area, resolving complaints, processing returns or exchanges, and ensuring customer satisfaction and retention.
  • Maintain compliance with all health, safety, and regulatory requirements relevant to product handling, display, and storage; conduct regular safety briefings and incident reviews.
  • Use point-of-sale (POS) systems, inventory management software, and handheld devices to support cycle counts, price checks, stock inquiries, and merchandise transfers efficiently.
  • Recommend assortment changes, product deletions, and local merchandising strategies based on customer feedback, competitive trends, and sales analytics to improve category performance.
  • Drive a culture of continuous improvement by identifying process inefficiencies, proposing operational enhancements, and implementing best practices to streamline merchandising workflows.
  • Participate in recruitment activities for general merchandise roles, conduct interviews, select candidates, and manage onboarding to ensure strong team composition and culture fit.
  • Maintain strong product knowledge across all general merchandise categories to coach associates, answer customer questions authoritatively, and recommend complementary product solutions that increase basket size.
  • Monitor and report on competitor merchandising and pricing activities in the trade area and advise leadership on tactical responses to protect market share.

Secondary Functions

  • Assist in ad-hoc sales analysis and contribute to weekly merchandising planning meetings to align inventory with demand patterns.
  • Support regional or corporate audits by preparing documentation, explaining merchandising rationales, and implementing recommended corrective actions.
  • Coordinate with e-commerce and fulfillment teams to manage buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) inventory and ensure seamless customer order completion.
  • Facilitate cross-training across departments to maintain operational flexibility and coverage during peak periods and associate absences.
  • Act as a safety and compliance champion by keeping up-to-date logs, reporting incidents, and ensuring corrective measures are implemented and tracked.
  • Help implement local marketing initiatives, in-store signage, and community outreach programs to drive traffic and enhance brand presence.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Retail leadership and team supervision for general merchandise departments
  • Planogram execution and visual merchandising to corporate standards
  • Inventory management and cycle count procedures with measurable shrink reduction
  • Proficiency with point-of-sale (POS) systems, ERP/inventory systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Lightspeed, NCR), and handheld scanning devices
  • Sales analytics and KPI interpretation (sales per square foot, conversion rate, sell-through, stock-to-sales)
  • Scheduling and labor management tools (e.g., Kronos, UKG, Deputy) and payroll basics
  • Loss prevention best practices, incident reporting, and shrink mitigation techniques
  • Basic merchandising math, pricing strategies, and markdown optimization
  • Vendor communication and basic purchase order / receiving reconciliation
  • Microsoft Excel proficiency (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, basic formulas) and familiarity with retail reporting dashboards

Soft Skills

  • Strong people leadership with coaching, feedback, and development focus
  • Excellent verbal and written communication for associates, vendors, and leadership
  • Customer-first mindset and conflict resolution skills for high-quality service recovery
  • Problem-solving and decision-making under fast-paced retail conditions
  • Time management, prioritization, and ability to multitask during peak hours
  • Detail-oriented with a focus on visual standards and operational accuracy
  • Adaptability and resilience in a dynamic retail environment
  • Collaborative team player who partners across departments and store functions

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent (required)

Preferred Education:

  • Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Business, Retail Management, Merchandising, Marketing, or a related field (preferred)

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Retail Management
  • Merchandising
  • Business Administration
  • Supply Chain / Logistics
  • Marketing

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2 - 5+ years of retail experience with at least 1-2 years in a supervisory or lead role within general merchandise or comparable departments.

Preferred:

  • Demonstrated track record of meeting or exceeding sales and margin targets.
  • Previous experience with large-format retail, department stores, or specialty retail chains.
  • Experience executing planograms, leading seasonal resets, and managing inventory reconciliation projects.
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