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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Merchandising Field Supervisor

💰 $45,000 - $70,000

RetailMerchandisingField Operations

🎯 Role Definition

The Merchandising Field Supervisor is a frontline retail leader who supervises and coaches a team of field merchandisers to deliver flawless in-store execution. This role owns planogram compliance, visual merchandising, promotional rollout, inventory integrity and day-to-day store relationships to maximize sales and ROI across a defined territory. The ideal candidate combines strong retail operations experience, analytical ability, and hands-on leadership to translate corporate merchandising strategy into measurable in-store results.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Field Merchandiser / Merchandising Representative
  • Retail Store Supervisor / Assistant Store Manager
  • Retail or Sales Field Representative

Advancement To:

  • District Manager / Field Operations Manager
  • Regional Merchandising Manager
  • Category Manager or Retail Operations Director

Lateral Moves:

  • Retail Operations Manager
  • Account / Key Account Manager (vendor-facing)
  • Sales Enablement / Training Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead, mentor and directly supervise a team of field merchandisers across an assigned territory; set clear daily and weekly priorities, conduct route optimization and hold regular coaching sessions to improve execution and productivity.
  • Ensure 100% planogram compliance by scheduling and auditing store resets, executing shelf re-fits, and correcting merchandising violations; document deviations and enforce corrective action plans.
  • Execute new product launches and promotional rollouts in-store, coordinating with sales, marketing and vendor partners to ensure promotional signage, POS material and inventory are in place for campaign start dates.
  • Drive measurable sales uplift by analyzing daily/weekly sales trends, identifying high-opportunity SKUs, and recommending merchandising or pricing adjustments to category managers.
  • Perform routine store audits (shelf tags, inventory levels, product facings, pricing accuracy, promotional compliance) and generate audit reports with actionable recommendations.
  • Manage inventory integrity at the store level by conducting cycle counts, reconciling inventory discrepancies, managing returns and communicating shrink or spoilage issues to loss prevention and distribution teams.
  • Oversee installation, maintenance and replenishment of point-of-sale displays, endcaps and demo stations to maximize visual impact and conversion.
  • Serve as primary liaison between corporate merchandising, store management and third-party vendors to resolve in-store issues quickly and escalate systemic problems.
  • Train field merchandisers on planogram reading, visual merchandising standards, safety protocols, POS deployment and mobile retail execution tools; maintain up-to-date training records.
  • Create and maintain daily routing schedules and territory plans to maximize store coverage while controlling travel costs and overtime.
  • Use retail execution and reporting tools (e.g., Repsly, Trax, Retail Pro, JDA/Blue Yonder, Salesforce) to capture store-level photos, complete tasks, update inventories and submit compliance proof.
  • Prepare weekly and monthly performance reports for district and regional leadership including KPIs such as retail execution score, on-shelf availability, sales per square foot and promotional compliance rates.
  • Monitor and enforce store safety and loss prevention procedures during merchandising activities; ensure team compliance with store and company safety policies.
  • Coordinate with distribution, logistics and warehouse teams to prioritize re-stocks, backstock management and direct-to-store shipments for high-demand SKUs.
  • Manage budget items related to merchandising activities such as POS materials, demo units and minor store-level equipment; submit expense reports and approve petty cash within policy.
  • Conduct regular store visits and business reviews with store managers to build relationships, identify merchandising gaps, and align on corrective actions to improve conversion.
  • Lead corrective action plans for underperforming stores, including targeted merchandising interventions, focused training and follow-up audits to ensure sustained improvement.
  • Maintain accurate records of asset inventory (fixtures, demo units, signage) and coordinate repair, replacement or disposal with facilities and vendor services.
  • Support promotional pricing verification at shelf and POS to ensure accurate price tags and promotional end-date adherence.
  • Manage timekeeping, attendance and performance documentation for the merchandising team; provide input for performance reviews and disciplinary actions when required.
  • Continuously evaluate merchandising processes and suggest technology, training or process improvements to boost efficiency, accuracy and store-level execution.
  • Act as a subject matter expert for in-store merchandising best practices and represent the merchandising function at cross-functional planning meetings.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc reporting requests from regional management and contribute to exploratory analysis to identify territory trends and opportunities.
  • Participate in cross-functional launch and planning meetings to translate corporate merchandising strategy into practical store-level activities.
  • Pilot new retail technologies (mobile apps, image recognition, shelf-scanning devices) and provide feedback to product and IT teams on usability and ROI.
  • Assist with recruiting, onboarding and onboarding documentation for new merchandisers in the territory.
  • Represent the company at store or vendor meetings when district leadership is unavailable and act as escalation point for complex store issues.
  • Collaborate with marketing on local merchandising initiatives and community activation opportunities to improve brand presence in-store.
  • Provide input to purchasing and supply chain teams regarding recurring out-of-stock items and localized demand drivers.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Planogram execution and visual merchandising expertise with a track record of achieving planogram compliance.
  • Proficiency with retail execution and field management tools (e.g., Repsly, Trax, StoreForce, Salesforce, Blue Yonder/JDA).
  • Strong Excel skills (VLOOKUP, pivot tables, basic formulas) and comfort with Google Sheets for reporting and route planning.
  • Experience using mobile photo/audit apps and mobile workforce management tools to capture proof-of-execution.
  • Inventory management and cycle-count procedures, including backstock reconciliation and shrink control practices.
  • Familiarity with POS systems, SKU-level reporting and pricing verification workflows.
  • Route optimization and territory management, including experience reducing travel costs and increasing store coverage efficiency.
  • Basic budgeting and expense management for merchandising activities and POS asset tracking.
  • Ability to interpret sales reports, KPIs and category metrics to make data-driven merchandising recommendations.
  • Knowledge of retail safety standards and loss prevention best practices.
  • Comfortable with measurable performance management tools and creating weekly/monthly KPI dashboards.
  • Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation; experience with multi-stop field routes.

Soft Skills

  • Strong leadership and team coaching skills; ability to motivate dispersed field teams and drive consistent results.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication; able to negotiate with store managers and present findings to senior leadership.
  • Highly organized with outstanding time management and prioritization in a fast-paced, mobile environment.
  • Problem-solving orientation with keen attention to detail when evaluating store conditions and correcting execution gaps.
  • Customer-focused mindset with the ability to maintain positive store relationships while enforcing company standards.
  • Adaptability and resilience to manage competing priorities, seasonal peaks, and promotional surges.
  • Conflict resolution and interpersonal skills to manage vendor, store and cross-functional stakeholder relationships.
  • Analytical mindset with curiosity to explore root causes and implement sustainable fixes.
  • Coaching and development orientation—invests in upskilling team members and promoting from within.
  • Accountability and integrity in handling cash, assets, and sensitive store-level information.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or GED.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Retail Management, Marketing or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

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

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2 - 5 years of progressive retail or field merchandising experience with some supervisory responsibility.

Preferred: 4 - 7 years of merchandising, retail operations or category management experience with proven success managing multi-store territories, driving planogram compliance and leading a field team.

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