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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Sales and Merchandising Representative

💰 $ - $

SalesMerchandisingRetailField SalesConsumer Goods

🎯 Role Definition

The Sales and Merchandising Representative is a field-facing retail professional responsible for executing store-level sales strategies, optimizing product placement, and driving in-store promotions to meet or exceed sales targets. This role blends sales execution, merchandising excellence, customer relationship management, and retail analytics to maximize product availability, visibility, and sell-through across assigned retail accounts and territories.

Primary keywords: Sales and Merchandising Representative, retail sales, field merchandising, planogram compliance, category management, trade execution, retail execution, route-to-market.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Retail Merchandiser / Merchandising Assistant
  • Retail Sales Associate or Store Supervisor
  • Brand Ambassador / Promotional Representative

Advancement To:

  • Key Account / National Account Representative
  • Area Sales Manager / Field Sales Manager
  • Category Manager or Trade Marketing Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Retail Operations Specialist
  • Shopper Insights Analyst
  • Distributor or Broker Representative

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Execute store-level sales objectives by proactively calling on assigned accounts, following a defined route-to-market schedule, and achieving or exceeding weekly and monthly sales targets for assigned SKUs and categories.
  • Implement planograms and in-store visual merchandising standards to ensure correct product placement, shelf facings, promotional displays, and brand signage in alignment with brand guidelines and category strategies.
  • Conduct regular store visits to audit on-shelf availability, inventory levels, product rotation, expiry checks, and shelf tag accuracy; document findings and escalate replenishment needs to supply chain or distributors.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with key store personnel (store managers, department leads, buyers) to gain preferential placement, secure promotional space, and resolve in-store merchandising or stocking issues.
  • Execute trade promotions and point-of-sale campaigns on schedule, ensuring promotional materials (POS, wobblers, banners, demo stations) are installed correctly and promotions are tracked for ROI and compliance.
  • Capture, validate, and report daily or weekly POS and retail execution data — including sales, price markdowns, promotions, and out-of-stock incidents — using CRM or merchandising mobile apps to inform demand planning and marketing.
  • Conduct competitive intelligence by surveying store assortments, pricing, promotion activity, and new product introductions; prepare concise competitor reports and recommend tactical responses.
  • Negotiate in-store placements, secondary display locations, and promotional terms with store buyers and category managers to optimize share-of-shelf and incremental sales opportunities.
  • Train and coach store staff and in-store merchandisers on product knowledge, selling techniques, planogram implementation, and promotional execution to improve sell-through.
  • Monitor compliance with retail policies, brand standards, and legal/labeling requirements; initiate corrective actions for non-compliance and track resolutions to completion.
  • Manage stock levels at stores by coordinating replenishment orders, returns, and transfers to minimize out-of-stocks and overstock situations while optimizing sell-through velocity.
  • Use retail math and sales analytics to identify high-potential SKUs, slow-moving inventory, and optimal reorder points; make data-driven recommendations to management and distributors.
  • Prepare and present weekly and monthly account performance reports, highlighting wins, gaps, and action plans; align with sales management to update territory priorities.
  • Drive new product launches at point-of-sale by coordinating in-store demos, sampling, endcap installations, and retailer communications to accelerate trial and adoption.
  • Coordinate with distributors, logistics partners, and warehouse teams to ensure timely fulfillment of orders, promotional kits, and display materials to stores.
  • Implement pricing and markdown strategies at store level per corporate guidelines and retailer agreements; document deviations and approvals.
  • Lead and participate in field audits, mystery shopping, and market research initiatives to validate execution quality and gather shopper insights for marketing and category teams.
  • Manage expense reconciliations and promotional claim submissions accurately and on time, ensuring compliance with company policies and retailer contractual terms.
  • Identify and escalate major account issues (e.g., out-of-stocks, pricing discrepancies, competitive risk) to regional sales management and propose corrective action plans with timelines.
  • Support cross-functional initiatives including shopper marketing, e-commerce integration for click-and-collect fulfillment, and omnichannel promotions that impact in-store execution.
  • Maintain up-to-date knowledge of product portfolio, promotions calendar, retailer assortment changes, and company CRM entries to ensure consistent account stewardship.
  • Act as the company brand ambassador in store interactions — delivering excellent customer service, capturing shopper feedback, and promoting a positive brand perception at the point of purchase.

Secondary Functions

  • Assist with ad-hoc retail analytics requests, supporting marketing and category teams with observational data and POS snapshots from the field.
  • Participate in pilot tests for new merchandising tools, mobile apps, and checkout analytics to improve field productivity and reporting accuracy.
  • Support retailer onboarding for new SKUs by preparing shelf-ready packaging, planogram documentation, and display build instructions.
  • Help maintain the territory CRM hygiene by updating contact lists, visit notes, promotional commitments, and follow-up actions.
  • Coordinate with trade marketing to forecast and replenish promotional collateral and demo supplies ahead of major retail campaigns.
  • Contribute to periodic territory business reviews and support the development of action plans to close identified performance gaps.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Category management fundamentals and retail assortment optimization experience.
  • Planogram interpretation and hands-on planogram implementation skills.
  • Retail execution tools and mobile merchandising apps (e.g., Repsly, Movista, Trax, Repsly) or equivalent field CRM/merchandising platforms.
  • Point-of-sale (POS) data capture and basic POS analytics to monitor sell-through and promotion performance.
  • Advanced Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUP, pivot tables, data analysis) and Google Sheets for territory reporting.
  • CRM proficiency (e.g., Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics) for call planning, reporting, and opportunity tracking.
  • Trade promotion execution and reconciliation, including claims processing and promotional ROI tracking.
  • Inventory management and basic replenishment planning knowledge to manage OOS risk.
  • Retail pricing and markdown execution, with understanding of margin impact.
  • Route planning and territory management tools, time and visit scheduling for efficient coverage.
  • Basic understanding of retail accounting and expense reconciliation for field spend.
  • Familiarity with retailer compliance scorecards, audit criteria, and retail KPIs (e.g., on-shelf availability, share-of-shelf, promotional compliance).

Soft Skills

  • Strong customer-facing communication and negotiation skills to influence buyers and store managers.
  • Relationship building and stakeholder management — ability to maintain long-term retailer partnerships.
  • Results-driven with strong commercial acumen and bias for action to hit sales targets.
  • Problem solving and decision-making under ambiguity in dynamic retail environments.
  • Time management, prioritization, and route planning for high productivity in the field.
  • Detail orientation for flawless planogram execution and accurate POS reporting.
  • Adaptability and resilience to manage changing store conditions, promotions, and competing priorities.
  • Team collaboration — coordinate effectively with sales, marketing, supply chain, and distributors.
  • Coaching and training capability to upskill store teams and in-store merchandisers.
  • Analytical mindset — able to convert observation and POS data into actionable recommendations.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:
High school diploma or equivalent. Demonstrated retail or field sales experience often substitutes for formal education.

Preferred Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Supply Chain, Retail Management, or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

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

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:
1–5 years of progressive experience in retail sales, field merchandising, or consumer goods (CPG) field roles.

Preferred:
2–4 years of direct experience executing merchandising programs, managing key accounts at retail, or working in a route-to-market field sales role for branded products. Experience with national retail chains, distributor networks, or modern trade accounts is highly valued.

If you’d like, I can tailor this job description to a specific industry (CPG, electronics, fashion), seniority level (junior associate vs. senior representative), or retailer type (mass merchandiser, convenience, grocery).

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