Retail skills

Are you a confident people person who thrives in a fast-paced environment? A career in retail could be your calling. Whether it’s for clothing, electronics or luxury goods, working in retail requires a specific skill set. 

A career in retail mainly involves helping customers buy products or services, but could also include replenishing stock, giving recommendations, and providing great customer service in person or online. In this article, we take a look at skills for retail, examples for your resumé, and how to develop and showcase these skills to help you land the job you want.

What are retail skills? 

Retail skills are the abilities and knowledge you need to succeed as a sales assistant or associate in a shop setting. They include things like good communication, conflict-resolution skills and adaptability. When you have well-developed retail job skills, you are better able to meet the needs of your customers and make sales, leading to satisfied customers, repeat business, and achieving sales targets.

Essential retail skills for a resumé

Retail is a diverse ‘industry’ that includes all types of products and services sold to consumers – but the skills required don’t change much from role to role. And while retail roles are people-centric, they also require a combination of technical knowledge and hard skills to succeed. Here are some of the most important skills for a retail resumé.

Communication skills 

In retail, you’re working directly with customers. Often, you’re their first point of contact for recommendations, returns, complaints and purchases, so having the ability to communicate clearly is essential for a successful career in retail. 

Effective communication includes:

• Using active listening to understand requests or complaints 
• Resolving complaints effectively
• Explaining the features and benefits of products or services
• Understanding what the customer needs and offering appropriate solutions
• Listening to objections to overcome barriers and close a sale

You can develop your communication skills by:

• Practising active listening to understand customers’ needs
• Seeking feedback from colleagues to improve your communication style
• Roleplaying with colleagues to gain confidence in upselling or resolving conflict

Showcase this skill in your resumé by:

Listing relevant skills that highlight your communication abilities with strong, active language. 

Example: Skilled professional with 5 years’ experience in Returns and Enquiries. 

How to showcase this skill in an interview:

During an interview, you should describe times when you’ve had to use your communication skills. Make sure to show specific examples of positive interactions, highlighting how your skills led to a positive outcome. 

Question: Can you describe a time when you had to handle a difficult customer?

Answer: I once had a customer who was unhappy with a purchase. I listened to their concerns, apologised for any inconvenience, and offered a solution, which was a store credit or an exchange. They chose to exchange and they left satisfied.

Interpersonal skills 

Interpersonal skills are the ability to interact and connect with others, such as customers, colleagues, and managers. This helps create a positive experience for the customer and can help build relationships and generate long-term business. It’s also important for working collaboratively with your manager and team members. 

Interpersonal skills include:

• Actively listening to the customer’s complaints or feedback
• Having empathy for the customer and others in general
• Being emotionally intelligent and picking up on subtle cues
• Building rapport with the customer 
• Resolving the problem with a solution that keeps the customer happy

You can develop your interpersonal skills by:

• Showing genuine interest in customers and their needs.
• Actively listening, and paraphrasing what the customer has said, to ensure you correctly understand their needs.
• Imagining yourself in the customer’s situation to help you understand their perspective and find an acceptable outcome.

Showcase this skill in your resumé by:

Mentioning your ability to build rapport and empathise with customers, including specific traits like emotional intelligence and problem-solving abilities. 

Example: Ability to build strong relationships with customers through empathetic communication, using skills in active listening to understand their needs.

How to showcase this skill in an interview: 

In your interview, you should use examples of times when you have used your interpersonal skills to resolve a problem. Focus on situations that have positive outcomes, such as building rapport with a customer, and how those positive outcomes generated increased business, a repeat customer, etc. 

Question: How do you build rapport with customers?

Answer: I build rapport by engaging customers in conversation: trying to find common ground with them. I use active listening to understand their problems and ask open-ended questions to find the right product or service to suit their needs.

Sales  

A major part of a retail role is the ability to sell products or services to customers. It’s often considered to be one of the more technical skills needed in retail. To succeed, you’ll need to have certain sales skills to persuade customers and close sales. 

Having skills in sales include: 

• The ability to upsell and negotiate with customers
• Identify customer needs and match them to a relevant product or service
• Having thorough product knowledge
• The ability to explain the features and benefits of a product 
• Clear communication skills 

You can develop your sales skills by: 

• Learning the features and benefits of products or services, so that you can clearly and concisely communicate these to customers.
• Practising suggesting additional products or services that complement what the customer is already buying.
• Attending sales training sessions or completing relevant courses. 

Showcase this skill in your resumé by:

Highlighting your sales experience and achievements, talking to your experience or specific skills. 

Example: Proven track record of exceeding sales targets through upselling techniques.

How to showcase this skill in an interview: 

A hiring manager will be keen to hear more about your sales skills. Make sure to use specific examples that showcase how you identified opportunities and the results you achieved. This can be things like hitting sales targets and exceeding them by a certain amount, or showing your upselling skills. 

Question: Can you describe a time when you successfully upsold a product to a customer?

Example answer: Yes, I had a customer who had already purchased a laptop from me earlier that month; they needed a mouse. I walked them through different brands, as well as power banks and other computer peripherals, answering their questions and guiding them to our packages. I upsold them a bundle that was on sale, which created additional revenue, while the customer felt they got a good deal.

Adaptability 

Being adaptable means having the ability to change your approach as the situation changes. This can be because of store operations, customer needs or even unforeseen circumstances like an internet or POS outage. When a retail worker responds well to a challenge, they can help create a positive experience for the customer. 

Adaptability includes: 

• The ability to quickly grasp and understand new information 
• Being flexible to change and willing to adjust plans when needed
• The ability to quickly and effectively solve problems
• Being able to bounce back from a failed sale or customer complaint
• Having a growth mindset – overcoming setbacks with positivity

You can develop your adaptability skills by: 

• Volunteering for new tasks or projects to help you get comfortable with unfamiliar situations
• Maintaining a positive attitude and being open to new ideas and ways of working
• Staying informed and up to date with industry trends and news

Showcase your adaptability in your resumé by:

Highlighting your willingness to learn new skills, adapt to change, and stay flexible in response to changing needs. 

Example: Proven ability to quickly learn new tasks and adapt to changing work environments.

How to showcase this skill in an interview: 

Being adaptable is often thought of as a transferable skill, and it comes in handy in a range of industries. For a retail-job interview, you should give examples from your past experiences that demonstrate your adaptability. This can include things like covering for a sick colleague or how you responded when a popular product was out of stock. 

Question: How do you handle unexpected changes in your work environment?

Answer: While surprises can be daunting, I do my best to focus on finding solutions instead of worrying. I try to adapt quickly to ensure minimal disruption to my workload, the team and wider operations, and have managed to do so in the past.

Teamwork 

Teamwork means having the ability to work well with your colleagues to achieve shared goals. It involves building relationships with your team members, listening to their opinions and ideas, and being open to collaboration. 

Teamwork involves: 

• Having respect and empathy for another person’s feelings and thoughts 
• Being able to collaborate with coworkers from other departments or those with different expertise
• Offer feedback and encouragement to help other team members
• Being flexible and open to other ways of communication 
• Effectively communicating your point and ideas

You can develop your teamwork skills by:

• Working on shared projects or in new departments
• Learning to resolve disagreements respectfully
• Participate in team-building activities

Showcase your teamwork skills in your resumé by: 

Giving examples of where you successfully worked in a team.

Example: Extensive experience working in different teams across a range of departments.

How to showcase this skill in an interview:

In an interview, you should refer to times when you have worked well as part of a team, and how this directly contributed to positive outcomes. Use specific examples like a time that you’ve used empathy to relate to a team member or how you collaborated in a team to share your ideas.

Question: Can you describe a time when you worked as part of a team?

Answer: Yes, in my current role, whenever someone takes leave my team splits up that person’s responsibilities for the day. We all take on a little extra to make sure everything gets done and that no single person is overloaded with work. I’m happy to cover for my teammates because I know they cover for me too.  

Conflict resolution 

Conflict resolution requires being able to calmly and respectfully work through issues between coworkers or customers. In retail, unmet expectations, faulty products or incorrect orders can result in unhappy or even angry customers, making conflict resolution an essential skill in this industry. 

Conflict resolution involves:

• The ability to stay positive and solution-focused during a disagreement
• Taking the time to understand others’ point of view
• Listening to solve, rather than listening to respond
• The ability to find a solution that benefits all parties
• Keeping your emotions in check to remain calm and respectful

You can develop your conflict resolution skills by:

• Practising paraphrasing what the other person has said, to clarify your understanding
• Working on your emotional regulation and staying calm when in a conflict situation
• Practising respectful communication, avoiding placing blame, and staying focused on finding ways to resolve the issue

Showcase this skill in your resumé by:

Mentioning specific skills and experience that relates to conflict resolution. 

Example: Experience in resolving customer complaints promptly, resulting in improved customer satisfaction ratings.

How to showcase this skill in an interview: 

In an interview, you can use the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) to describe a past experience where you successfully resolved a conflict or customer complaint. Think of a time you’ve successfully resolved an issue and break down your thoughts and actions that led to the resolution.

Question: Can you describe a time when you had to resolve a conflict with a colleague?

Answer: Yes, I once had a disagreement with a colleague over scheduling. I approached the situation calmly, listened to their concerns, and together we found a compromise that worked for both of us, ensuring our work relationship remained positive.

Product knowledge 

Product knowledge is having a full understanding of the items you are selling, what they do, and why they should be of interest to the customer. It’s important to have good knowledge about what you’re selling, so you’re better able to assist customers in making the right choice for them, and can make a convincing case for each product’s benefits.

Product knowledge involves:

• Accurately answering product questions
• Matching the right product to the customer’s needs
• Convincing the customer to make the purchase
• The ability to explain how a product works and its benefits
• Staying up to date on new trends or changing products 

You can develop your product knowledge skills by:

• Researching the products or services you sell to understand more about them
• Using the products yourself to better understand how they work and what they do
• Practising naming the features and how each feature benefits or helps the customer

Showcase this skill in your resumé by:

You can highlight your product knowledge by showing specific skills or knowledge. 

Example: Experience in continuously improving product knowledge to ensure up-to-date information for customers.

How to showcase this skill in an interview: 

Discuss specific instances where your product knowledge made a difference to customer satisfaction and sales. Be sure to highlight the actions you took to understand the product and how this resulted in a positive customer experience.

Question: How do you stay updated with new products and their features?

Answer: I always attend product info sessions in order to get a full understanding of what we sell. I read up on the benefits people mention online and I also personally test our products, so I can speak to my own experiences when recommending them to customers.

Organisation  

Organisation is essential in retail. You need to be able to find items quickly, and being disorganised can cause customers to become impatient and leave. Having great organisation skills means keeping things orderly and neat, whether that’s arranging stock on the shelf, filing dockets away neatly, or re-organising items on customer hold.

 Organisation involves:

• Managing stock
• Keeping track of customer orders and requests
• Multitasking
• Being able to work efficiently
• Planning schedules to ensure that all tasks are completed

You can develop your organisational skills by:

• Practising attention to detail, as this helps avoid errors and keeps you working efficiently
• Using systems that help you stay organised such as to-do lists
• Asking colleagues to quiz you on stock placement or location

Showcase this skill in your resumé by:

Presenting a well organised and consistently formatted resumé structure, and showing how you used organisation skills in previous roles. 

Example: Demonstrated strong organisational skills by suggesting and quickly implementing inventory and stock availability systems.

How to showcase this skill in an interview: 

Be organised and well prepared with everything you need at the interview, including examples of when you have used your organisation skills in the workplace with positive impact. 

Question: How do you prioritise tasks when you have multiple responsibilities?

Answer: I prioritise tasks based on deadlines and importance, ensuring that urgent tasks are completed first. This helps me manage my time to meet tight, competing deadlines.

Persuasion 

Persuasion is being able to convince someone of something, and it’s an essential skill in retail – convincing people to buy a product or service. Great persuasion comes from conviction and the belief in what you’re selling. If you want to meet or exceed sales targets or KPIs, persuasion is a great skill to have.

Persuasion involves:

• Upselling products
• Handling objections
• Clearly communicating with customers
• Building rapport 
• Increasing sales

You can develop your persuasion skills by:

• Building rapport with customers by listening actively and tailoring your approach to each person
• Using clear and compelling language to explain the benefits of a product
• Believing in the product and speaking to your own positive experiences
• Being down to earth and not overselling 

Showcase this skill in your resumé by:

Outlining how your persuasion skills have led to positive outcomes such as increased sales or increased customer satisfaction. 

Example: Skilled in understanding customers’ needs and helping them to make informed purchasing decisions, to exceed weekly sales targets.

How to showcase this skill in an interview: 

Demonstrate your persuasive skills by giving the interviewer some examples of successful upsells, or of when you convinced a customer to try a new product. Be sure to include details of how you offered different solutions to help the customer come to their purchase decision.

Question: Can you describe a time when you successfully persuaded a customer to make a purchase?

Answer: Certainly. I had a customer wanting to address dry skin. I asked what products they use at home, and from there showed them three suitable products specifically for their age and skin type. I discussed the benefits of each, and they purchased the luxury product. 

Multitasking  

Multitasking is the ability to handle multiple tasks or responsibilities at the same time. In retail, multitasking is essential as you will need to jump between tasks constantly while maintaining order and serving customers.

Multitasking involves:

• Greeting and assisting customers
• Processing sales transactions
• Answering emails
• Restocking shelves
• Keeping the store tidy and organised

You can develop your multitasking skills by:

• Practising prioritising tasks based on urgency and importance.
• Practising staying focused on each task while you’re doing it but staying aware of what is going on around you.
• Keeping a to do list to ensure you stay on top of priority tasks.

Showcase this skill in your resumé by:

Mention times where you successfully managed multiple tasks at once. 

Example: Demonstrated ability to multitask in a fast-paced retail environment, such as handling customer enquiries and recommending products while restocking shelves and removing empty boxes off the floor.

How to showcase this skill in an interview: 

Give examples of situations where you multitasked to meet deadlines or customer needs. Be specific, providing several instances where you’ve needed to juggle multiple tasks at once or handle multiple enquiries at the same time.

Question: How do you prioritise tasks when faced with multiple responsibilities?

Answer: I prioritise tasks based on importance, ensuring that the most urgent tasks are completed first. Of course, whenever a customer needs assistance, that takes precedence. This allows me to manage my time and meet all my deadlines.

Time management  

Time management means being able to plan your time well, by allocating time to different tasks, so that you get everything done efficiently and within deadlines. In retail, time management skills are used together with organisation and multitasking skills to prioritise what to do first, finish tasks on time, and keep the store running smoothly.

Time management involves:

• Taking stock of all your responsibilities in a day and prioritising tasks
• Understanding how long tasks take, to make better time-management decisions
• Being organised and alert to any new tasks requiring urgent attention
• Ensuring other team members are on track to meet their goals
• Planning and scheduling your day to make the most of your time

You can develop your time management skills by:

• Writing down your tasks for the day and allocating how much time each requires, and plan when during the day you will complete each.
• Setting realistic goals for what you want to achieve each day and work towards them.
• Making room in your day for the unexpected, such as rush hours or unforeseen emergencies, etc.

Showcase this skill in your resumé by:

To showcase your time-management skills, you should mention your ability to manage time in a fast-paced retail environment. 

Example: I have previously worked as a temporary team leader while my coworker was on leave. I was responsible for delegating tasks as well as making sure my own responsibilities were fulfilled.

How to showcase this skill in an interview: 

Give specific examples of how you have managed your time in previous roles, whether you were front-of-house, working in stock out back, or doing a combination of both. 

Question: How do you ensure that you complete all your tasks within the allotted time?

Answer: I use a combination of prioritisation and time-blocking techniques to make sure I get my tasks done between serving customers. I prioritise tasks based on their urgency, and get them done when I can during slow periods. If I’m running behind, I ask a free coworker to help.

To excel in a retail role you’ll need a diverse range of skills, including communication, adaptability, teamwork, conflict resolution, persuasion and time management. Your retail skills resumé should include a broad list of highly transferable skills, in addition to technical knowledge and proficiency specific to the role. Even if you switch careers later on, interpersonal retail skills are a great asset to have, and useful in practically every other industry and position. 

FAQs 

What skills do you need for retail? 

Working in retail calls for a combination of hard and soft skills such as:

• Communication
• Sales
• Teamwork
• Adaptability
• Product knowledge
• Persuasion
• Time management

What skills should I put on my retail CV? 

You should highlight skills that show your customer service and sales abilities, such as:

• interpersonal communication skills, 
• persuasion, 
• conflict resolution, and 
• sales skills. 

What is a retail sales skill? 

Retail sales skills are any skills that help you in this role – they include product knowledge, upselling, problem solving and sales. The ability to build rapport with customers to increase sales and provide excellent customer service is also essential in this field.

What are the 3 most important things in retail? 

People, product and presentation are the three most important things in the retail world. This means:

1. Providing exceptional customer service 
2. Offering a product that people want and that represents good value for money
3. Presenting things attractively to encourage people to purchase 

Why are retail skills important? 

Retail skills are important to:

• build rapport with the customer, 
• understand their needs, 
• confidently answer questions about the product you’re selling, 
• match a solution or product to the customer, 
• outline features and benefits, 
• counter objections, and 
• close the sale. 

Having strong retail skills allows you to exceed customer expectations by providing exceptional service, and to increase your sales to hit sales targets and KPIs (key performance indicators).

What does a good retail CV look like? 

A great retail CV focuses on the skills and experience relevant to the role you’re applying for. It should be well-organised, neatly formatted, concise, and demonstrate your retail skills by including specific examples of your past sales and customer service achievements (using data such as percentages where possible). Consider including impressive results, such as exceeding monthly sales targets or getting high customer feedback scores.