15 Retail Skills You Want on Your Resume

No matter the job or industry, the first step in getting any job is putting together the right resume. 

And aiming for a retail job is no different. 

Job seekers need to know the skills to put on a resume for retail positions so that they can stand out from other candidates. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should lie because you’ll eventually need to talk about your retail resume skills before getting the job. But you can think about your past work experience and pick out the right skills to put on a resume for a retail job.

The key is understanding what skills are valued in the retail industry and highlighting those skills on your resume. 

Obviously, you probably won’t possess every skill that employers are seeking. However, if you can pick out the right retail resume skills to list, you can put yourself in the best position to land the job you want. (Even starting a retail business requires certain retail skills.) 

That being said, here are some good skills to put on a resume for a retail job.

15 Winning Skills to Put on a Resume for Retail 

This is a trait that employers will look for regardless of the position they need to fill. The tricky part is being able to convey on a resume that you have a strong work ethic. However, it doesn’t hurt to list it on your resume and then have a good answer in mind when asked about your work ethic during an interview.

Communication is undoubtedly one of the most important retail skills. Most of the time, the job will involve a lot of human interaction, both with customers and co-workers. Even if your resume is short on retail experience, there are ways to show that you have the ability to communicate well with others.

This level of communication also allows for better team engagement.

Needless to say, this is one of the best skills to put on a resume for a retail job. Customers sometimes need a gentle push in the right direction, making it the job of retailers to subtly convince them to buy a product. If you have any experience selling goods or services to the general public, it’s a skill that must go on your resume.

So, when you’re on the schedule, make the most of your retail resume skills when it comes to selling!

This is another one of those universal retail resume skills that retailers will love to see. Of course, it can be a high-risk, high-reward move to put this on your resume because it means you can’t overlook any details on your resume or during the interview process. But if you’ve had a previous job that required a lot of attention to detail, point it out on your resume.

This isn’t among the most obvious retail skills that employers want, but it’s one that can stand out if you have it. More than ever before, working in retail requires operating a software system. 

If there’s something in your past that can convince an employer that you have good tech skills and can learn a system quickly, it’ll help your chances.

For example, retail scheduling software, chat apps, or even working a POS system. Share that you know how to implement these solutions if you’re hired, and even the benefits you saw when you used such a tool. 

Consistency is such a critical part of any profession and something that employers will want. Most employers just need to trust that people are going to show up and do their job every day. Of course, it’s not easy to prove on paper that you’re a dependable person. But if you feel like you’re dependable and can back it up during an interview, this is among the retail resume skills that employers will want to see.

Needless to say, this is one of the skills to put on a resume for retail jobs. On the surface, retail jobs may not seem like they require strong leadership. However, most employers prefer people who consider themselves leaders. These are the types of people who will take initiative and go above and beyond, which is what employers in any industry want.

Down the road, this could make you a better retail manager, or even a retail operations manager.

Even if your job is to stand behind a counter and make sales, it’s critical to stay organized, which is why this is one of the most important retail skills. After all, there’s a lot more to the job than just standing behind the counter and working the cash register. Things can get messy when folks aren’t organized, which is why this should go on any retail resume. (It’s a surefire way to get more people into your retail store as well.)

Retail jobs don’t have to last forever; sometimes, they can lead to bigger and better things. More times than not, employers want someone who wants to rise within the company to those bigger and better things. They also want someone who will take the initiative to improve the way things run. If this is one of those soft skills that fit your personality, it’s one of the skills to put on a resume for a retail job.

Obviously, this is not one of the classic retail skills, but it’s become critical for anyone who works with the general public. While working in retail, you’re going to come across a lot of different people from various backgrounds, making it critical for hiring managers to find people who possess cultural awareness and sensitivity. Understanding diversity and embracing it is a very valuable retail skill, even a life skill today.

Even in retail, time is money, so employees who waste time are employees who waste money. Employers don’t want to hire people like that, which is why time management skills are important to put on a resume as a retail resume skill. You need to show employers that you use your time wisely and that you can juggle multiple tasks at once in an effective way.

It can be helpful to use employee time tracking apps. 

This is the most obvious retail skill to include on a resume, which means you can’t forget to include it. Any type of previous customer service should be considered relevant on a resume, even if it’s not a direct fit for the job you’re applying for right now. If you want to work in retail, there’s a good chance that you have to prove that you have customer service skills.

This is slowly becoming one of the most important retail skills for job seekers. Most retail jobs will require working with co-workers, so employers need to find team players who can make the business greater than the sum of its parts. After all, this is not an industry in which lone wolves are going to be preferred.

It might seem like a retail job is straightforward, but there will always be problems that pop up and need to be solved. This is why problem-solving skills are one of the best skills to put on a resume for a retail position. This can be tough to prove in an interview, so if you put this on your resume, make sure you have an example to share during the interview. (This retail skill is especially helpful during busy, peak seasons like Black Friday or Small Business Saturday.)

This isn’t a skill that most people will think to put on a retail resume, which is why it’ll help you stand out. Again, don’t put it on your resume unless it’s true. But if there are times in your life when you’ve overcome something or shown resilience, you’re probably the type of person that any employer would be lucky to hire.

Read our 11 Essential Sales Soft Skills to Teach Your Team next year that will help you improve customer engagement and overall success at your business

Put Your Retail Skills To Good Use With Tech

It wasn’t a mistake when we listed IT as a skill for a retail resume. A good understanding of technology can be a huge advantage for your day-to-day job in retail and for that reason, it should go on top of the retail skills list on your resume. 

For example, your retail manager will require a POS system and an all-in-one retail app, like Connecteam, for daily operations.

How does a retail app help you excel in your retail skills? 

• Managers can easily set recurring shifts and allow their team to claim open spots for each shift
• With one button, you can clock in and out for more accurate payroll 
• Training and onboarding material is available on the go like handling a difficult customer or how to up-sell (all of which are valuable retail skills you can hone regularly) 
• 1:1 or group chat so everyone is on the same page 
• A social feed so you can share key updates like sales landed, new protocols, etc. 

The Connecteam retail app will allow you and your manager to deliver day-to-day tasks with ease so that customers are happy and you’re meeting those sales targets. 

Stay Up To Date On Retail Skills

Once you’ve found the perfect resume template to showcase your skills, use these 15 suggested retail skills for your resume as a guide.

While these 15 retail skills to list on a resume will help you land the job, there is always be more to improve on within your skills section.

This can range from developing interpersonal skills to learning retail sales skills. By opening yourself up to growth and development, you make yourself more marketable (especially when new, senior roles open up).