Retail Sales Associate Resume Examples and Templates for 2023

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Frank Hackett

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Frank Hackett is a professional resume writer and career consultant with over eight years of experience. As the lead editor at a boutique career consulting firm, Frank developed an innovative approach to resume writing that empowers job seekers to tell their professional stories. His approach involves creating accomplishment-driven documents that balance keyword optimization with personal branding. Frank is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PAWRCC).

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Downloadable Resume Examples

Entry-level
Retail-Sales-Associate_Entry-level.pdf

Example #1 Entry-level

Mid-career
Retail-Sales-Associate_Mid-career.pdf

Example #2 Mid-career

Senior-level
Retail-Sales-Associate_Senior-level.pdf

Example #3 Senior-level

Retail Sales Associate Resume Examples (Text Format)

Years of Experience
  • Entry-level Entry-level
  • Mid-career Mid-career
  • Senior-level Senior-level

Ann Lee
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 East Terrace, San Francisco, CA 94567

Profile

A Retail Sales Associate with five years of experience, specializing in customer service, communication, inventory management, and client relations. Adept at supporting customers in discovering new products and identifying upsell opportunities.

Key Skills

  • Customer Service
  • Retail Sales
  • Inventory Management
  • Client Relations
  • Communication

Education

Associate of Arts, Retail Management
Bay Community College, San Francisco, CA, September 2017 – June 2019

Courses Completed:

  • Display and Visual Merchandising
  • Business Communication
  • Retail Management
  • Principles of Sales

Professional Experience

Sales Assistant, Morris & Sons Fine Furniture, San Francisco, CA
July 2018 – Present

  • Establish positive rapport with customers to determine needs and sell high-quality furniture
  • Use skills in upselling to regularly exceed sales targets
  • Display merchandise to create a visually appealing sales floor that encourages customers to purchase accessories in addition to large furniture items

Waitress, Bucky’s Bar & Grill, San Francisco, CA
April 2017 – June 2018

  • Maintained high customer service standards in high-volume, fast-paced environments
  • Worked as part of team to ensure orders were delivered accurately and efficiently
  • Used point-of-sale machines to process payments at tables and cash registers

Luis Ramirez
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 West Street, Dallas, TX 44454

Profile

A Retail Sales Associate with eight years of professional experience in a variety of fast-paced retail environments. A strong history of communicating with customers to identify needs, recommend ideal product solutions, and drive sales growth.

Professional Experience

Sales Associate, Purple Llama Books & Games, Dallas, TX
January 2016 – Present

  • Serve as a product expert in books and board games by researching and staying up to date with product knowledge
  • Build rapport with customers to recommend new items and encourage customers to make regular visits and purchases
  • Exceeded sales goals by 15% on a regular basis

Sales Associate, Superhouse Tools, Austin, TX
November 2013 – December 2015

  • Organized new merchandise in an appealing display with clear signage to encourage customer sales and move overstocked items
  • Supported customers by offering advice, recommending tools, and upselling additional products
  • Assisted sales team by operating cash registers, tidying sales floor, and managing stock, when required

Sales Representative, Watson Shoe Warehouse, Austin, TX
September 2011 – October 2013

  • Restocked shelves, prepared for sales, and organized sales floor
  • Assisted customers in finding the best shoe and fit for their needs
  • Kept up to date on fashions and upcoming trends

Education

Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising
Texas State University, San Antonio, TX, September 2007 – June 2011

Key Skills

  • Consultative Selling
  • Retail Sales
  • Product Merchandising
  • Customer Service
  • Relationship Building

Natasha Donaldson
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 North Street, Tampa, FL 2234

Profile

A Retail Sales Professional with 10+ years of experience, specializing in customer service, retail sales, and upselling techniques. A proven track record of interfacing with diverse customers to provide ideal product recommendations and exceed sales quotas.

Professional Experience

Sales Associate, Luxury Fashions, Tampa, FL
July 2014 – Present

  • Provide support to customers, field inquiries to identify ideal fashion products, and provide recommendations based on customer needs
  • Upsell fashion accessories to achieve an average of 10% higher purchase price with each transaction
  • Achieved 120% or more of sales goals for twelve consecutive months

Sales Associate, Dolphin Swimwear, Tampa, FL
April 2010 – June 2014

  • Recommended new merchandise display options, which led to 25% increase in sales after implementation
  • Fielded customer complaints and negotiated solutions
  • Demonstrated product knowledge and provided quality customer service, resulting in an average score of 92% on customer satisfaction surveys

Retail Sales Assistant, Bert’s Menswear, Tampa, FL
January 2008 – March 2010

  • Maintained order of shelves and products
  • Accurately and efficiently operated point-of-sale systems
  • Aided customers in finding the best clothing options

Education

Associate Degree in Visual Merchandising
Tampa Community College, Tampa, FL, September 2017 – June 2019

Key Skills

  • Retail Sales
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Upselling
  • Customer Service
  • Visual Merchandising

Common Key Skills and Action Verbs for Retail Sales Associate Resumes

Many hiring managers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to help them identify potential job candidates. The ATS scans each resume, looking for key skills and action verbs that hiring managers are looking for. Therefore, it’s important to highlight these skills and action words in your resume. Using more keywords and phrases increases your chances that the hiring manager will see your resume and invite you for an interview.

Key Skills and Proficiencies
Cash Management Client Relations
Communication Conflict Resolution
Cultural Awareness Customer Satisfaction
Customer Service Customer Success
Customer Support Point of Sales (POS) Systems
Inventory Management Loss Prevention
Product Merchandising Microsoft Office Suite
Retail Sales Sales
Team Leadership Upselling
Visual Merchandising
Action Verbs
Analyzed Advised
Built Collaborated
Communicated Conducted
Coordinated Delivered
Drove Evaluated
Enhanced Identified
Implemented Improved
Interfaced Led
Managed Oversaw
Performed Provided
Resolved Responded
Supported

Tips for Writing a Better Retail Sales Associate Resume

Quantify your sales experience on your resume

Quantifying your sales experience gives hiring managers a clear idea of your skills and abilities. When crafting your resume bullets for professional experience, use concrete numbers to answer questions about “how much?” or “how many?” For example:

  • •   How many customers did you serve each day?
  • •   How much extra revenue did you generate?
  • •   How many customers gave you positive feedback?
  • •   How often did you achieve sales goals?

Example #1

Good


Served an average of 45 customers each day, consistently receiving a rating of 97% or higher in customer feedback surveys

Bad


Served customers in a busy retail store, receiving consistently high customer feedback

Example #2

Good


Provided recommendations to customers regarding complementary products and accessories resulting in $7,500 in additional revenue

Bad


Helped customers select items and provided additional recommendations for products and accessories

Showcase your communication skills

The ability to communicate well is essential to a career in retail. A high-level retail sales associate representative needs to actively listen to identify the customer’s wants and needs. They must also be able to convey how the products they’re recommending meets those desires. Try to highlight your communication skills in your professional experience bullets and the key skills section of your resume. If you regularly managed customer complaints, this can also be mentioned to demonstrate your listening skills and ability to resolve problems.

Example #1

Good


Determine suitable grill for customers based on their stated needs and explain equipment operation and maintenance to customers while also recommending additional accessories.

Bad


Help customers make decisions on which grill to buy and help them choose suitable accessories

Example #2

Good


Assisted customers with product returns, listening closely to complaints and using this information to resolve issues and recommend a suitable replacement, resulting in a positive outcome for both customer and company

Bad


Assisted customers with complaints

How to Align Your Resume With the Job Description

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that jobs for retail sales associate representatives, also known as retail sales workers, are going to increase by less than 1% from 2021-2031. This means only 1,900 new jobs will be created in this industry over the next decade. Jobs in brick-and-mortar stores are being impacted by online sales. Retailers are emphasizing customer service to help differentiate themselves from online stores and are looking for staff who can help customers make buying decisions as well as operate cash registers and restock.

Hiring managers use job descriptions to clarify the skills and abilities that an applicant needs to succeed in the position. It is these skills and abilities that they look for when identifying candidates to invite for an interview. Including experience that mirrors these requirements can help you stand out as an ideal candidate.

When deciding what to highlight in your resume, look for the skills that are mentioned first in the job description. Those that are listed more than once are also key requirements. Make sure your resume demonstrates how you can deliver on the key priorities outlined in the company’s job description. Concrete examples that quantify your abilities make a more favorable impression than generalized, bland statements.