Whether it is a clothing store, electronics store, book store or a hardware store, all stores have one thing in common: a store supervisor. The supervisor’s overall function is to ensure smooth operation of the store as a whole. His duties can vary depending on the nature of the business, but there are several that are common to all supervisory positions.

Open and Close

One of the basic responsibilities of a store supervisor is to open or close the store. Opening requires him to arrive early, disable the alarm and then get the cash registers and reaminder of the store ready for the day’s business. To close the store, he must ensure the customers have all left, balance the registers, clean the store, set the alarm, lock up and make the bank deposit. The store supervisor will usually delegate many of these responsibilities to staff, but must still know the entire process from beginning to end.

Inventory

The store supervisor must be involved in all aspects of inventory. He must order new product when necessary, arrange for receipt of shipments, unloading and organizing of goods and merchandising once everything is unpacked. He must order supplies for the store and keep meticulous records so every product is accounted for and the store remains within budget.

Personnel

As part of the store supervisor’s management role, he is responsible for all staff-related issues. These include hiring, firing and training employees, creating schedules and providing timesheets for them to fill out. He must also monitor and evaluate each employee’s performance and allocate responsibilities as he sees fit.

Sales

The store supervisor is responsible for setting weekly sales goals and objectives and implementing strategies to see they are met. He will work the cash register when needed and change signage in the store to reflect any in-store promotions.

Customer Service

When customers are less than satisfied, the store supervisor will act as a front line customer service agent to try and smooth things over. He will authorize returns and refunds, deal with general customer complaints and help customers enjoy their experience in the store.

Promotion

Many store supervisors also have their hand in the promotion side of the business. They will place ads in newspapers or on radio and television and attend trade shows looking for new products to introduce to the store. Depending on the size of the store, some will even help create entire marketing campaigns.