Store Manager
Also advertised as: Assistant Store Manager, boutique manager, Branch Manager, Department Manager, Deputy Manager, deputy store manager
Runs a shop: sales, stock, standards, staffing and profit.
What the job involves
Store managers are accountable for everything that happens in their store. You lead and roster the team, drive sales and control costs, manage stock and shrinkage, and keep the place safe and legal. It is a genuine general management job with a clear route to area level.
Typical responsibilities
- Lead, recruit and roster the store team
- Deliver sales and profit targets
- Manage stock, deliveries and shrinkage
- Maintain standards, safety and compliance
- Handle escalated customer issues
Common employers
- Supermarkets
- Fashion retailers
- Convenience chains
- Homeware and DIY
- Pharmacy chains
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£28,000 – £34,000 a year
With experience
£36,000 – £50,000 a year
Typical hours
Around 45 hours including weekends and bank holidays
Working environment
Shop floor and back office
Remote working
on_site
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Leadership
- Commercial awareness
- Stock control
- Rota planning
- Customer service
Transferable skills you may already have
- Supervising a shift
- Cash and stock handling
- Visual merchandising
Requirements employers ask for
- Leadership
- Commercial awareness
- Stock control
- Rota planning
- Customer service
- No formal qualification required
- Personal licence if selling alcohol
- ensure compliance with purchasing and contracting regulations
- set up pricing strategies
- recruit employees
- manage staff
- use different communication channels
- maximise sales revenues
- ensure correct goods labelling
- manage theft prevention
- sales activities
- adhere to organisational guidelines
- study sales levels of products
- supervise merchandise displays
Useful but not essential
- Supervising a shift
- Cash and stock handling
- Visual merchandising
- Level 4 Retail Manager apprenticeship
- plan marketing strategy
- examine merchandise
- managing a business with great care
- write work-related reports
- manage inventory
- use internet to increase sales
- produce sales reports
- implement marketing strategies
Helpful qualifications
- Level 4 Retail Manager apprenticeship
Licences and checks
- Personal licence if selling alcohol
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Retail Team Leader (Level 3)
- Retail Manager (Level 4)
- Experience route — Build evidence in a related role, then move across using your recorded achievements.
- Apprenticeship route — An apprenticeship lets you earn while you train towards this role.
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Business
- Related subject: Retail management
Where this career can lead
next
Area Manager
next
Regional Manager
next
Retail Operations Manager
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Real profit-and-loss responsibility early
- Available everywhere
- Direct route to area management
What people find hard
- Weekend and peak trading pressure
- Physically demanding
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a store manager?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. not_required
- How much does a store manager earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £28,000 to £34,000 a year, rising towards £50,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Supervising a shift, Cash and stock handling, Visual merchandising.
Related careers
Retail Assistant
Serves customers, replenishes stock and keeps the shop floor right.
Customer Service Adviser
Helps customers by phone, email and chat, resolving problems and account queries.
Hairdresser
Cuts, colours and styles hair, and builds a loyal client base.
Beauty Therapist
Provides treatments such as facials, waxing, nails and massage.
Visual Merchandiser
Designs shop window and in-store displays to attract shoppers and boost sales.
Retail Buyer's Assistant
Supports buyers in selecting stock, negotiating with suppliers and tracking ranges.
Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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