What Are Store Clerk Skills? (With Definitions And Examples)

Updated 3 March 2023

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

Being a store clerk requires you to perform multiple duties and having the right skills can make it easier to excel in this job. Store clerks use a mix of interpersonal skills, business skills and communication skills to perform their duties. Employers look for candidates who have a mix of these skills when hiring a store clerk. In this article, we discuss some of the essential skills required to become a store clerk, explain how to improve your skill set and show ways to highlight them throughout your job application process.

What Are Store Clerk Skills?

Store clerk skills are the skills necessary to perform day-to-day duties as a store clerk. These include a mix of hard and soft skills, which make it easy for a store clerk to sell products and assist customers. Besides this, soft skills are also useful in making returns or explaining the products to customers. Some of these skills are usually a part of your personality and you can develop some of them through practice.

Examples Of Store Clerk Skills

Here are some examples of skills that are necessary to be successful as a store clerk:

Business skills

Even though store clerks are not required to run the business, it helps to know how a business operates. Having a basic understanding of the business ethics, the people you work with, the products the business sells and the customers it caters to can help you perform better. Some business skills of a store clerk are:

Social media
Purchasing
Management
Shipping
Product knowledge

Communication

Communication skills are one of the most crucial aspects of being a store clerk, as you may spend most of your time talking to customers. For instance, it is important to talk to the customers politely and in a friendly manner. Your job may also require you to communicate with buyers and supervisors. Besides verbal communication skills, written communication skills are also helpful when writing emails on behalf of the store or making daily reports. Some of the communication skills you require as a store clerk are:

Friendliness
Positive body language
Active listening
Clear speech

Organisational skills

Honing some organisational skills can help you manage your time productively. Good organisation skills can ensure that you can meet your work goals and meet customer needs. Here are some skills that are important for a store clerk:

Managing time
Working under pressure
Ability to decide
Tacking inventory

Computer skills

Employers look for candidates with basic computer skills when hiring a store clerk to use the technology inside the store. Store clerks use computers to manage inventory, generate bills, manage cash registers and receive payments. Having basic awareness about how the company website works and helping customers place orders on it is also an added advantage.

Knowledge of company policies

As a store clerk, it is crucial for you to be aware of the company policies that affect the daily operations of the business. These may include policies like an exchange and return policy, employee code of conduct and other store policies. A good way of doing so is to read the employee handbook.

Customer service

Customer service has an important role in your success as a store clerk. A satisfied customer is more likely to recommend you and the business to other people besides leaving an excellent review. Customer service includes greeting the customers when they enter the store, recommending products, answering queries and accepting returns. You can develop this skill by role - playing with your colleagues as they pose as a customer.

Social media

Most businesses use social media today to grow their business and showcase their products online. When hiring a store clerk, they may prefer someone who knows how to use social media platforms to post pictures and videos of their products. As a store clerk, you might also answer customer queries on different social media platforms. You can learn social media tools by watching informative videos or taking help from friends.

Sales skills

Store clerks are in charge of showing the company's products to the customer and explaining their benefits. It is their responsibility to convince the customer why they may buy the product. Having sales skills is useful in selling products to the customer through marketing and sales techniques.

Ways To Improve Your Skills As A Store Clerk

Here are some ways to improve your skills to perform better in the workplace:

Familiarise yourself with new technology. Knowledge of technology is an essential skill set while working in a store. It is a good idea to learn how to use software and social media platforms in your free time to familiarise yourself with new tools essential to running a store.
Practice your skills. You can practice your skills as a store clerk with the help of your colleagues in the store. Asking them to pose as potential customers and practising your sales pitch with them can enhance your communication skills and prepare you for real customers.
Learn about every product in the store. Part of your job as a store clerk is to tell customers about the products in-store. It is very crucial for you to be familiar with every product to provide them with the correct information.
Take short courses. To develop your soft skills as a store clerk, you can also consider enrolling in short courses. There are some online and offline courses available to learn personality development, communication and management.

Store Clerk Skills In The Workplace

Here are a few ways to incorporate your skills in the workplace:

Become a self-starter. Employers appreciate when an employee volunteers to take part in tasks rather than being asked to do so. Being a self-starter and volunteering to perform tasks not only improves your skills but also showcases your curiosity to learn.
Practice good communication. Communication is an essential part of being a store clerk, as this role requires you to constantly interact with customers. Talking to them about new products, assisting them, being friendly and resolving issues can help in increasing customer satisfaction.
Stay organised. As a store clerk, you may be in charge of managing inventory along with customer service. Being organised can help you keep track of inventory and organise the stock in an accessible manner.

How To Highlight Your Skills

Highlighting your skills effectively can help the employer understand if you are the right fit for the job. Here are a few ways to do so in your job application process:

Skills for resume

Your resume reflects your skills and qualities as a store clerk. Make sure you include relevant skills in the skills section of your resume. For instance, if you are applying for a job at a jewellery store, you may mention your organizational and communication skills in the resume. Adding any other skills related to selling jewellery can help you impress your potential employer.

Skills for cover letter

Your cover letter is a chance to write about your work experience as a store clerk briefly and includes examples of where you achieved your work goals. Talk about specific instances where you used your skills to promote sales or increase customer satisfaction. For example, you can start your cover letter by writing something like experienced store clerk with a proven ability to improve customer retention and store sales through communication skills.

Skills for interview

An interview is the most effective way of proving your skills through your body language, posture and communication. Use it as an opportunity to talk about relevant skills that the employer wants. It is also a good idea to share examples of how you used your skill set in previous roles. For instance, you can say something like "I increased customer satisfaction by 12% in my previous role as a store clerk in a clothing store."