Sales assistant
Sales assistants serve customers at checkouts, re-stock shelves and price products in stores.
Also known as: Shop assistant, store assistant, retail sales assistant
- Starter salary£19,000 a year
- Experienced£27,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 42 a week
What you'll do
As a sales assistant you would:
- answer customer questions about products
- serve customers at tills and handle returned good and refunds
- unpack deliveries, stock shelves and arrange displays
- price up and rotate stock
- take part in promotional events in store
- keep the store clean and tidy
Working environment
You could work at a store, in a stock room or at a garden centre.
Your working environment may be physically demanding.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- customer service skills
- the ability to work well with others
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to sell products and services
- the ability to use your initiative
- maths knowledge
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
How to become a sales assistant
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- volunteering
- applying directly
College
You could do a college course in retail skills or retail knowledge, to help prepare you for work as a sales assistant.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
Apprenticeship
You could apply to do an apprenticeship, such as:
- Retail Service, Supply and Administration Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship
- Retailer Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
Work
You could start as a temporary sales assistant and work at the weekend or during a busy season like Christmas.
You could then apply for a permanent role after getting some experience.
Volunteering
Volunteering in a charity shop is a great way to pick up customer service and retail skills. To do this, contact charities about vacancies or simply drop in to your local shop and speak to the staff. Experience gained here could help you to find paid work.
Direct application
You can apply directly for sales assistant jobs. It will be helpful if you have retail or customer service experience though this is not essential.
Some employers may want you to have GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), such as English and maths.
Foundation apprenticeship
You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.
If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:
- have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
- are in care or have been in care
- are in prison or have been in prison
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- be over 18 to sell alcohol and other restricted goods
Career path and progression
With experience and training you could:
- become a retail supervisor, departmental manager or store manager
- specialise in after-sales customer service, visual merchandising or retail buying
- start your own independent shop or stall
Career tips
When applying for sales assistant jobs, it can help if you:
- are confident about selling
- have a positive and helpful attitude
- get on well with a range of different people
You'll find opportunities in all types of retail, including clothing and footwear, electronic and household items, garden and pet supplies, and food and drink.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleRetail manager
- Job roleVisual merchandiser
- Job roleCustomer service assistant
- Job roleMarket trader
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