Training and Education

What Skills Do You Need to Work in a Grocery Store?

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Looking for a job, particularly your first job can be nerve-wracking. If you’re still in high school or newly graduated, a grocery store job can be an excellent first job. But what skills do you need to work in a grocery store?

The grocery business requires the ability to work well with a variety of people; both customers & fellow employees. It’s also a physically demanding job. Due to shopping patterns & holiday business,  it also helps to be flexible with your schedule as nights, weekends & holidays are almost always required.

Working in grocery stores provides a great experience in a wide array of tasks.

From customer service to dealing with difficult customers – these are the kinds of tasks that can carry over into just about any other profession.

But what does it take to work at a grocery store? What kind of skills do you need? What if you don’t have any experience? I’ve got answers to all of your questions about the necessary skills required to work in a grocery store.

What does a checker do at a grocery store?

Grocery store cashiers, also called checkers, are the very last person customers come into contact with at the store.

As a result, they will often receive the brunt of customer complaints. If a customer had a difficult time finding their favorite coffee, or if the store was out of a sale item, the checker will hear about it.

Checkers need to be calm and collected when this happens. By being able to solve problems quickly and with a good attitude is a vital part of being a checker.

But simply ringing up groceries and problem-solving aren’t the only things checkers do.

Cashiers need to be able to ring up items quickly, but slow enough for people watching prices to catch errors. They need to have basic math skills, so they can distribute proper change.

Checkers are also responsible for cleaning their surrounding area and oftentimes must put away items left behind by customers.

They also need to be able to lift heavy items. Typically not more than fifty pounds. Think about items like large bags of dog food, ice, and cat litter.

Checkers need to show up to work on time and be available to work flexible schedules. Their schedules are likely to change from week to week, so communication with supervisors is a must.

And as with almost every position in a grocery store, it pays to be flexible on when you work.

What skills do you need to be a stocker?

Grocery store stockers are responsible for making sure the inventory makes it to the shelf for customers to purchase.

Stockers often work overnight; at least in large high-volume stores. This is because stocking grocery stores can get kind of hectic. If you’ve ever shopped at a grocery store that has full pallets of merchandise in the middle of the aisle, you know what a pain it can be.

But even the stores without overnight stockers likely have these employees come in early like 4 or 5 am.

So, just like checkers, you’ll need to be flexible with your availability. That’s not to say that stockers don’t work during the day. They do, they just tend to do the majority of their work during off-peak hours.

Stockers need good communication skills.

Oftentimes, when customers are wandering down aisles looking for something, they’ll stop the first associate they see. If that happens to be the stocker, they’ll need to be able to communicate professionally with that customer.

Much of the time that’s just showing someone where something is located. But it might also involve them wanting to place a special order, request the store carry an item it doesn’t usually carry, or suggestions on which products to buy.

Stockers need to use pallet jacks and keep their area orderly.

Have you ever noticed how nice freshly stocked shelves look? Thank the stocker for that. Higher-volume stores (and higher-end stores like Whole Foods) also typically have stockers go through the store in the early afternoon and tidy up the shelves and displays for the evening rush.

Stockers keep not only the shelves and end caps neat, but they also have to keep the shelves in the back of the store neat.

Stockers are responsible for helping unload the trucks when they arrive at the store. They check the inventory and rotate it as necessary. And they also assist in ordering inventory when merchandise is running low.

But stockers also need to be able to lift heavy items.

While a checker may have to lift a single bag of dog food once or twice during their shift, stockers will have to move multiple bags of dog food, and cases of products several times during their shift.

Occasionally, they may need to sweep and mop up spills in the grocery store aisles.

What do you do when you work at a grocery store?

When you work at a grocery store, you are part of a team. Your primary job will depend on your position. But you may have to perform jobs that are outside of your “job description.”

  • For example, a cashier may have to clean the bathrooms or a stocker may have to bag groceries.
  • A produce worker may need to help out in the stock room and management may need to help run the registers.

Grocery stores that are filled with dedicated employees that help each other out, run like a well-oiled machine.

Some stores, like a Safeway or a Kroger, have employees work in different departments with regularity. Other companies like Whole Foods Market tend to keep each department separate. So if you work in 1 department, you aren’t likely to be asked to work in the other departments unless it’s an emergency.

Not sure what all the different positions are in a grocery store?

I break it all down for you in this recent article. I get into every position and what the job description is and requirements.

After all, if you’re going to excel at it and make the most money possible, it needs to be aligned with your skillset.

Just click the link to read it on my site.

Do I need previous experience to work at a grocery store?

Nope, You don’t need any previous experience to work at a grocery store.

When I first walked into a Whole Foods Market (more decades ago than I care to mention), I had never, ever, worked in a grocery store.

I filled out an application and they called me later that day and asked if I could work that evening for $4.25/hr. And just like that, my grocery career started!

While you don’t need any previous experience, there are some skills that you should have.

First and foremost, you should have a positive attitude. It can be really stressful working at grocery stores, especially the days leading up to a major holiday. So you must be able to keep your cool under pressure.

Here are some other skills that you need to work at a grocery store:

  1. Attention to detail

Grocery stores operate with a lot of people doing a lot of little things.

Some employees place product orders. Others stock the shelves. Some answer phones or ring people up. Yet others retrieve shopping carts from the parking lot to make sure new customers have a cart when they arrive.

Depending on your position within the store, you may be counting money, moving around inventory, or finding damaged goods. A keen eye for detail is imperative in these situations.

  1. Follow-through

People are counting on you. Your boss is counting on you. Customers are counting on you. Your fellow employees are counting on you too. So do what you say you’re going to do. Be consistent.

These are skills that not everyone chooses to cultivate and they will serve you in any career or job you choose to get. Now, or later in life.

  1. Communication skills

Clearly communicating with customers, coworkers, and supervisors will get you far. Dave Ramsey was fond of saying (not sure if this is his quote or if he was quoting someone else) “to be clear is to be kind”.

So don’t be blunt, but do be straightforward. Communicate your needs and respond to others when they have a request for you.

You’ll be working with dozens, if not hundreds of others, and encountering tens of thousands of customers every month. A lot of people from a lot of different walks of life. Knowing how to get along with almost everyone is a skill not everyone has.

It may lead to your future promotion or simply kudos from customers.

  1. Be open-minded and flexible

Having a growth mindset will lead to your ultimate happiness while working at a store.

Be a team player and help out in different departments. Pick up those shifts when coworkers call in sick if you are available. Think about how your actions affect others. Put yourself in the shoes of that angry customer or that sad fellow employee.

Doing these things will help you stand out and get the eye of your supervisors.

  1. Be a self-starter

Don’t just work the fastest. Ask questions. Have a good attitude and do what is necessary to help the team. But my saying was it’s better to ask for forgiveness than it is permission.

In other words, don’t just stand around and wait to be told what to do. Don’t go rogue, but if you see something that needs to be done, and you know how to do it, DO IT!

Do you want more tips for being a successful grocery store worker?

Read this recent article for all of my best tips for working in a grocery store. Over the years, I grew from entry-level stocker to store manager of some of the best stores in Whole Foods Market history.

I’ve hired thousands and mentored people who later surpassed me into large regional leadership roles. So I know a thing or two about what being successful means.

Just click the link to read it on my site.

  1. Be Dependable

As with follow-through, people are counting on you. When you forget your schedule, call out sick when you aren’t really sick, or show up an hour late that puts a huge burden on other people.

Which other people? Your friends and co-workers at the store.

Be someone they, and your boss, can truly count on and you’ll go far!

How much do grocery stores pay?

If you would’ve asked me how much grocery stores pay 20 years ago, I would’ve said “peanuts.” Grocery stores aren’t known for paying a lot of money.

The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour. (source)

Fortunately, many stores are going well above and beyond as it relates to minimum wage. In fact, when I was running the original Whole Foods store in San Francisco 18 years ago, our starting wage was $10.00 and many cashiers who had been there a little while were closer to $20/hr.

Here are the best-known stores from highest to lowest paying:

      • Costco & Whole Foods Market comes in at the highest at $15.00.
      • Target starts off at $13.00 per hour and will increase its wages to $15.00 per hour by the end of 2020.
      • Trader Joes starts off at $12.03 per hour
      • Walmart’s minimum is $11.00 per hour.
      • Safeway starts at a disappointing $9.76 per hour
      • Kroger starts at a disappointing $8.15 per hour

(source & source & source & source & source & source)

But different positions may have a different starting pay rate. You may be surprised to see how many people it takes to keep a grocery store up and running!

For example, a cashier may start off at $13.00 per hour at Target, but someone who stocks shelves may start off at a different rate; especially if they are working what’s called the “graveyard shift”.

That’s when they stock shelves overnight, often arriving for work at 10 pm.

But the pay isn’t the only thing you should be thinking about. You should take a look at the entire benefits package. You may be surprised to know that lots of grocery stores offer great benefits to part-time employees. Even health insurance and 401K matching!

To read more about what grocery stores pay the most and which ones offer benefits, read this recent article.

Just click the link to read it on my site.

Final Thoughts

Working in a grocery store can be very rewarding. There are a variety of positions available, so you’re sure to find work that you enjoy doing.

Fortunately, most grocery stores don’t require any experience to get your foot in the door. They will provide on-the-job training. They will also give you the flexibility you need to participate in extracurricular activities.

If you find the right store, you may find that it is more than just a part-time after school job.

What grocery store are you going to work at?

 

What Education Does a Grocery Store Manager Need?

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Grocery store managers oversee the day-to-day operations of grocery stores. They are in charge of every aspect of a store’s operations including supervising personnel, inventory and tracking financials. But many who aspire to run a store often wonder what education does a grocery store manager need?

To run a grocery store, a manager will minimally need a high school diploma or GED. However, some chains such as Target require a college degree while Trader Joe’s, Safeway & Kroger strongly recommend a degree & favor candidates with one. 

But that’s just the beginning!

After all, each company has different requirements, and even those like Trader Joe’s or Target that do require formal education still have different experience requirements too.

Maybe you’re considering getting in the grocery store management but you aren’t sure where to start.

Are there special education requirements? We’ll examine several of the most popular grocery store chains and their requirements to go into management.

Just keep reading!

Just getting started in the grocery business?

If so, your first step is to get a job in one to gain experience and start working your way up.

Luckily, I get into the best tips and strategies for getting hired at a grocery store and beating out dozens of other applicants in one of my recent articles. After all, I’ve literally hired thousands of employees for Whole Foods Market. So I know what works and what doesn’t.

Just click that link to read it on my site.

What degree or education do you need to be a grocery store manager?

Whole Foods Market and Walmart only require a high school diploma or GED to manage a grocery store. However, chains such as Target require a college degree. Kroger, Safeway, and Trader Joe’s all look for a mix of college and hands-on experience.

So, ultimately, the education required will depend largely on the company doing the hiring.

1. Walmart

While Walmart doesn’t require any formal education, they do expect you to have experience supervising employees and have some general management experience under your belt.

Because they sell firearms, Walmart also requires you to complete a general firearms training and pass a criminal background check. If they only sell ammunition you have to obtain a specialized certificate to sell ammunition.

2. Safeway

Safeway’s educational preference consists of some college and some retail experience combined for a total of 4 years.

This could mean a two-year college degree combined with two years of retail/retail management. It could also mean that you are a high school graduate and have four years of retail/retail management experience.

3. Kroger

Kroger only requires a high school diploma or its equivalent. They also want you to be proficient in computer usage and have a lift truck certification or license.

Kroger prefers that you have a four-year degree in business or some related field. They also prefer that you know the Fred Meyer policies, procedures, and organizational structure.

This means that most likely they’re going to hire in-house because their in-house employees are the ones who are going to have the most solid knowledge of their policies.

Although Kroger’s minimum requirements are high school diploma or GED, they’re going to give preferential treatment to people with experience or a bachelor’s degree.

4. Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s does not have an education requirement, but they require 3 years of recent retail, restaurant or hospitality experience. They also require two years of recent experience at the supervisory level. While they don’t require a bachelor’s degree, they do prefer that you have one.

Target’s educational requirement is that you have a four-year degree or equivalent experience.

5. Whole Foods Market

Whole Foods doesn’t have any educational requirements.

But they do want you to be proficient in math. They also want you to have an understanding of computer applications and programs including things like Microsoft Office.

It may have changed since Amazon bought them, but when I ran stores for them, all the most successful store managers worked their way up from the bottom. And that was encouraged.

What qualifications do you need to be a grocery store manager?

Generally, to be a store manager or department manager, you’re going to need some, if not all of the following skills and qualities:

  • Be an effective communicator
  • The ability to remain calm under pressure
  • Be able to use a computer, ideally with knowledge of Excel
  • Have a flexible schedule; the best managers work some evenings and weekends
  • Speak to others, even subordinates, the way they would like to be spoken to
  • Willing to perform any task you would ask of others; no double standards
  • Have at least 2 year’s experience working in retail

But let’s explore some of those in greater detail.

Being a manager also requires the ability to pay close attention to detail, to prioritize tasks, and to be able to work in a fast-paced environment.

Management is not just about leading employees. It’s also about making sure that customers are delighted, shelves are stocked, and money is managed appropriately.

Managers also need to be available to work flexible hours.

Being a manager of a store is not a Monday through Friday kind of job. They are typically busy all day, especially on weekends and holidays, and often work long hours.

In addition to educational requirements, some companies have age restrictions or require specialized training or certificates.

For example, Walmart doesn’t require any formal education, but they do expect you to have experience supervising employees and have some general management experience under your belt.

Walmart also prefers that you have experience running a fresh or dry grocery area.

Also, they want you to have several years of experience supervising 50+ employees, including performance management, mentoring, hiring, and firing.

They’d also like for you to have four years or more of general management experience that includes financial responsibilities.

If you don’t have a good handle yet on grocery store profit margins, don’t worry!

I break it down simply and easily in a recent article. After all, grocery store profit margins are surprisingly small. So there isn’t a lot of room for error on the part of the store manager.

Just click that link to read it on my site.

Can I be a manager without a degree?

It is possible to be a retail manager without a college degree, especially with employers such as Whole Foods Market or Walmart. Some chains, however, will require a degree or at least favor candidates who have one.

I don’t have a college degree and I ran stores as a GM (General Manager) for Whole Foods for many years.

Whole Foods calls GMs Store Team Leaders. All told, as either a GM or assistant GM, I worked in 9 stores in 4 states over 14 years.

While it’s true that some employers like Kroger or Trader Joes prefer their store managers to have a degree, most large grocery chains don’t. And in my experience, someone with 5 years of experience working in a store will trump someone fresh out of college every time.

People with experience understand the ins and outs of the store, the employees that work there, and the customer base.

They understand the products, the organizational structure, and store policies. They also understand the relationship customers have with the store. These are things that can’t be taught in school.

If they haven’t worked their way up through the ranks at a store, there’s just a lot they don’t know. And coming in at the top and trying to learn it then is tough.

If you don’t have a degree, make sure that you have effective communication skills and put yourself in a position to gain leadership skills.

Also, consider taking business courses online in computers generally, Excel, or anything related to profit and loss.

If you don’t know what to take, or you don’t know the gaps that need to be filled, look at job descriptions from your desired companies. These job descriptions will give you insights into the type of candidate they are looking for. They will very thoroughly list the required skills.

You can find some great courses online, many of which are free.

List these courses on your resume even if you haven’t completed them yet. Just be sure to make it clear that the courses are currently in progress. This shows that you are taking the initiative to sharpen your skills and it’s a great way to show your commitment to prospective employers.

How do I become a grocery store manager with no experience?

Without experience, the best way to become a grocery store manager is to start in a more entry-level position, learn the essential skills for not only your position but positions throughout the store, let your career goals be known by supervisors, and work hard and be reliable.

The good news is that below a store manager, there’s an assistant store manager.

Then department managers below that and assistant department managers too. Then there are supervisors and shift leaders. It’s very easy to work your way up. And if you’re dedicated, hard-working, and flexible, you can do that pretty quickly.

Look at your current or past positions and see what skills are transferrable into management.

Managers need to be comfortable giving presentations, developing and interpreting policies or processes, recruiting and interviewing, and creating schedules.

  • Do you have any financial responsibilities at your current company or in the past?
  • Are you calm under pressure and good at juggling multiple priorities?
  • Have you taught, coached or mentored someone?

You also need to know how to manage conflict have difficult conversations and give feedback to lower-level employees.

Chances are you’ve had some exposure to at least a few of these responsibilities throughout your career. You just need to explain how these experiences can translate into a leadership role.

Most importantly, you need to be able to manage multiple priorities calmly, efficiently and quickly.

There have been days in my career where in a matter of minutes I had to deal with the following:

  • An employee was badly injured
  • A customer slipped and fell and was injured or required an ambulance
  • A piece of equipment caught on fire
  • My boss called to ask about a concerning financial matter
  • Someone was trying to return a large purchase and didn’t have the product or receipt but wasn’t afraid to yell and make a scene

So never underestimate the importance of being able to juggle multiple priorities and make quick decisions coolly and calmly.

If I have a lot of experience, can I become a grocery store manager without a degree?

Generally speaking, you can start your career towards management without a college degree.

Leadership skills are seldom taught in college. Typically a bachelor’s degree is a way of screening people without retail experience into the recruitment and selection of management personnel.

Managers are leaders. The best leaders can work in teams and get to know the staff. They want to coach and mentor. And they model behavior that supports company values. These are skills that cannot be taught.

Other skills, like performing accounting, keeping records, or taking inventory can be taught. These skills will likely be taught in-house as every company has its own system for these processes.

Grocery chains that hire store managers without a degree

If you want to go into management, you’re in luck.

Below is a list of popular grocery chains that do not require a degree. I’ve also made note of any special training each company requires. Most companies are going to do their own in-house training, too.

Walmart While Walmart doesn’t require any formal education, they do expect you to have experience supervising employees and have some general management experience under your belt.

They’ll give preferential treatment to folks that have at least a year of experience running a grocery area. They also prefer that applicants have at least four years of experience supervising 50 or more employees. Their website also indicates that they want applicants to have at least four years of general management experience that includes Financial accountability.

Because they sell firearms, Walmart also requires you to complete a general firearms training and pass a criminal background check. If they only sell ammunition you have to obtain a specialized certificate to sell ammunition.
Safeway Safeway will hire you without a college degree, but they require that you have a minimum of 4 years’ experience in the retail/retail management industry.
Kroger Kroger will hire you without a college degree, but they prefer that you have a Bachelor’s Degree in business or some other related field.
Whole Foods Whole Foods does not have any formal education requirements.

Grocery chains that require store managers to have a degree

Several stores require store managers to have a four-year degree.

Note that Safeway and Kroger are both listed in each list. Though they name a high school diploma as a minimum requirement, they each make it abundantly clear that they prefer candidates with a four-year degree.

Safeway Safeway will hire you without a college degree, but they require that you have a minimum of 4 years’ experience in the retail/retail management industry.

Safeway’s job description makes it pretty clear that they prefer to hire people with a college degree. If you don’t have a college degree, they want an abundance of retail and retail management experience.

They also strongly prefer candidates that have a retail management certificate through WAFC.
Kroger Kroger will hire you without a college degree, but they prefer that you have a Bachelor’s Degree in business or some other related field.

Like Safeway, Kroger makes it very clear that they prefer applicants to have a four-year degree in business or a related field. They also expect applicants to know Kroger policies, procedures, and organizational structure. This leads me to believe that they will most likely hire their managers in house.
Trader Joe’s Not only does Trader Joe’s want you to have a bachelor’s degree, but they also want you to have a minimum of two years experience at the management or supervisory level. Also, they want you to have at least three years experience of recent retail restaurant or hospitality. They also want you to have a “history of developing individuals and teams through empowerment and integrity.”
Target Target wants you to have a four-year degree or equivalent experience.

Final Thoughts

Grocery store managers carry a lot of weight on their shoulders.

Not only are they responsible for day-to-day operations, but they’re also responsible for personnel issues and helping the company reach long-term goals. they need to be able to communicate effectively with customers as well as staff.

As a result, managers are expected to be able to wear many hats. But I can tell you having run million-dollar stores for Whole Foods Market for many years, while some employers may require a degree, there’s no substitute for learning as you work your way up.

Not only does that make you a better leader than someone fresh out of college with a piece of paper in their hand but minimal experience, but you’ll earn the trust and respect from your employees a lot faster too.

What’s one of the most important skills to know as a store manager?

If you guessed merchandising, you’d be right! Of course, you also need financial skills, customer service skills, and leadership skills too. But if your store looks terrible, your sales will suffer along with all of those other areas.

Luckily, I cover merchandising skills in-depth in a recent article.

Merchandising is weird because it’s part-skill and part-art. So it involves both sides of your brain. But, as a former leader at Whole Foods once said, it’s also not rocket science.

Just click that link to read that on my site.

Links to job descriptions:

Trader Joe’s

Target

Safeway

Kroger

Walmart

Whole Foods

What Do Grocery Managers Do? (duties, responsibilities & pay)

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Grocery managers run the center of a grocery store in what is typically the largest department in a store. I was a grocery manager for 7 years, but before I got hired, I used to wonder what do grocery managers do?

Grocery managers are in charge of the operations in the grocery department of a store & should not be confused with a Grocery Store Manager which runs the whole store. A grocery manager will train & lead employees, order & stock products, manage inventory, check for expiration dates, and provide customer service.

But that just scratches the surface of this busy and complicated job. So let’s keep going.

There are numerous duties that a grocery manager has to take on, and without a good grocery manager, most stores would struggle to stay in business.

So in this article, we’re exploring what that role is, what they do, and what skills they need. But we’ll also look at how this job is different from that of a Grocery Store Manager (sometimes called a General Manager). And we’ll look at how the job differs from other department managers too.

Let’s get going!

In a recent article, I break down my best tips for working in a grocery store (something I did for over 20 years, eventually earning a 6-figure salary). Since I started with Whole Foods at $4.25/hr, I know ANYONE can do what I did.

So click that link to read it on my site.

What is a Grocery Manager?

A grocery manager is a person who manages the grocery department, which is the largest section of a grocery store. Grocery Departments also often include not only the aisles of canned and boxed goods but also frozen foods and the dairy department.

But that can vary a little bit.

This department can vary a little bit from company to company. But it is generally the center of the store and contains all the boxed, canned, and jarred food items.

Most grocery chains have a store manager, sometimes called a general manager. They may have 1-3 assistants depending on the size and sales volume of the store.

Then each major section of the store, usually referred to as departments would typically also have a department manager overseeing it.

Those departments would include:

  • Produce (fresh fruit & vegetables)
  • Meat
  • Seafood (sometimes combined with meat)
  • Bakery
  • Deli
  • Front End (cashiers and baggers)

Grocery managers, like all department managers, are responsible for the daily operation of their department.

That includes tasks such as:

  • Scheduling that department’s employees
  • Handling minor HR tasks for their team (but hiring & firing would often be done in conjunction with store leaders and/or HR)
  • Writing orders for products to ensure the shelves stay full of product (but not too much excess)

Before I became a store manager for Whole Foods, I was a Grocery Manager for Whole Foods for about 7 years in 3 locations.

The 3rd and final time I did that role was in San Francisco at the 1st store in that city at the intersection of California and Franklin. My team consisted of myself and an assistant and about 15-20 employees.

It was a busy role in the store with a lot of moving parts.

It was also a very physical job as we got large deliveries several times a week in the early mornings that needed to be stocked before we opened.

What Roles and Responsibilities Do Grocery Managers Have?

Grocery managers, not to be confused with grocery store managers, handle purchasing, staff management, financial reporting, customer service, and stocking of the shelves for the grocery department in a grocery store.

So, grocery managers have plenty of roles and responsibilities.

Without them, the store would be a mess! After all, the Grocery Department is often close to 60% of the sales floor and about 30% of the sales dollars.

With no Grocery Manager, you’d see expired food on the shelves, or empty shelves. There’d be no order or organization, and customers wouldn’t know where to look for their items.

Here’s a list of a few essential tasks that a grocery manager must keep up on:

1. Managing the inventory of a grocery department

Inventory is a huge responsibility.

Grocery managers have to keep track of what goes in and what goes out of their department. Unfortunately, they also have to take theft into account, which often leads to Loss Prevention services. Inventory needs to increase or decrease based on the amount sold compared to the company’s expectations for each item.

After all, when you order more product than you really need, it clogs up the backroom where the excess product is stored. It also is highly inefficient to go from the truck to the aisle, then to the backroom and then back to the aisle later. It also ties up the company’s purchasing dollars.

So a good grocery manager only orders just enough product to keep the shelves full until the next delivery.

2. Customer service

Customers are the lifeblood of a grocery store. AND, there are a million options when it comes to deciding where to buy your groceries from.

So what keeps customers loyal often comes down to their experience in the store and the customer service they get.

Not only do Grocery Managers have to be well-informed about the items in their department, but their employees need to be educated as well.

3. Training employees

It may take weeks, sometimes even months, to understand the whole process of a complicated grocery department.

This timespan often depends on the size of the store and the season. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other big times of the year are hectic for grocery managers. That season also has the busiest days of the whole year.

Employees will be trained at a quicker rate during the holiday season; it’s sink or swim time!

Merchandising refers to the presentation and appearance of the products and displays in a store. Grocery managers and their employees must ensure that products are pulled to the front of the shelves and facing towards customers. This is known as facing or fronting products.

Stores like Whole Foods, which pride themselves on the appearance of the store, do this throughout the day. By comparison, large so-called “conventional stores” like a Safeway or Kroger may not do this at all other than when the shelves are first stocked overnight or in the early morning.

Employees also have to be trained not just on the physical tasks but also on the store layout, product information, and even basic cooking tips. In the grocery department, we get asked a lot of questions!

But there’s a lot more to know about merchandising and what makes it great or terrible.

Luckily I take all the mystery out of it in a recent article. I not only cover how to build displays, but I throw in some industry tricks for making big displays when you only have a small amount of product.

Just click that link to read it on my site.

What Skills Does a Grocery Manager Need?

There are five specific skills that every grocery manager should have:

  • People skills – You must be good with people. Customer service entails the fact that you’re going to be interacting with all sorts of people throughout the day. They might be mad, relaxed, sad, and so on. In any sense, you have to be ready for them all.
  • Leadership Experience – The grocery manager is an important leadership role that trains, directs, and fixes everything that goes on in their department.
  • Retail Sales Experience – Even if you have a college degree, you’ll have to work your way up through the customer service industry to land a grocery manager job. Nothing beats hands-on experience for 2-3 years.
  • Be a Problem Solver – Every single day a different issue will come up. Whether it’s a late arrival from a truck delivery or employees who refuse to do their job, problems are going to need fixing. Your job will be to solve those occurrences as they show up.
  • Be organized – Organizing the back room, employees’ schedules, and product orders can all be complicated tasks. Without the right systems in place, it’s easy for those things to fall apart.

Whether you’re coming in from another department or you’re curious about how you can work your way up, you’ll need a specific set of skills to be a grocery manager.

This position requires you to be always alert and ready to take on any concerns or problems that might arise. Angry customers, missing products, and spills are just a few common issues that need you to be a quick-thinker.

Are those skills more important than a good attitude?

It’s worth pointing out, that a good attitude will almost always get you hired over experience if that experience comes with a bad attitude.

When I first got hired as a Grocery Manager for Whole Foods in 1992 (they use the term Team Leader instead of manager) I got hired over a few much more experienced people. One of those people had even been my 1st boss (and I still call him a friend today).

Why did I get hired with only 4 years experience over 3 much more experienced grocery leaders?

Because I came in with a positive attitude and was humble. But I also had a detailed plan of how to take a department that I thought was great and make it even better.

The other 3 came in more with the attitude that either the store owed it to them to hire them or that the store would be incredibly lucky to have them.

In the end, what was perceived as a bad attitude by the store manager and hiring team cost them the job and gave me my first shot at leadership. I went on to later win the National All-Star Grocery Team Leader award.

How Much Does a Grocery Manager Make?

If you’re considering a grocery manager job, you’re probably wondering how much money you’ll make.

Generally speaking, grocery managers make between $19,000 to $33,000 a year, according to salary and career experts Glass Door.

They can be paid either salary or hourly, depending on the company they work for. But generally speaking these days most companies pay hourly. The reason being is that legally someone isn’t supposed to be on salary if they can’t hire and fire on their own.

Most companies these days require decisions like that to go through store management and/or HR, to limit their liability. So, most Grocery Managers do not perform tasks like that without having to consult with someone else.

The average grocery manager makes about ~$25,000 a year, but this can vary.

Three key factors contribute to how much money a grocery manager will make:

  • The country, city, and state all matter. It’s much more likely that someone who manages a grocery department in a busy, populous city will make more money than a slow store in a small town.
  • Experience in the field also will play a role in how much money the manager makes. If they’ve never been a grocery manager, then they probably won’t make as much as a person who has been one for 5+ years.
  • The size of the company – Well-known nation-wide chains usually pay more simply because they have a higher store budget and a larger sales volume. This estimation isn’t always the case, but it often plays a role.

Companies often have some sort of profit-sharing program in place too which can provide additional annual or quarterly bonuses also. But these programs vary widely from company to company.

If you’re applying for a grocery manager position, ask about the possibility of bonuses in the future. They’re usually mentioned during the interview and hiring process.

How Does the Job of a Grocery Manager Differ from Other Departments in a Grocery Store?

The grocery manager is in charge and responsible for the grocery department.

As I mentioned above, each major department in a grocery store will have a department manager unless the store is really small and/or really low in sales volume.

Many of the tasks performed by a grocery manager will be similar to the tasks performed by other department managers. Those tasks include:

  • Scheduling employees
  • Ordering products from wholesalers and warehouses
  • Stocking the shelves
  • Mentoring their employees
  • Helping customers

The big difference is simply the kind of products they are selling.

Of course, each department also requires different skills. A Meat Department manager, for instance, needs to know how to cut meat, which is a trained skill and an art.

A Produce manager needs to know about the farms where their fruits and vegetables come from and also things like pesticide use and waxes used to coat things like apples.

In a recent article, I go a lot more in-depth about all the different positions in a grocery store and how they differ.

If you’re new to grocery store work, it can be confusing. You may also be unsure of which department or job suits your personality the best. So just click that link to read it on my site.

Final Thoughts

Throughout this article, you’ve seen all of the important tasks bestowed upon a grocery manager.

They need to deal with everything in their department. Training, merchandising, sales, and customer service are the name of the game for a grocery manager.

If you plan on becoming a grocery manager in the future, here are a few tips:

  • Get 2-3 years of experience in the customer service industry (preferably a position at a grocery store).
  • Learn the essential duties and get yourself let the store manager know of your interest.
  • Remember that the customer always comes first.

At this salary level, Grocery Manager is a great job for someone in their twenties with plenty of energy. But it’s also wise to eventually look at moving up in the store to higher positions that pay better.

When I first made the leap from Grocery Manager to Assistant Store Manager, my salary almost doubled. And while the job got more mentally challenging, store leadership roles are considerably less taxing on your body too.

But it all starts with getting hired for that first position.

In a recent article, I give all my best tips for getting hired at a grocery store. After all, depending on what city you live in, there could be dozens of other people all going after the same job you want.

Having hired literally thousands of people over the years, I know a thing or 2 about how to make sure you stand out in a crowd.

Just click that link to read it on my site.