- What should your store manager resume include?
- How can you create a professional summary?
- How should you describe your work experience as a store manager?
- Include a fitting store manager resume education and certifications section
- Which key skills are relevant for a store manager resume?
- How to select the most impactful store manager resume template
- Copyable store manager resume example
- Key takeaways for writing a store manager resume
A well-written store manager resume should sell your ability to manage day-to-day operations and boost sales. Get helpful tips for writing a store manager resume with our example and guide.
To land a leadership role in the retail industry, you need to stand out from the competition. A store manager resume should highlight your record of managing teams, driving sales, and maintaining smooth operations. We’ve put together this store manager resume guide and example to help you cash in on your next opportunity.
In this guide and corresponding resume example, we’ll go over these topics:
What to include on a store manager resume
How to write about your experience and education
The best skills to add to your resume
How to choose a resume layout and design
What should your store manager resume include?
When applying for store manager jobs, your resume should demonstrate your ability to supervise daily operations. It should portray your experience with hiring and training staff, preparing work schedules, and managing inventory. It should also show how you’ve provided positive customer experiences in retail environments.
Your store manager resume should have the following sections:
A resume header with your contact information
A resume summary
A work history section
An education section
A resume skills section
How can you create a professional summary?
Just like a strategic floor display can entice buyers, a thoughtful summary can convince a hiring manager to keep reading your resume. In two to three sentences, your professional summary should highlight your experience and retail skills. It should showcase your contributions to a store’s success.
Your summary shouldn’t repeat information from other parts of your resume. Instead, use this space to emphasize your most impressive accomplishments. For example, you may write about a promotional strategy you implemented to increase sales or a supplier contract you negotiated to save money.
Check out our adaptable store manager resume summary below.
Respected store manager with extensive experience leading operations, project development, and goal setting within highly competitive environments. Repeated success building and motivating dedicated teams committed to meeting and exceeding company goals. Expert trainer, leader, and businessperson able to forge solid relationships.
How should you describe your work experience as a store manager?
Your work history section should provide a clear overview of your retail experience. It should show an employer that you’re capable of managing day-to-day operations, leading teams, and improving a store’s performance.
List your work history in reverse chronological order, beginning with your most recent position. Provide your job title, your employment dates, and your duties in each role. As shown in our example, use bullet points to draw an employer’s attention to your key accomplishments. Highlight the outcomes you’ve achieved in a management position or a similar role.
Aim to include metrics that show your value. For example, you can discuss the profit margins or annual revenue of a store you managed. You can also include metrics related to employee retention, operational efficiency, or customer satisfaction.
Here’s an example of a bullet point that includes a measurable outcome:
Developed, implemented, and trained employees on targeted upselling strategies, leading to a 20% increase in year-over-year sales
View our adaptable store manager work experience section below.
Store Manager at JCPENNY, INC, Sandy City 2015 - 2022
Excelled as Store Manager with full P&L accountability for all sales revenue in excess of $14M.
Held concurrent responsibility for management and implementation of turnaround initiatives to drive profit gains.
Developed acquisition and growth strategy prior to operations management role.
Conceptualized, developed, and initiated aggressive internal growth plan that increased comp total store sales by 3.6% and comp store controllable profit by 4.8% in 2015.
Provided leadership and direction for 12 managers and a store team of up to 125 associates; established clear goals, provided mentoring, and evaluated performance to promote improvement.
Assistant Store Manger at JCPENNY, INC, Grand Forks 2012 - 2015
Oversaw all HR processes, including sourcing, interviewing, hiring, and performance appraisals as well as disciplinary actions up to terminations.
Owned P&L responsibility. Served as Region Three Coordinator for JCP’s philanthropy and community programs.
Executed well-planned scheduling and coordination strategies coupled with effective time/resource optimization to ensure store internal growth.
Maintained cost overheads despite staffing and training increases; built talented, performance-driven team.
Store manger at Aramount Sports, Fargo 2010 - 2012
Managed hiring, training, and oversight of sales and customer service associates.
Contributed to the planning and execution of a marketing program and website to strengthen the company’s brand and attract new customers.
Initiated new lines for start-up ski/bike specialty store to augment product offerings and potentially increase internal growth of the store.
Managed inventory for various categories of outdoor sporting equipment to ensure appropriate amount of products for sale.
Created a well-planned paddle sports program for 20+ specialty stores in the Upper Midwest.
Served on the corporate buying team for camping, climbing, and paddle sports that involved attending various trade shows, such as Outdoor Retailer.
Developed and executed various business strategies, including negotiating pricing and terms, and writing buying programs for tents, packs, sleeping bags, paddle sports, and camping accessories.
Include a fitting store manager resume education and certifications section
Some companies only require store managers to have a high school diploma, while others prefer to hire applicants with a bachelor’s degree. Review the job description to make sure you meet the educational requirements.
Follow these other tips to describe your education:
Provide relevant details. List the name of your degree or diploma and the school you attended. You can leave off your graduation date unless you’ve recently earned a relevant degree.
Include relevant coursework. If you didn’t go to college but you’ve taken courses in business, finance, or marketing, list those on your resume.
List certifications. Earning a certification in retail management or leadership can set you apart from other candidates. List certifications you’ve earned or are working toward below your formal education.
Bachelor’s in Business Administration at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND
Which key skills are relevant for a store manager resume?
Store managers rely on their skills to maintain efficient operations. Highlight your top skills to show an employer you can handle the job’s demands and responsibilities.
As you decide what skills to mention, look to the job description for guidance. Including skills an employer has listed not only shows you’re qualified for the role but can also help you with an applicant tracking system (ATS). This software scans resumes automatically for specific keywords. (For more information, check out our article on resume ATS optimization.)
These are some good skills for a store manager resume:
Customer service
Profit and loss (P&L) management
Staff training
Merchandising
Inventory management
Safety compliance
Leadership
Expert Tip
Hard skills vs. soft skills
Hard skills refer to your technical knowledge, while soft skills are the interpersonal traits you use in a job. While it’s good to include both on your resume, focus more on your hard skills, such as inventory management, budgeting, and point-of-sale systems.
How to select the most impactful store manager resume template
A store needs to be clean, organized, and free of clutter, and your resume should be the same. Choose a layout with sections for your skills, experience, and core strengths. Bold the section headers or use a slightly larger font to guide hiring managers through your resume.
Employers often skim resumes, so make sure your resume is easy to read. Choose a legible font, use standard page margins, and leave some white space. Unless you have over 10 years of experience, your resume should be no longer than one page.
If you don’t want to build a resume from scratch, use our resume builder to access professionally tested templates. You can also get more inspiration by browsing over 100 resume examples we offer.
Copyable store manager resume example
Summary example
Respected store manager with extensive experience leading operations, project development, and goal setting within highly competitive environments. Repeated success building and motivating dedicated teams committed to meeting and exceeding company goals. Expert trainer, leader, and businessperson able to forge solid relationships.
Employment history example
Store Manager at JCPENNY, INC, Sandy City 2015 - 2022
Excelled as Store Manager with full P&L accountability for all sales revenue in excess of $14M.
Held concurrent responsibility for management and implementation of turnaround initiatives to drive profit gains.
Developed acquisition and growth strategy prior to operations management role.
Conceptualized, developed, and initiated aggressive internal growth plan that increased comp total store sales by 3.6% and comp store controllable profit by 4.8% in 2015.
Provided leadership and direction for 12 managers and a store team of up to 125 associates; established clear goals, provided mentoring, and evaluated performance to promote improvement.
Assistant Store Manger at JCPENNY, INC, Grand Forks 2012 - 2015
Oversaw all HR processes, including sourcing, interviewing, hiring, and performance appraisals as well as disciplinary actions up to terminations.
Owned P&L responsibility. Served as Region Three Coordinator for JCP’s philanthropy and community programs.
Executed well-planned scheduling and coordination strategies coupled with effective time/resource optimization to ensure store internal growth.
Maintained cost overheads despite staffing and training increases; built talented, performance-driven team.
Store manger at Aramount Sports, Fargo 2010 - 2012
Managed hiring, training, and oversight of sales and customer service associates.
Contributed to the planning and execution of a marketing program and website to strengthen the company’s brand and attract new customers.
Initiated new lines for start-up ski/bike specialty store to augment product offerings and potentially increase internal growth of the store.
Managed inventory for various categories of outdoor sporting equipment to ensure appropriate amount of products for sale.
Created a well-planned paddle sports program for 20+ specialty stores in the Upper Midwest.
Served on the corporate buying team for camping, climbing, and paddle sports that involved attending various trade shows, such as Outdoor Retailer.
Developed and executed various business strategies, including negotiating pricing and terms, and writing buying programs for tents, packs, sleeping bags, paddle sports, and camping accessories.
Education example
Bachelor’s in Business Administration at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND
Skills example
Inventory Management
Customer Service
Merchandising & Display
Associate Development
Management Training Programs
Profit & Loss (P&L) Management
Key takeaways for writing a store manager resume
Your resume should show an employer how you can help improve a store’s performance or contribute to its success.
Incorporate keywords strategically to make sure your resume gets through an ATS. Look at the job description to include relevant skills and experiences.
Use a professional template to make your resume appear clean, organized, and polished.
