by Mary Byrd

Created on: May 20, 2008   Last Updated: July 23, 2010

Contrary to popular belief, a career in retail can be very lucrative. The trick is being in the right retail field. One of the most lucrative fields is grocery store management. One of the least lucrative fields is department stores.

Most large chain grocery stores have layers of management, and various administration career paths. One of the advantages with the grocery store field, is they usually promote from within. The downside is you usually have to start at the bottom, and one of the lower paying jobs, but even at that, the pay is better than department store's starting wages. Grocery stores have good benefits and all the perks as most professional jobs.

Grocery stores have layers of managers, starting with floor managers, and department mangers to assistant store managers and store managers. The next layer of managers is district managers, division managers, and regional managers, to headquarters' supervisors.

One department in the grocery store is the front end, which includes cashiers, baggers, and head cashier. Another department is the deli, which includes clerks, and a department manager. Other departments with clerks and mangers are the bakery, produce, meat market, pharmacy, non-food and groceries. Duties include stocking the department, customer service, cleaning and ordering stock. As a department manager, you are responsible for managing the personnel in your department, how the department looks, writing work schedules and ordering.

Grocery stores offer in store and out of store training for those who are on the management track. To get put on the management track the employee should have a good work ethic, positive attitude, be willing to work odd hours, show an aptitude for managing people, and know how to play politics.

Playing politics includes all of the above, plus being a team player, participating in company parties, teams, volunteer activities and a little brown nosing.

Once you are a department manager, you have a choice of tracks. You can choose to be on the store management track, or district department supervisor track. District managers are paid a base salary, plus bonus based on the profit of the stores supervised. There is usually travel connected with district supervisors' jobs.

Store assistant manager, and store manager receive a base salary and 1 to 3 percent of the stores profit, which can more than double their salary. To be a district sales manager, you have to have been a store manager. A supervisor can work his or her way to the "home" office or headquarters.

Other careers in the grocery store are in the district office and include positions as buyers, and advertising, and office manager. District office also includes a Vice-President who is over everyone in the district. The VP receives a salary comparable with any executive plus a bonus based on all the stores in the district.

Another big plus with grocery stores is you don't have to have a college degree to be promoted. Anyone who shows initiative, good people skills, common sense, and the ability to think on his or her feet can become a manager. It does, however help to have some college, or a degree.

When you are choosing a career in retail, don't over look the grocery store field, it can be well worth your time in money and benefits.

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