Retail Cashier

The complete career guide to be a Retail Cashier: salary, job growth, employers, best schools, and education you may need to get started.

$20,990

2%

Job Growth Rate

Growing Demand

Job Outlook

Dependable Daily Workload

A retail cashier provides customers with quality assistance while maintaining a comfortable and easy-going shopping environment, in accordance with property practices and policies. Promoting a positive company image through excellent customer service is vital as a retail cashier.

When you take on a job as retail cashier, you will be responsible for completing the following tasks:

• Greeting customers warmly and ringing sales on the cash register to provide the correct change or sales receipt.
• Ensure that all stock and inventory within the assigned area, is maintained on the racks, glass cases, shelves and armoires.
• Provides guidance to customers via phone or face to face by responding to requests for orders or information for products and services.
• Complete paperwork such as forms, charges for services or merchandise, deposit collections, delivery orders and merchandise returns.
• Regularly taking part in and completing every park-wide and departmental orientations, meetings and training.

A day in the life of a retail cashier consists of handling customer transactions using cash registers. You will accept various payments through check, cash, credit cards and debit in order to issue receipts, credits, refunds and any change to customers. A major part of the job is welcoming and ringing out customers, signing them up for rewards programs, gift wrapping purchased items, and keeping the store tidy.

When not working directly with customers, you can spend your time setting up various displays and signs around the store and maintaining the store’s overall appearance.

At the end of your shift, you will be responsible for counting the money in your cash register and matching the data of store purchases in the computer. It is essential to follow cash handling procedures, which includes understanding, meeting and exceeding the regional cashier variance policy (CVP). Before closing time, you may perform extra tasks such as clean your area, dispose of trash, report any faulty equipment, or rearrange items on shelves as required by the supervisor.

The work schedule of a retail cashier is less than 40 hours per week. It can involve working on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays until eight or nine o’clock, based on the store. Work hours are not fixed and can vary immensely, e.g. working 4 hours one day and 9 hours the next day. Due to the demanding nature of the job, maintaining a dependable attendance and punctuality is valued especially since you are typically paid by the hour.

The salary may include a commission in addition to regular wage rates.

There is a relatively high turnover each year as cashiers leave their current jobs for better work, leading to the availability of full-time and part-time engagements as retail cashier. If you began at a junior level, part time position, gaining enough experience and demonstrating high quality customer service will result in full-time employment soon. More opportunities will arise with positions such as head cashier or floor supervisor with consistent excellence.

Some retail cashiers find fulfillment through running their own shops or serving as a regional manager at a retail chain.

You might work in a range of places such as retail stores, gas stations, restaurants, departmental stores, supermarkets and movie theaters. The most promising positions will be taken by those with prior working experience in retail cashier or sales, as competition is fierce. Most employers provide a decent benefits package such as a health plan, life and vision insurance, retirement plan, vacation days and employee assistance program.

Some examples of employers hiring retail cashiers include Target, McCoy’s Building Supply, Burlington Stores, Whole Foods Market, Aldi, Conn’s Home Plus, etc.

You can be successful as a retail cashier with…