If you’re considering a career in retail, you might want to consider some of the best-paying jobs in other specialty stores. In the U.S., specialty stores include pet supply stores, sports items shops, music stores, etc.
The shops sell curated items that target a specific group of consumers. But before we highlight the best-paying jobs in other specialty stores, let’s answer the two major questions:
- What is a specialty retail store
- Whether this is a good career path
What are specialty stores?
A specialty store is a retail store that offers a curated selection of goods that match a particular theme or idea. For example, pop culture stores often specialize in products relating to movies, music, and TV shows.
In general, specialty stores are characterized by the products they sell, the composition of the staff, and the atmosphere in which these products are sold. Most of these stores have focused values that set them apart from other types of retail stores. This can include being eco-conscious, value-based, or user generated.
The employee base is usually very specialized in order to keep up with the theme of the store and often consists of highly knowledgeable sales associates or artsy employees. The atmosphere in specialty stores is designed to highlight their products, directly encouraging their customers to make purchases. Most of these retailers offer a unique experience with a strong focus on customer service and product knowledge.
Is other specialty stores a good career path?
Most people outside the specialty store community would probably say no. Yet, this is one of the most fascinating and rewarding careers to be a part of. There are many things that differentiate a specialty store from others like grocery stores and clothing stores, including design-driven products that involve artistry, collaboration, innovation, and creativity among others.
A career in specialty stores is an awesome experience for many reasons. The most visible are the products that are sold by specialty stores. You get to understand the latest trends and designs through products, whether it’s clothing, watches, home interior decoration, or even small appliances.
Another aspect of a career in specialty stores is the customers you would get to serve. Yet again, it is because of the products that are sold by specialty stores. Customers with exquisite taste will prefer a specialty store, and these customers are generally more open-minded, understanding, stylish and perhaps even highly educated.
In some cases, specialty store workers also happen to be creative and artistic in their own ways. The brains behind the designs come from the people who work in these retail establishments: product designers (apparel), layout designers (interiors), shop assistants (home decor), etc.
All of these come together to create an amazing environment that allows an individual to work and learn at the same time. Now, the question is, is working in a specialty store a lucrative career path worth your time?
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Best-paying jobs in other specialty stores
Here is a list of 13 high-paying jobs in other specialty stores, from inventory manager to regional retail sales manager. Some experts in this field can earn as high as $190,000 a year.
1. Inventory manager
Salary: $47,715 to $79,843
An inventory manager manages inventory levels in a retail store and uses data analysis to adjust the number of products to meet demand.
A good inventory manager is someone who can make the right decisions, prioritize responsibilities and properly manage employees.
The highest-paid specialty stores inventory managers earn more than $82,000 yearly.
2. Retail sales manager
Salary: $71,327 to $117,830
A retail sales manager is responsible for generating sales, managing customer relationships, and ensuring the profitability of a retail store. Retail managers must be flexible and be able to take on additional responsibilities to achieve the desired results.
A strong knowledge of sales techniques is essential, as well as an ability to manage a team. This job can sometimes require project management skills such as scheduling appointments to build relationships with customers and scheduling tasks that may need someone else’s direct supervision.
This position usually comes with higher pay than most customer service representatives or receptionists would make because they are taking on additional managerial responsibilities.
The highest-paid retail sales managers in the United States earn more than $143,000 yearly, making it one of the best-paying jobs in other specialty stores.
3. Retail buyer
Salary: $46,902 to $64,633
A retail buyer is responsible for buying products on behalf of the business, and it is their job to make sure the products purchased are in high enough supply to meet demand throughout the day or week.
A good retail buyer should be able to read purchase orders from the company, negotiate prices and keep accurate inventory levels.
The highest-paid retail buyers working in other specialty stores earn more than $94,000 yearly.
4. Purchasing manager
Salary: $63,349 to $87,975
A purchase manager oversees the procurement process and makes sure the necessary products are purchased in order to meet the demands of consumers.
The main job of a purchase manager is to negotiate purchasing prices with suppliers and ensure the company gets the best deal when making purchases. In some companies, this position may be held by a buyer instead of a purchasing manager.
The highest-paid purchasing managers in the United States earn more than $197,000 yearly.
5. Retail sales lead
Salary: $59,870 to $89,170
A retail sales lead is someone who helps retail shops with the identification of potential sales opportunities and assists in the development of a plan to meet the retailer’s objectives such as ensuring sales quotas are reached.
Sales leads may need to know about inventory, pricing, and other important information about products in stock at their stores. They also need to be adept with marketing and advertising strategies that can assist sales staff in making closing sales.
The highest-paid retail sales leads earn more than $105K a year.
6. Regional retail sales manager
Salary: $112,882 to $184,375
A regional retail sales manager is in charge of overseeing the retail store operations for their region. They are responsible for the alignment of inventory, markup & stocking orders, and ensuring that retail associates are trained properly.
The regional retail sales manager often works as part of a global team with other regional managers or they may be responsible only for a specific country, state, or territory.
The responsibilities of a regional sales manager vary depending on which company they work for and what specifically is expected from them by that company.
Being a regional retail sales manager is arguably among the best-paying jobs in other specialty stores. The highest-paid regional retail sales managers earn more than $221,650 a year.
7. Loss control manager
Salary: $91,250 to $150,550
The primary role of loss control managers in retail stores is to reduce risk exposure for the business. They monitor and analyze industry and company trends related to theft, claims frequency, and loss severity then comes up with safety policies and strategies to mitigate the risks and subsequent losses.
In the event losses occur, loss control managers will coordinate with the store manager, loss control department representatives, and claims department to identify risk areas and find the best solution to reduce or prevent further losses.
Apart from preventing retail store losses, they are also tasked with training new recruits to ensure safe and results-oriented culture is maintained throughout the company.
This career path is among the best-paying jobs in other specialty stores, with the highest loss control manager earning more than $188,000 a year.
8. Merchandise planner
Salary: $64,350 to $87,750
Merchandise planners are responsible for coordinating where items on the store’s shelves are placed and helping managers make decisions about which items to stock.
They use information such as inventory of the items, merchandising strategy, sales data, and customer demographics to help with planning and execution.
Merchandise planners are responsible for aiding both store-based and online retailing by setting up “merchandising displays” in stores throughout the country.
It’s worth keeping in mind that they do not personally stock the shelf or place the fixtures used to showcase their merchandise; they merely schedule when their chosen merchandising methods will go into effect, when the displays should be rotated, and what price points should be used.
According to PayScale, the highest-paid merchandising planners earn more than $98,000 a year.
9. Supply chain analyst
Salary: $54,224 to $68,105
Supply chain analysts are responsible for predicting trends in the demand and supply of goods. They are always well-versed in the principles of economics and statistics.
Their roles include inventory management, market analysis, forecasting, pricing analysis, and preparing bids for future product sales. Supply chain analysts must also identify new business opportunities as part of their job responsibilities.
In addition to analyzing data related to actual sales and production, supply chain analysts may study industry publications to determine changing trends and patterns.
The highest-paid supply chain analysts in the United States earn more than $80,000 yearly.
10. Retail floor manager
Salary: $52,000 to $82,000
Retail floor managers are in charge of supervising retail floor staff and ensuring the store is attractive, clean, well-ordered, and follows company guidelines on how to display merchandise.
They are responsible for overseeing the customer experience from start to finish, from when a customer enters the store until they leave.
There are also different roles of floor managers depending on the type of retailer they work for.
In clothing stores, they may oversee sales associates or cashiers while in furniture stores they may have responsibility for liaising with suppliers or coordinating deliveries.
The highest-paid retail floor managers earn more than $101,000 a year, which makes this one of the highest-paying jobs in retail specialty stores.
11. Merchandising director
Salary: $45,000 to $95,000
Merchandising directors ensure items are well-displayed, merchandise is rotated out to keep the store looking fresh, and that new arrivals are highlighted on endcaps and table displays.
The merchandising director has other important responsibilities as well. They ensure that employees know how to properly use the point-of-sale system, maintain inventories, and respond promptly if there is a markdown needed due to damaged products or clearance items that won’t sell before their expiration date.
The merchandising director is one of the top-paying jobs in other specialty stores. The highest-paid earn more than $153,000 yearly.
12. Loss control consultant
Salary: $64,564 to $104,895
A loss control consultant assesses risk within the business to identify weaknesses and make improvements to reduce the possibility of losses.
They might be involved with different aspects of the business operations in order to lessen the risks associated with their products or services, such as security systems and data protection procedures.
In addition, a loss control consultant might also advise the business on ways to protect itself from fraud or other threats and recommend insurance coverage for property and assets or liability protection in case something goes wrong.
The highest-paid loss control consultants working in other specialty stores earn more than $141,000 yearly.
13. Customer service supervisor
Salary: $62,342 to $81,131
A customer service supervisor supervises the day-to-day operations of a customer service department.
The supervisor’s main responsibility is to ensure employees are doing their work responsibly and that there are enough customer service agents to answer the phones or chat with customers who need help.
A supervisor also assigns tasks and solves problems among staff members, as well as reviewing performance metrics, and conducting employee training sessions.
In larger companies, supervisors may oversee multiple departments or regions, but at a smaller company, they may only be responsible for one department or region.
The highest-paid customer service supervisors earn close to $100,000 a year.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, although we have highlighted thirteen best-paying jobs in other specialty stores, there are dozens more jobs you can do and still enjoy good salaries. Such jobs include loss prevention manager, loss control representative, retail project manager, and retail agent among others.