How To Answer Retail Interview Questions

Why Do You Want To Work In Retail/at Our Company

Working in retail is challenging, and isn’t for everyone. You need employees who are capable of handling difficult customers, standing on their feet for long periods of time, and generally willing to drive sales even when they’re tired.

For this reason, it’s critical you ask this question. An ideal candidate will focus her answer on your company, highlighting why your brand is important to her and what she likes about your merchandise. Additionally, you’ll want a candidate who says she enjoys interacting with people, and will go out of her way to be helpful to your customers.

Retail Job Interview Tips

Answering questions the right way is the most important part of the interview, but there are other things you can do to improve your candidacy.

Here are a few ways to impress the hiring manager at your retail job interview:

• Dress the part. Depending on what sort of retail environment youre applying to, the definition of dressing the part changes. If its an office supply shop, you should probably look neutral and professional, whereas a toy store employee should have a bit more pizzazz in their look.

  Pro tip: if youre applying to a clothing store, wear clothes from that store. Its a big plus if youre a legitimate customer who will be able to honestly recommend the brand to other customers.

• Ask questions. Interviews are not interrogations theyre conversations. Prepare a list of your own questions for the hiring manager about the company and its products.

  Interviewers love candidates who express genuine curiosity and enthusiasm for the role. Plus, an interview is a great time to learn answers to important questions about a potential job. It might turn out that the way the interviewer describes the work environment and culture doesnt sound appealing to you at all.

• Follow up. Always send a follow-up email to the recruiter within a day of the interview. Its polite to thank them for their time and for considering your candidacy. Not to mention that it keeps you at the top of their mind as theyre reviewing candidates.

Can You Provide An Example Of When You Went Above And Beyond For A Customer

Although this question isnt that uncommon, its one that many candidates fail to prepare for! Hiring managers pose this question to gauge your motivation and willingness to go the extra mile.

That said, if youre someone who just shows up to clock in, this is when youll be caught out. By asking for an example, interviewers will identify whether youre a top performer or not.

To pass your interview with flying colours, youll need to have a few scenarios prepared that display your willingness to go above and beyond for a customer. A great example that always stands out for me concerns a Zappos employee who sent one of their customers a pair of expedited shoes to their wedding and refunded the order for the inconvenience.

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What Really Drives Results In This Job

Employees are investments, and you expect every employee to generate a positive return on his or her salary.

In every job some activities make a bigger difference than others. You need your HR team to fill job openings, but what you really want is for them to find the right candidates, because that results in higher retention rates, lower training costs, and better overall productivity.

You need your service techs to perform effective repairs, but what you really want is for those techs to identify ways to solve problems and provide other benefits — in short, to build customer relationships and even generate additional sales.

Great candidates want to know what truly makes a difference and drives results, because they know helping the company succeed means they will succeed as well.

Q: What Have Your Achievements Been To Date

A: Select one or two achievements that are work-related and fairly recent. Identify the skills you used in the achievement and quantify the benefit it had to the company. For example, ‘my greatest achievement has been to design and implement a new sales ledger system, bringing it in ahead of time and improving our debtors’ position significantly, saving the company £50,000 a month in interest’. Show how you can bring what youve learned to the role.

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How Would You Handle An Unhappy Customer

Dealing with unhappy customers is an unfortunate but almost guaranteed part of working in retail.

When faced with this question, you should remember the above point that showed you can deliver good customer service!

Here you need to show that you can remain composed and empathetic in stressful situations.

You should emphasize that you would endeavor to understand and resolve the customers issue.

Dont be afraid to say that you would ask a manager for help, as this shows that you can use your initiative and involve more senior members of staff to settle the issue.

Tell Me About A Time You Failed

This is one of the most common interview questions in many fields, from retail to corporate positions, and is intended to find out if youre able to learn from mistakes and bounce back when things dont go your way.

Employers want to see if you can own up to your mistakes, be accountable, and also learn and improve from the experience. That last piece is key if you want to give a good answer to this question.

When you answer, tell me a time when you failed here are the most important dos and donts to follow:

• Admit to a real failure
• Describe the situation and what went wrong
• Show that you take responsibility , and show you learned from it
• Ideally, talk about how you used that lesson to get a different outcome next time you were presented with a similar challenge

Dont:

• Say you never fail
• Talk about a failure but then blame others and talk about how it wasnt really your fault
• Give a long-winded answer that goes off-track. You really need to be concise and show you can tell a clear story. Thats one more thing employers look for when they ask this interview question.

Sample interview answer:

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Question 4 Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years Time

TIP #1 This interview question assesses your commitment to their organization. Retail demonstrate your commitment work generally has a higher turnover rate than other jobs. Therefore, the interviewer wants to know you will be committed to them for the foreseeable future because they will be investing time and effort to training you up.

TIP #2 Whilst you do need to be committed to them, it is also advisable to show a level of enthusiasm with regards to your own career development and progression.

Sample Response

Ideally, I would see myself still working for you. I plan to stay in the retail industry long-term, and providing you are happy with my performance, which I strongly believe you will be, then I will be committed to you for the long-term. During my research for todays retail interview, I found out lots of positive things about your business and you have enthusiastic plans for the future, which I would like to be a part of. If I am successful today, my first aim would be to become competent in the role and also be accepted by my peers and respected as a hard worker. Then, if the situation arises in the future, and management believe I have the potential, I would be open to career progression within your organization.

If A Customer Is Rude To You What Do You Do

With many customers hiding behind keyboards these days, theres been an increase of absurd and rude emails, and as a customer service advisor, youre going to receive the brunt of it. So, to judge whether your blood boils or whether you can win the customer over, interviewers typically ask this question.

When answering, explain how you will always remain sympathetic to the customer and will not take it personally when abuse is being hurled your way. You can use an example of when a customer has shouted at you in the past and how you stayed calm, let them vent and then helped solve their complaint.

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Why Do Retail Employers Ask Tough Interview Questions

Retail employers ask tough interview questions that some applicants may not expect when applying for a job thats traditionally viewed as something easily attainable. The reason is they want the position to be filled by someone who not only has the necessary skills but the willingness to commit to a job that has high turnover.

Tough questions help draw out details about who you are as a person and as an employee. Asking you to give a detailed description of yourself isnt exactly something you can do briefly, but there are interview questions that can draw out the same information. Additionally, employers will seek to understand your thought processes and experiences. Interview questions will challenge you to think logically and quickly or force you to solve problems on the fly regarding hypothetical situations.

Prepare Some Questions To Ask The Interviewer

As outlined above, the recruiter may ask you if you have any questions for them.

During your research, you can pick out an interesting aspect of the company to expand on with a question.

Does the website mention development opportunities, or is there any part of the job description you want to know more about?

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Why Are You Interested In This Role

The interviewer here wants to know how knowledgeable you are for this role. So, describe your past work experience and your career goals.

Sample Answer

I started my professional career as a retail store manager almost five years back. Also, I was the retail store manager in my previous company and performed my duties with pure hard work and dedication. Ever since I did my management course, I dreamt of working as a manager. I also love facing new challenges as it motivates me to work even harder.

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Could You Tell Me About Yourself And Describe Your Background In Brief

Interviewers like to hear stories about candidates. Make sure your story has a great beginning, a riveting middle, and an end that makes the interviewer root for you to win the job.

Talk about a relevant incident that made you keen on the profession you are pursuing and follow up by discussing your education. In the story, weave together how your academic training and your passion for the subject or industry the company specializes in, combined with your work experience, make you a great fit for the job. If youve managed a complex project or worked on an exciting, offbeat design, mention it.

Example: I come from a small town, where opportunities were limited. Since good schools were a rarity, I started using online learning to stay up to date with the best. Thats where I learned to code and then I went on to get my certification as a computer programmer. After I got my first job as a front-end coder, I continued to invest time in mastering both front- and back-end languages, tools, and frameworks.

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Tips For Passing The Retail Manager Interview

TIP #1 You will be asked behavioural interview questions at the Retail Manager interview that are focused on the key competencies required to perform the role to a high standard. These competencies include management skills, leadership abilities, working under pressure, achieving sale targets, managing store stock levels, working long and unsociable hours and also dealing with suppliers and stockists. We recommend you have specific examples of when you have already demonstrated all of these skills in a previous role.

TIP #2 When responding to interview questions detailed in TIP #1, we advise you make good use of the S.T.A.R. interview technique. This effectively means you will structure your answers using Situation, Task, Action and Result. When explaining the result of the situation to the job interview panel, always make it a positive outcome.

TIP #3 Managing and leading staff within the retail sector can be a tough experience, especially if you are new to the Retail Management role. Prior to the Retail Manager interview, think carefully about how you intend to motivate your staff to increase staff retention figures. Remember time spent recruiting and hiring staff is time spent away from managing the retail store.

QUESTION 1 Having researched your company, I see you have ambitious plans for the future. How could I help you in the role as Retail Manager to bring these plans to life and help you achieve your targets?

Q: Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Employer

A: State how you are looking for a new challenge, more responsibility, experience and a change of environment, and explain how the role on offer presents an opportunity for growth. Do not be negative in your reasons for leaving. Reflect positively on your current employer. It is rarely appropriate to cite salary as your primary motivator.

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Q: Tell Us About A Successful Team Project That You Have Been Involved In What Was Your Role And What Made It A Success

A: The interviewer is looking for your interpersonal skills. Outline the project objectives, your responsibilities and the actions you took to assist the group and finally outline the successful results. Show evidence of your contribution and how it was critical. Show how you value collaboration and teamwork, and your ability to work towards a shared purpose.

How To Answer Retail Job Interview Questions

During a retail job interview, your interviewers goal will be to get a sense of your personality and work style. Thatll help reveal if you’re a good fit for the company.

Answer questions about yourself honestly, but be mindful of creating the best possible impression.

Youll also likely get questions about your customer service abilities since retail jobs involve being around many people each day. Look for ways to show in your responses that you will prioritize the customer and provide strong customer service . Keep your interviewers in mind while giving your responses. What do they want to hear? Your responses should cater to that.

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Retail Interview Questions On A Fast

Can You Describe Why Customers Want To Shop Here

Interviewers in retail may ask this question to evaluate your understanding of their target consumer audience and the company’s overall brand. As a retail professional, you should possess some level of knowledge about the shopping experience the company offers. In your answer, discuss particularities about the shop and any meaningful observations you’ve made.

Example:’This shop seems to be all about providing a unique customer experience. At my local shop, there’s always a familiar floral scent that permeates the space and a hip soundtrack playing in the background. There are vintage art pieces and classic rock records scattered around the store. I think customers seek this forward-thinking, relaxing experience while browsing your shops and I hope to be able to help cultivate that for them.’

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Share With Us Your Greatest Achievement

Here, the interviewer wishes to know the one achievement that you find the greatest so far. Here you have to be choosy and wise. So, highlight only those accomplishments that will put you in the desirable position.

Sample Answer

In my last job, the retail store was facing massive trouble in reducing the store expenditure. Since the store had a high expense, the net profit also got affected. But I, with my knowledge and experience, reduced the expenditure. So, I consider this as my greatest achievement so far in my professional career.

Q: Tell Me About Yourself

A: This question is typically asked to break the ice. Use this opportunity to distinguish yourself from other candidates compelling the interviewer to learn more about you. Identify some of your main attributes and memorise them. Describe your qualifications, career history and range of skills, emphasising those skills relevant to the job on offer.

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