How to Manage a Clothing Store
How to Manage a Clothing Store. If you love clothes and shopping, you probably spend a lot of time in clothing stores. What you may not realize, though, is how much hard work and skill it takes to manage a clothing retail store. Read on and let us help you decide if you have what it takes to manage a clothing boutique.
Decide what kind of clothes you want to sell in your boutique. Of course, managers make this decision with owners. Having a marketing or fashion merchandising education is very beneficial to clothing store managers, since market research determines the kind of clothes your store is most likely to sell.
Set the prices for your merchandise. Again, owners will participate in this decision. Clothing store managers must take factors like mark-ups, pricing margins, strategic pricing techniques and discounts into account when they price the clothes and accessories in their stores.
Hire and manage staff. Usually, hiring and day-to-day management of employees are the sole responsibility of the managers. A clothing store manager must become well versed in interview techniques, performance evaluation, effective scheduling, conflict resolution and basic employment law.
Prevent theft and merchandise loss. In addition to employing theft-prevention methods like electronic tags and store surveillance, clothing store managers must take measures to prevent damage to the store's merchandise.
Sell clothes. Clothing store managers must participate in the store's advertising and marketing strategies, which sometimes involves creating advertising campaigns, hosting after-hours events in the stores and initiating loyalty programs for the customers.
Keep track of and account for the daily sales. Accounting methods vary from store to store, but managers are usually responsible for keeping careful track of inventory, sales and daily percentages.