Free Downloadable Retail Resume Templates and Expert Writing Tips

9 Retail Resume Examples

There is no one single way of writing a resume that works for every type of candidate. Depending on your level of experience, amount of skills and your position in your career, you will write your resume using one of the three resume formats: chronological, combination and functional. These formats help you demonstrate the depth of your retail skills and accomplishments, and at the same time downplay your limitations.

To understand the pros and cons of each of these formats, we have included a retail resume example to aid your learning.

Chronological Resume

If you have more than a decade of experience in the retail industry, the chronological resume is ideal for you. This format focuses on your extensive work history by listing your accomplishments and achievements over the years.

We’ve included a few examples for various retail positions depicting different employee circumstances, which you can use as a reference when writing your resume.

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  1. Retail manager: Retail managers must possess the right balance of managerial, administrative and people skills for the smooth operation of their shop. This resume example efficiently utilizes design to highlight a professional experience of five years by detailing accomplishments and achievements.
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  2. Store manager: Store managers are highly trained individuals with a knack for handling all aspects concerning store operations. This compact chronological design reveals Taylor Brown’s extensive work history, skills and education concisely. If your professional situation is similar to Taylor Brown's, personalize this format befitting your profile.
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  3. VIP sales manager: This role demands intricate attention to customer relationship building and maintenance for a personalized shopping experience. In Leslie Torres’ case, this layout is ideal as it helps to highlight her consistent career growth and skills acquired through different roles. Use this design if you want to demonstrate the extent of your role as a retail professional.

Combination Resume

Similar to a chronological format, the combination resume also includes the same sections. However, the difference lies in positioning the skills section before the work history, stressing the importance of both equally. Unlike the chronological format, this layout exposes the employer’s attention first toward your supervising, customer-centric and management skills and then to your professional experiences.

A combination retail resume is most suitable for candidates with less than a decade of experience but with a strong skill set. We’ve shared a few examples to understand the utilization of this layout below:

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  1. Cashier: This straightforward resume example highlights Xavier Evans' extensive skill set and then proceeds to display his work experience. If you have some experience that doesn't quite relate to a cashier position, you might want to choose the combination format to show employers you have all the skills needed to excel.
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  2. Greeter: In Avery Smith’s case, this combination resume equally highlights her diverse skill set and work history. The skill section preceding the work history familiarizes the recruiter with the applicant's abilities without ignoring the work experience. If your professional scenario aligns with this case, choose this resume.
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  3. Retail sales associate: Highly organized individuals who help perform routine clerical and administrative tasks such as scheduling and organizing appointments, supporting staff with organizational tasks, and managing office files.

Functional Resume

The functional format is the least known format, but it works wonders for inexperienced candidates. Instead of listing your work history accomplishments as the most important information, the skills section becomes the focus of this resume.

Candidates that need to downplay their little to no experience — think: recent graduates, applicants to entry-level positions and students — benefit from this skills-based resume. Check out the following functional resume examples to get a better idea of how to write one.

We strongly recommend using this format for the following scenarios:

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  1. Cashier entry-level: This smart, functional design is ideal for Scott Wilson who has minimal experience as a cashier. This format draws the focus away from work history by showcasing his professional skills in a detailed manner. You can adopt this design to list your abilities while drawing focus away from limited professional exposure relevant to the role.
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  2. Fitting room associate: The functional format is a favorite for entry-level roles like a fitting room associate. Through a detailed description of qualifications and professional skills, the attention is pulled away from the candidate's limited experience.
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  3. Retail sales associate: This modern and compact functional resume demonstrates relevant professional abilities and qualifications for a retail sales associate position. Erica Jones maximizes her role-specific skills by including quantifiable metrics to support her claims. If you are a retail professional with minimal expertise, go with this resume example.