Transferable Skills from Retail: Moving from the Floor to the Office

We learn something new from every experience. And we take what we learned into every new experience. This is true in life—and also when it comes to your career. 

Employers are looking for graduates who have transferable skills when transitioning from college into an entry-level position. A career path isn't always a straight line, and companies need people who can think outside of the box and use their retail experience in their new career. Retail skills like time management, problem solving, attention to detail and teamwork are all essential and highly-transferable skills for a professional career.

In my previous role as a corporate recruiter, I interviewed candidates that didn’t have experience in the role they were applying for, but they were able to explain how their skills would transition for the role. This can be even more impressive than a more qualified candidate who can't explain how their experience applies.

Here are seven transferable retail skills employers in almost any industry will want to see—but especially so if you are interested in a corporate or business role in an office.

1. Communication and interpersonal skills

Retail positions tend to include lots of communication and customer service. This demands interpersonal skills.

What this looks like in retail

Effective communication matters within your team itself and also externally with customers. The sales associates on the floor are the biggest assets for the company. They are the ones who build relationships with the customers as soon as they walk in the door. They handle complaints in a friendly but firm way, and they jump from one person to another for most of the day.

When I first started working in retail sales as a college student, I observed how the experienced sales associates related with their customers. They knew some of the customers by name because they had been shopping at the store for a long time. This allowed the retail associates to shorten the sales process because they already knew the likes and dislikes of the customer. 

Why employers like seeing this

Sales associates who have experience on the sales floor can easily transfer their communication skills to an office setting. Associates are good at reading people and talking with them to discover what they need.

That is extremely valuable in roles where you need to present to leadership, work with colleagues or clients. (Most roles, basically). Understanding customer and client needs or frustrations can be a useful guide to many different careers in business.

In a management position, sales associates are able to utilize this same skillset when developing their own sales team. They are able to effectively communicate with their team and pick the right type of employee for each position.

2. Problem-solving skills

In retail sales, critical thinking and problem-solving skills are a requirement in order to meet sales goals. There are many issues that come up during your shift that you have to figure out how to handle.

It's important to be able to pivot and think outside of the box when meeting the needs of a customer.

What this looks like in retail

In retail, I encountered plenty of situations where my store did not have the item my customer needed. Instead of letting the customer walk out of the store and head to the competitor down the street, I had to put my thinking cap on and utilize my resources.

I was able to call another store location and have them ship the item to our location. The customer was happy, and our store retained the sale—problem solved!

Why employers like seeing this

These types of critical thinking skills are easily transferable to the office. When I moved into an office role, problem-solving skills allowed me to coordinate with other departments in order to get what I needed for a client.

It helped me to improvise and pivot in emergency situations. Critical thinking is one of the soft skills that will not only make a huge difference to your future career, but to your life in general.

3. Cultural competence

Bias is bad for business. The retail sales environment is very diverse. Your coworkers are from different paths of life and bring various types of experience to the team. In retail sales, your customer base is very diverse as well.

What this looks like in retail

When working on the sales floor, you do not know who is going to walk in the door, so you have to be able to talk to anyone and not prejudge them based on their appearance.

This isn't just about professionalism, but also about understanding how your biases (which we all have) might push you into harmful assumptions if you leave them unchallenged.

I have worked with colleagues who did not want to help customers because they did not look like they were going to buy anything. Ask yourself for a moment, what does a customer who intends to purchase something look like?

These colleagues had personal biases and prejudices that kept them from treating everyone equally, and that sometimes affected their sales goals. You really don't know the mind of every customer who comes in, and sometimes the customers you write off are actually the ones with the means to purchase anything in the store. 

As a customer myself, I have visited stores where I wasn’t acknowledged by the salespeople because I am a minority. And although I had intentions and the means to make a purchase, I decided not to based on how I was treated.

But there are experienced retail associates who have learned to remove their biases and treat each customer the same no matter what. They learned this lesson the hard way through the loss of sales or via customer complaints to management. You might need to educate yourself on what cultural competence means and how it applies to your environment. But that education is well worth it.

Why employers like seeing this

Cultural competence can be transferred from the sales floor to the office. In today’s market, international relationships and businesses that span the globe are increasingly common.

Skills in cultural competence, second and third languages, and professionalism when you are faced with people who do not share your assumptions can take you a long way. Additionally, many employers see cultural competence and know that it's a skill connected to emotional intelligence and strong communication.

4. Ethics & professional responsibility

Working in retail requires associates to be accountable and honest. You carry the responsibility for handling large amounts of cash from customers.

What this looks like in retail

Customers entrust you with their credit card and personal information (such as social security numbers to run credit checks or gathering their income information for credit approvals). When a customer walks into the store, they trust the sales associate to protect their private and sensitive information. 

While working in retail as an associate (and in management), I have witnessed many people lose their jobs due to theft. Typically, the management and security teams watch an employee or group of employees over a period of time before confronting them with evidence for termination.

Dealing with sensitive financial information from customers can be very enticing for some people. That’s why it’s important to do what is right even when you think no one is looking. 

Why employers like seeing this

Here's a real-life example. Antwan recently transitioned from the retail sector into an office position. He notices that his new team members will only sell products to customers that pay the highest commissions.

When Antwan asks one of his co-workers about it, they say it doesn’t matter because their team doesn't have relationships with each customer—it’s a one-time sales transaction.

Antwan feels uneasy about this because when he worked in retail, he saw his customers every day and built relationships with them. He got to know them personally, and it really helped him to focus on selling them what they needed instead of on his commission.

Because of Antwan’s previous experience, he knew that providing excellent customer service and doing right by the customer was most important. He brought his ethics into his new career, and it actually helped him to get promoted at his new company.

His managers promoted him so he could teach other employees how to deliver excellent customer service as well. 

5. Information literacy

Information literacy isn't just about digital information. It's also about critically using and evaluating data. Think of it as the ability to ask the right questions, do research, and share the results with customers. Customers often come in not knowing what they want, and it's a retail worker's responsibility to ask the right questions and find the right item.

What this looks like in retail

For example, Mr. Johnson is looking for a new television. His sales associate, Ashley, asks discovery questions to help her identify his needs and wants. Next, she must conduct a search on various reputable sites in order to find the televisions that would meet his requirements. Since the store is busy, and there are other customers waiting, Ashley must move quickly, but she is able to find the right television for Mr. Johnson.

After he receives the item, he completes a store survey and raves about how thorough Ashley was with the information she found. He was very satisfied with his purchase and even returned a week later to purchase a speaker system from Ashley as well.

Why employers like seeing this

Information literacy, navigating research using reputable sources and efficiently finding data to present, is a very useful skill in business careers. This skill involves knowing how to learn, how to find answers and adjust to new systems or platforms. It also involves being able to tell the difference between a reputable source and information that could be false, corrupt or propaganda.

You won’t be able to just ask ChatGPT to give you market research.

In an industry where so much of what you do will involve information, staying literate in these areas is key. You won't be able to run to a computer technician or information expert for every little issue you face.

6. Time management

When you have a long list of things to accomplish in retail, you often have to create your own process and prioritize the right things to get everything done in time. Of all the skills you bring to an employer, this one is often the most overlooked. But it's critical!

What this looks like in retail

In the retail industry, you often need to take initiative. Few things in this life will come with an easy step-by-step list you merely have to follow as ordered. And even on the days when you do have a pretty clear process, things just tend to come up, throwing your plans out of balance.

Why employers like seeing this

A hiring manager will want to know how you can prioritize a list of responsibilities and be able to meet deadlines. Project management is its own entire career field, and employees in most careers need to be able to handle their time allotments, meet deadlines and provide status updates on their work.

7. Sales and marketing skills

The final set of transferable skills from retail to an office setting is sales skills and marketing. In the retail sector where you deal with customers on a daily basis, you are honing your sales and marketing skills even if you aren't aware.

What this looks like in retail

For example, let's say you realized that the jewelry sells better when you move it by the register, and you've sold twice as many flip-flops when you mention that they are half off when the customer is checking out. That's marketing right there.

Why employers like seeing this

Overall, retail salespeople typically transition well to other work environments and industries. They are used to challenging sales goals and rising to those challenges. They understand how to use product knowledge, discounts and timing to be persuasive.

I can't think of a single role where persuasion wouldn't be useful.

Apply your retail experience in a business career

Now you know how your retail experience can apply to a new job. The world of business is huge, and there's something for pretty much everyone.

See which area of business might be best for you, and check out The Beginner's Guide to Different Types of Business Degrees.