General Merchandise Department Manager

At Hy-Vee our people are our strength. We promise “a helpful smile in every aisle” and those smiles can only come from a workforce that is fully engaged and committed to supporting our customers and each other.

Job Description:

Job Title: GM Department Manager

Department: General Merchandise

FLSA: Non-Exempt

General Function:

Sets the department standards for customer service, employee relations, cleanliness, sanitation, professional appearance and overall profitability. Coordinates the delivery of the best quality product at a competitive retail price.

Core Competencies

• Partnerships
• Growth mindset
• Results oriented
• Customer focused
• Professionalism

Reporting Relations:

Accountable and Reports to: District Store Director, Store Manager, Assistant Manager of; Health Wellness Home, Store Operations, and Perishables

Positions that Report to you: GM Department Employees

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Maintains a positive attitude; creates an atmosphere of friendliness and fun through flexibility and teamwork.
• Generates a friendly atmosphere by encouraging employees to greet and speak to customers; providing prompt, courteous, and efficient service to customers and sets a good example.
• Sets the department standards for customer service, employee relations, cleanliness, sanitation, professional appearance and overall profitability.
• Provides prompt, efficient and friendly customer service by exhibiting caring, concern and patience in all customer interactions and treating customers as the most important people in the store.
• Smiles and greets customers in a friendly manner, whether the encounter takes place in the employee’s designated department or elsewhere in the store.
• Makes an effort to learn customers’ names and to address them by name whenever possible.
• Assists customers by: (examples include)
  • escorting them to the products they’re looking for
  • securing products that are out of reach
  • loading or unloading heavy items
  • making note of and passing along customer suggestions or requests
  • performing other tasks in every way possible to enhance the shopping experience.
• Answers the telephone promptly when called upon, and provides friendly, helpful service to customers who call.
• Recruits, hires, trains, supervises, disciplines, and evaluates all department employees.
• Determines department goals with store director.
• Determines weekly work schedule and establishes a daily work plan for the department.
• Inspects signage and displays for quality and quantity of merchandise and orders product for replenishment.
• Communicates with employees regarding sales and ideas.
• Handles and satisfies customer issues.
• Figures retail pricing and insures correct pricing.
• Extends invoices, posts invoices, and oversees department bookkeeping procedures.
• Analyzes weekly and monthly sales and trends and compares to actuals, prepares ad projections, and write ads.
• Conducts inventory of the department.
• Plans displays, promotions, and determines pre-orders.
• Insures proper temperatures and storage procedures are maintained to guarantee freshness and control shrink of product.
• Understands and troubleshoots equipment and ensures maintenance is performed.
• Maintains strict adherence to department and company guidelines related to personal hygiene and dress.
• Adheres to company policies and individual store guidelines.
• Reports to work when scheduled and works expected number of hours.

Secondary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Ensures pricing is competitive in the market area.
• Attends meetings and seminars and participates in continuing education.
• Fills displays and works in the sales area.
• Unloads trucks, checks in delivered merchandise and places product in appropriate storage area.
• Performs departmental duties as needed.
• Assists in other areas of the store as needed.
• Performs other job related duties and special projects as required.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Instructing, assigning, reviewing, and planning the work of others, maintaining standards, allocating personnel, and coordinating the activities of others.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Worker Characteristics:

• Must have the ability to solve practical problems; variety of variables with limited standardization; interpret instructions.
• Ability to do arithmetic calculations involving fractions, decimals, and percentages.