What Does a Stocker Do?
Every day, millions of people will go to thousands of stores to obtain goods. Anticipating and maintaining supply while keeping the store organized and clean is no simple task. On top of this, fielding customer questions and concerns is a vital component of this position.
The stocker is responsible for the stocking, pricing, and organization of products, as well as their storage and display. They’ll need to manage the cleanliness and organization of the floor while maintaining the supply and organization of the backroom. Further, they’ll need to unload and catalog received goods.
These professionals should have strong attention to detail and top-notch customer service skills. They’ll need to be great at working with a team and have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. Possessing a forklift license, computer skills, the ability to lift heavy merchandise, and a flexible work schedule are all pluses.
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National Average Salary
Stocker salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. To explore salary ranges by local market, please visit our sister site zengig.com.
The average U.S. salary for a Stocker is:
$33,990
Stocker Job Descriptions
It’s important to include the right content in your job description when hiring a stocker. The following examples can serve as templates for attracting the best available talent for your team.
Example 1
The stocker helps provide and deliver the right products to our customers by safely unloading merchandise from incoming freight, moving it to the sales floor, and stocking departments. This associate handles all types of materials, replaces damaged shelving, keeps the backroom organized, and ensures equipment is charged. Additionally, this associate organizes merchandise and top stock to set up stores for sales success. To be successful, the associate must understand and prepare for the physical demands of moving merchandise for the majority of his/her shift.
Typical duties and responsibilities
- Receive and unload goods delivered to the store
- Do inventory and verify product counts
- Stock retail shelves, making sure labels are clear and visible
- Maintain and stock product displays, ensuring products are properly rotated, organized, stocked, labeled, and clean
- Ensure prices are clearly displayed and correct
- Review and analyze productivity and discuss loss prevention with management
- Mark items with identifying codes, such as price, stock, or inventory control codes
- Assist customers with queries
- Fill customers online and phone orders by retrieving ordered merchandise
- Prepare merchandise for shipment
- Replenish inventory
- Replace damaged or missing products
- Operate forklift
Education and experience
- High school diploma or GED
- Previous retail or warehouses experience preferable
Required skills and qualifications
- Basic math skills
- Ability to stand for long hours
- Able to lift heavy merchandise
- Ability to work under pressure
- Strong organizational skills
- Friendly disposition
Preferred qualifications
- Experience working with computers
- Experience operating a forklift
- Experience in receiving, handling, and stocking in a retail or warehouse environment
Example 2
Position responsibilities
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.
- Be responsible for the maintenance and inventory across the entire ABC Company
- Ensure merchandise is properly stocked, priced, and displayed to create a great presentation for our guests
- Process register transactions in a way that creates a great experience for each guest
- Be proficient within our selling model and support guest interactions as needed
- Have a strong interest in animal welfare and support animal care procedures to maintain pet health
- Complete and apply training programs to maintain a high level of expertise of their role
- Promote a positive culture of teamwork, inclusion, and collaboration
- Adhere to established operational guidelines, policies, and procedures
- Complete other duties and special projects as assigned
- Evaluate guest inquiries and refers to the Leader on Duty as needed
Other essential duties
- UTILIZE SELLING BEHAVIORS. You’re the key to providing an amazing guest experience within our ABC Company Locations. Utilizing the behaviors within our Sales Model is critical to being able to identify and solve for their needs both today and in the future.
- CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. You’ll be empowered through our training programs to maintain our safety protocols. Bottom line, the safety of partners, guests, and pets is our #1 priority.
- BE A PART OF A COLLABORATIVE CULTURE. Being a great teammate is key to creating a culture that is centered around solving for the health and wellness needs of pets.
- ENGAGE IN YOUR CAREER: As you develop your skills and knowledge, you will have the opportunity to participate in developmental programs to support your continued growth throughout your career.
Basic qualifications
- Minimum high school diploma (its equivalency i.e. GED) or the equivalent work experience
- A qualified applicant will be required to demonstrate proficiency in the areas of mathematics, and above average communication skills
- In addition to having a professional appearance and demeanor, applicants must also demonstrate a keen and genuine interest in animals and their care
- Good interpersonal and verbal communication skills are necessary due to the nature of interaction with the public and other partners and leaders within the store
Education/skills
In addition to a high school diploma or its equivalent (GED), an applicant must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the areas of mathematics and basic accounting relationships and exhibit exceptional communication skills.
Example 3
Responsibilities:
- Stock cases of merchandise onto shelves for order selectors
- Read merchandise orders from a RF unit which will include: item locations, descriptions, and quantity needed
- Select and prepare (cut box tops and plastic from inner packaging) needed cases of product and place in a designated location
- Move boxes of merchandise (up to 30-50 pounds) using safe lifting techniques
- Cross train in other warehouse tasks
- Physically requirements include constantly standing, bending, reaching and climbing stairs
Required qualifications:
- Must be at least 18 years of age
- Must be able to read and write in English
- Able to work overtime
Preferred qualifications:
- Previous warehouse experience
Education:
- High school diploma or equivalent required
Example 4
Merchandising:
- Monitors and ensures that product areas are stocked, rotated and displayed to ensure freshness, appeal, and easy customer access
- Complies with company guidelines for maximizing sales, profitability, and customer service by ensuring all grocery deliveries are accurate, stocked, attractively displayed, and priced correctly
- Completes build-to’s for ordering/purchasing merchandise
- Maintains inventory by checking in delivery, pricing items, stocking merchandise according to schematic
- Deliveries are validated by verifying invoices; reviewing discrepancies with Store Manager; delivers outdated merchandise to Store Manager to ensure what the store is being charged verifies with what was delivered
- Prepares displays by assembling, dating and price marking in-store displays
Customer satisfaction:
- Provides prompt excellent customer service in a courteous, friendly and attentive manner
- Greets customers as they enter the area and thanks customers as they leave
- Resolves or assists to resolve routine customer concerns within established guidelines
- Reports to work on time and follows the dress and appearance code
Facility condition:
- Maintains safe and clean work environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations
- Sweeping and mopping or cleaning floors
- Dusting and/or washing windows, counters, displays, store areas, and bathrooms
- Picking up and disposing of trash, litter, or debris
- Inspect store facilities and equipment for safety, cleanliness, and proper working order
- Cleaning/checking equipment including the coffee machines, beverage, ice, or other refrigeration units, and other machines, tools, and work aids used
Administrative:
- Attends job-related meetings (may be required to work irregular hours)
- Assists in maintaining proper inventory levels and shift audits
- Maintains intradepartmental work flow by fostering a spirit of cooperation
- Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed
- Performs all duties with minimal supervision
- Provides regular and predicable onsite attendance
- Performs other duties as assigned by the Store Manager
Job requirements:
- Minimum age of 16 years old
- High school diploma or GED preferred
- Experience in retail sales preferred
- Ability to work as scheduled including arriving to work on time
- Ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand
- Ability to perform the four (4) basic arithmetic operations (add, subtract, multiply, and divide) preferred
- Ability to perform essential duties and physical functions described below
- Ability to work in the conditions described below
Physical requirements:
- Ability to be exposed to cold or warm temperature extremes performing occasional work in a walk-in cooler and/or freezer and outdoors
- Ability to occasionally lift and/or carry up to 30 pounds from ground to overhead (i.e., assisting in stocking/maintaining inventory levels)
- Ability to occasionally lift and/or carry up to 50 pounds from ground to waist (i.e., to replenish fountain syrups)
- Ability to grasp, reach, and manipulate objects with hands for entire shift. (This handwork requires eye-hand coordination.)
- Ability to push/pull with arms up to a force of 20 pounds (i.e., utilizing a hand-truck)
- Able to reach overhead for objects
- Ability to bend and twist at waist
- Ability to communicate orally
- Ability to operate a cash register and/or computer keyboard
- Ability to stoop, kneel, squat, bend, push, and pull
- Ability to work alone
- Be exposed to occasional noise
- Ability to stand and/or walk for an entire shift
- May require climbing a ladder to store and retrieve materials or place and remove signs
Work environment:
- Perform approximately 95% of all work indoors, but will be required to clean parking lots, gas pumps, take out garbage, etc.
- Take out the garbage during the day or early evening hours, etc.
- Exposure to extreme cold temperatures while performing occasional work in a walk in cooler and/or freezer
- Exposure to occasional noise
- Work with minimum direction and periodic supervision
Candidate Certification to Look For
OSHA Compliant Forklift Certification
The OSHA forklift certification demonstrates the ability to safely and successfully operate a forklift. To earn the OSHA Compliant Forklift Certification, candidates must be 18 years of age, pass an online exam, and confirm that they have gained experience operating and driving a forklift per OSHA guidelines. If a candidate does not have experience, they must obtain practical, hands-on experience through their place of employment. Recertification courses are also available.
Sample Interview Questions
- Describe your experience with organizing and stocking shelves.
- Describe your process for handling incoming stock and unpacking and organizing merchandise.
- How do you ensure products are displayed properly, shelves are clean and well-maintained, and products are easy to access?
- Describe your experience using inventory management software.
- Have you previously used barcode scanners or other inventory management tools? If so, please describe how and where you used them.
- Do you have retail or warehouse experience?
- When is the appropriate moment to approach a customer?
- How would you prioritize your work if you were asked to perform multiple tasks?
- How should goods be arranged on a shelf?
- Can you work the third shift or overnight?
- Can you lift at least 70 pounds?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- What’s the most important part of being a stocker?
- What is the most difficult situation you have had to face and how did you handle it?
- What did you like and dislike about your previous job?
- What is your biggest strength?
- What is your greatest weakness?
- Do you work better individually or in a team environment?
- Can you describe an accomplishment you are most proud of?
- Describe a recent experience you’ve had working with your hands.
- Are you familiar with taking inventory and identifying items for reordering? What factors do you consider before reordering?
- Share an example of when you went above and beyond to get the job done.
- Can you tell us of a time when your attention to detail and thoroughness made a positive impact?
- Do you have experience stocking shelves?