You love comparison shopping, even when you’re not buying. You day dream about ordering the latest fashions and gadgets — from sporting goods to haute couture, tablet computers to linens. A career in retail management could be right for you. If you think it might be, then completing an online bachelor’s degree program in retail management is a great way to advance, while you work.
Bachelor’s Degree Typical Coursework
Online bachelor’s degree programs in sales and marketing management vary, but you can expect to take some interesting courses in:
- Buying
- Microconomics
- Finance and accounting
- Business administration
- Visual merchandising and store design
- Retail operations
- Relationship marketing
- Franchising
- Consumer behavior
- Retail technology
- Logistics management
A bachelor’s degree in sales and marketing management can help you reach your goal of opening a boutique, or becoming the general or district manager of your favorite retail chain.
Career Outlook
While a degree doesn’t guarantee you a job, for May 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported these median annual salaries and professional titles for sales and marketing managers:
- Supervisors/managers of retail sales workers oversee sales workers in a retail establishment or department. Duties might include purchasing, budgeting, accounting and personnel paperwork. May 2014 mean annual salaries:
- General merchandise: $35,900
- Grocery stores: $41,180
- Clothing stores: $41,410
- Supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers directly supervise and coordinate activities of retail sales workers. They are often responsible for budgeting, accounting and personnel work. May 2014 mean annual salary for supervisors/managers in non-retail sales workers: $84,010
- Advertising sales agents sell or solicit advertising, including graphic art, advertising space in publications, custom made signs, TV and radio advertising time. They may obtain leases for outdoor advertising sites or persuade retailers to use sales promotion display items. May 2014 average annual salary for advertising sales agents:$60,910
- Customer service representatives link customers and companies that produce the products consumers buy and services they use. Customer service reps are responsible for responding to customer inquiries and making sure that any problems they experience are resolved. May 2014 average annual salary for customer service representatives: $33,890
Many people are attracted to retail employment and look to supplement their resumes with a bachelor’s degree in sales and marketing. As a result, there can be significant competition for jobs in this field.
Let WorldWideLearn arm you with the information you need to find the best online bachelor’s degree program in retail management — or any other subject that interests you. For information on similar degree programs, visit our Guide to College Majors, where you can also explore business majors, restaurant management, hospitality management, marketing majors, fashion design and more.
You also can browse below and compare online bachelor’s degree programs in retail management. Should you see a program that interests you, fill out the online form and a representative from that degree program will contact you.
Don’t sit back and wait for your future to arrive. Pursue higher education today and ensure better opportunities tomorrow.
Sources
“First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers,” U.S. Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2014, July 25, 2015, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes411011
“First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers,” U.S. Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2014, July 25, 2015, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes411012
“Advertising Sales Agents,” U.S. Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2014, July 25, 2015, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes413011
“Customer Service Representatives,” U.S. Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2014, July 25, 2015, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes434051