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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic team in managing merchandise and enhancing customer experiences.
- Company: Join Sainsbury's, a leading retailer passionate about food and customer service.
- Benefits: Enjoy discounts, free food, generous holidays, and wellbeing support.
- Why this job: Grow your leadership skills while making a real impact on customer satisfaction.
- Qualifications: Experience in management or supervision in a fast-paced environment is preferred.
- Other info: Clear career progression opportunities within Sainsbury's and its brands.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 ÂŁ per year.
Leading in our stores
Our management teams don’t just run stores – they’re the driving force behind our business. With bold leadership, a passion for service and an eye for opportunity, they empower teams to raise the bar every single day for our customers. Whether it\’s product availability, safety standards, or delivering seamless daily operations, they’re hands‑on, sleeves‑rolled‑up changemakers. And the impact? Work becomes more rewarding for our colleagues, and shopping becomes a next‑level experience for every customer who walks through our doors. This is how we bring our purpose to life, one powerful action at a time.
What you’ll be doing
- Taking responsibility for the management of all our non – food products ensuring they are presented fantastically to delight our customers.
- Ensure your area runs smoothly every day from the shop floor to the warehouse.
- People management is a big part of the role, managing performance and capability, conducting disciplinaries and ensuring scheduling and pay are accurate.
- At times you may assume overall responsibility for running the store, making sure that all colleagues are given direction and support to deliver for the customer.
What makes a great general merchandise manager
- Previous line management responsibilities in a fast‑paced, operational environment.
- Someone who is truly obsessed with customers and service, and coaches a team to do the same.
- Delivers KPI\’s or other performance indicators.
- Can manage disciplinaries, performance issues or other similar employee relations issues.
- Leads operations and comfortable doing this alone in the absence of more senior management.
Essential Criteria
- A track record of delivering exceptional customer experiences, with evidence of coaching others to consistently raise the bar.
- Experience leading teams in a dynamic, customer‑facing environment — you’ve inspired others, driven high performance, and created a culture where colleagues thrive.
- Leadership experience in a high‑volume, fast‑paced operational setting — whether in retail, food service, or hospitality — where you’ve overseen daily operations, solved business problems, and kept teams focused on what matters most: delivering for customers.
- Proven success in delivering against a wide range of KPIs — from sales and stock availability to customer satisfaction and colleague engagement, you’ve made a measurable difference.
- Experience managing complex people matters, including performance, absence, and formal employee relations cases, with confidence and fairness.
Working for us has great rewards
Salary will be dependent upon your experience as well as the store size, complexity and location. Alongside this, we also offer a great range of benefits for our managers, including:
- Discount card – 10% discount off on your shopping at Sainsbury’s, Argos, Tu and Habitat after four weeks. This increases to 15% discount off at Sainsbury’s every Friday and Saturday and 15% off at Argos every pay day.
- An annual bonus scheme based on our, and your, performance.
- Free food and hot drinks provided for Colleagues in all our stores.
- Generous holiday entitlement, maternity and paternity leave.
- Pension – we’ll match 4-7.5% of your pension contributions.
- Sainsbury’s share scheme – build up an investment at discounted rates.
- Wellbeing support – access to emotional support, counselling, legal and financial advice.
- Colleague networks – link with like‑minded people to help fulfil your potential.
- Our Cycle to Work scheme gives you the opportunity to hire a new bike and cycling equipment, whilst saving on tax and NI.
- Special offers on gym memberships, restaurants, holidays, retail vouchers and more.
An inclusive place to work and shop
We are dedicated to being a truly inclusive retailer, where every colleague can achieve their full potential and every customer feels welcome when they shop with us. To support this commitment, our colleagues may be entitled to a range of enhanced discretionary leave for families, as well as support for carers. We provide our colleagues resources to help them understand and support their role and their team effectively. Our internal colleague networks seek to ensure true representation for everyone, helping us identify and remove barriers that our colleagues may face. We are proud to offer a range of development opportunities, including mentorship, training, and career progression pathways, to help our colleagues grow and succeed. We also celebrate diversity through various initiatives and events, fostering a culture of inclusion and respect. If you would like to learn more about our commitment to inclusivity, please take a look here.
Should you require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview stages, please let us know, and we will endeavour to support you.
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General Merchandise Manager employer: Sainsbury's
Contact Detail:
Sainsbury's Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land General Merchandise Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the General Merchandise sector, especially the brands like TU and Habitat. Understanding their product lines and customer demographics will help you speak confidently about how you can enhance the shopping experience.
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your leadership skills by discussing any previous experiences where you've successfully managed a team. Be ready to share specific examples of how you motivated your team and improved performance in a fast-paced environment.
✨Tip Number 3
Demonstrate your passion for customer service by preparing to discuss how you would handle various customer scenarios. Think about ways to put yourself in the customers' shoes and how you can train your team to do the same.
✨Tip Number 4
Be proactive in showing your tech-savviness. Familiarise yourself with digital tools used in stock management and scheduling, as this is crucial for the role. Mention any relevant software or systems you’ve used in the past.
We think you need these skills to ace General Merchandise Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in management and customer service. Emphasise any supervisory roles you've held and how you've developed teams or improved customer experiences.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for food retail and leadership. Mention specific examples of how you've successfully managed teams and contributed to positive outcomes in previous roles.
Showcase Your People Skills: Since the role focuses on people development, include examples of how you've trained or mentored team members. Highlight your ability to give constructive feedback and create a supportive work environment.
Demonstrate Your Tech Savvy: Mention any experience you have with digital tools related to stock management or scheduling. This shows that you're aligned with Sainsbury's commitment to technology in their operations.
How to prepare for a job interview at Sainsbury's
✨Show Your Leadership Skills
As a General Merchandise Manager, demonstrating your leadership abilities is crucial. Be prepared to discuss specific examples of how you've successfully managed teams in the past, focusing on how you developed your team members and improved their performance.
✨Understand the Customer Experience
Since this role heavily emphasises customer service, make sure you can articulate how you would enhance the shopping experience. Think about ways to put yourself in the customers' shoes and be ready to share ideas on improving service delivery.
✨Familiarise Yourself with Technology
Sainsbury's values technology in its operations. Brush up on any relevant digital tools or systems you’ve used in previous roles, especially those related to stock management and scheduling, as this will show your readiness to adapt to their tech-driven environment.
✨Prepare for Situational Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills and ability to handle challenges. Prepare scenarios where you had to make quick decisions or manage conflicts within your team, highlighting your approach and the outcomes.
