At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic supermarket team to ensure excellent customer service and operational success.
- Company: Join Sainsbury’s, a leading retailer committed to making good food accessible for everyone.
- Benefits: Enjoy perks like private healthcare, discounts, free food, and generous holiday entitlement.
- Why this job: Be part of an inclusive culture that values leadership, growth, and community impact.
- Qualifications: Experience in retail management with strong leadership and customer service skills required.
- Other info: Opportunities for mentorship and career development in a supportive environment.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
What you’ll be doing:Our Supermarket Store Managers lead large, complex operations. They’re accountable for the success of a store and ensuring we deliver on our purpose to make good food, joyful, accessible and affordable for everyone, every day. Our operations are made up of hundreds of colleagues and a management team which our Store Managers lead to ensure we provide brilliant service standards and deliver on our commitments to our customers. Retail’s ever evolving with new business initiatives and change programmes and there are always difficult decisions to be made. It’s a job with a lot of responsibility but also one that can be highly rewarding.
What makes a brilliant Store Manager: Our best Store Managers do everything, every day for our customers. Ensuring they deliver brilliant customer experiences and are constantly striving to improve the customer journey. Have significant experience leading an operation with accountabilities for delivering customer, financial and organisational outcomes. An established leader who role models excellent service and business values through teams of managers and colleagues. Uses data and insight to inform longer term planning, improve performance or customer experience and/or KPI’s. Experience managing complex ER cases including dismissals, confident in understanding and interpreting HR policies. Can lead through change, delivering high engagement on change purpose whilst managing team wellbeing. Essential Criteria Our best store managers do everything, every day for our customers. You\’ll show how you deliver brilliant customer experiences and have improved customer journeys. 5S Only You’ve run an operation end-to-end, managing teams of colleagues and managers, owning customer experience, financial results, and team performance. 6S Only You\’ve managed your own high volume, fast paced, site (or perhaps a number of them) owning the end to end journey for products and customers and being responsible for the customer, financial and team outcomes. You use data and insight to shape long-term plans and drive improvements across KPIs. You’re confident handling complex people matters, including dismissals, and you apply HR policies with fairness and integrity. You’ve built and developed teams — coaching managers, unlocking potential, and creating a customer-centric culture where people thrive. You’ve led teams through change, keeping engagement high and wellbeing front and centre. You lead by example — living values and inspiring your team to deliver brilliant service every day. 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: Private Healthcare – Eligible for single cover and to upgrade annually to family cover 6S ONLY Car allowance – You’re eligible to receive a company car cash benefit. 5S ONLY Interest free car loan of up to £10,000. An annual bonus scheme based on our, and your, performance. 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. Free food and hot drinks provided for Colleagues in all our stores. Generous holiday entitlement, maternity and paternity leave. 6S ONLY Pension – we’ll match 4% of your contributions and if you want to pay more you’ll receive more from us. 5S ONLY Pension – we’ll match 4-7.5% of your pension contributions. Sainsbury’s share scheme – build up an investment at discounted prices. Wellbeing support – access to emotional support, counselling, legal and financial advice. Colleague networks – link with like-minded people to help fulfil your potential. Cycle to Work scheme – hire a new bike and cycling equipment, whilst saving on tax and NI. Special offers on gym memberships, restaurants, holidays, retail vouchers and more. 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.
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 .
Should you require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview stages, please let us know, and we will endeavour to support you.
Store Manager - Supermarket employer: Sainsbury's
Contact Detail:
Sainsbury's Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Store Manager - Supermarket
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in retail management and customer service. Understanding what makes a successful supermarket operation will help you demonstrate your knowledge during interviews.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with current or former Store Managers in the industry. They can provide valuable insights into the role and may even refer you to opportunities within their networks.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss specific examples of how you've led teams through change and improved customer experiences. Real-life stories will showcase your leadership skills and ability to adapt.
✨Tip Number 4
Research our company values and inclusivity efforts. Being able to articulate how your personal values align with ours will make a strong impression during the interview process.
We think you need these skills to ace Store Manager - Supermarket
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights your leadership experience in retail, particularly in managing large teams and complex operations. Use specific examples that demonstrate your ability to improve customer experiences and achieve financial outcomes.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that showcases your passion for the supermarket industry and your understanding of the company's values. Mention how your experience aligns with their commitment to excellent service and continuous improvement.
Highlight Relevant Skills: In your application, emphasise skills such as data analysis for performance improvement, HR policy application, and change management. These are crucial for the Store Manager role and will set you apart from other candidates.
Prepare for Potential Questions: Anticipate questions related to your experience with team management, customer service excellence, and handling complex employee relations cases. Prepare examples that illustrate your problem-solving abilities and leadership style.
How to prepare for a job interview at Sainsbury's
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Store Manager, you'll be leading a large team. Be prepared to discuss your leadership style and provide examples of how you've successfully managed teams in the past. Highlight any specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to inspire and motivate others.
✨Understand the Customer Journey
Familiarise yourself with the customer experience in supermarkets. Be ready to talk about how you would enhance this journey and ensure excellent service standards. Use data and insights to back up your ideas on improving customer satisfaction.
✨Prepare for Change Management Questions
Retail is always evolving, so expect questions about how you handle change. Think of examples where you've led your team through transitions or implemented new initiatives while maintaining high engagement and morale.
✨Know Your HR Policies
Since managing complex ER cases is part of the role, brush up on relevant HR policies and procedures. Be ready to discuss your experience with dismissals or conflict resolution, showcasing your understanding of legal and ethical considerations.