Occupations in the Industry

Fifty percent of all grocery store employees are cashiers or stock clerks and order fillers. Others in the industry prepare food, assist customers, dispense medications, and provide management and support services to the establishment.

Sales and related workers. Cashiers make up the largest occupation in grocery stores, accounting for 33 percent of all workers (table 2). They scan the items being purchased by customers into the cash register or read hand-stamped prices and total the amount due. They accept payment consisting of cash, credit cards, and checks and make change or fill out charge forms. They then produce a cash register receipt that shows the quantity and price of the items purchased. Cashiers usually place items in bags or give them to “baggers” to load. When cashiers are not needed to check out customers, they sometimes assist other workers. In grocery stores with separate self-checkout lanes, cashiers verify that the items have been paid for before the customer leaves the store, and if needed, assist the customer in completing the transaction.

First-line managers of retail sales workers supervise the employees in the different specialty departments, such as produce, meat, and bakery. These managers train employees and schedule their hours; oversee ordering, inspection, pricing, and inventory of goods; monitor sales activity; and make reports to store managers. Demonstrators and product promoters offer samples of various products to entice customers to purchase them.

Office and administrative support occupations. Stock clerks and order fillers are the second largest occupation in grocery stores, comprising 17 percent of workers. They fill the shelves with merchandise and arrange displays to attract customers. In stores without computer-scanning equipment, stock clerks and order fillers may have to manually mark prices on individual items and count stock for inventory control.

Many office clerical workers—such as general office clerks and bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks—prepare and maintain the records necessary to keep grocery stores running smoothly.

Food preparation and production occupations. Butchers and other meat-, poultry-, and fish-processing workers prepare meat, poultry, and fish for purchase by cutting up and trimming carcasses and large sections into smaller pieces, which they package, weigh, price, and place on display. They also prepare ground meat from other cuts and fill customers’ special orders. These workers also may prepare ready-to-heat and ready-to-cook foods by filleting or cutting meat, poultry, or fish into bite-sized pieces, preparing and adding vegetables, and applying sauces, marinades, or breading. While most butchers and other meat-, poultry-, and fish-processing workers work in the meat or seafood sections of grocery stores, many others are employed at central processing facilities, from which smaller packages are sent to area stores.

Some specialty workers prepare food for sale in grocery stores but others work in kitchens located in other facilities. Many newer stores, however, are incorporating kitchens into store designs and devoting more floor space to display prepared foods and employing a bigger variety of workers. Bakers produce breads, rolls, cakes, cookies, and other baked goods. Cooks and food preparation workers make salads and entrees. They also may prepare ready-to-heat foods for sale in the delicatessen, gourmet food or prepared food departments. Other food preparation workers arrange party platters or prepare various vegetables and fruits that are sold at the salad bar.

In supermarkets that serve food and beverages for consumption on the premises, food and beverage serving workers, including fast food and counter workers, take orders and serve customers. They may prepare short-order items, such as salads or sandwiches, to be taken out and consumed elsewhere or eaten on the premises in a designated seating area.

Transportation and material moving occupations. In the warehouses and stockrooms of large supermarkets, hand laborers and freight, stock, and material movers move stock and goods in storage and deliver them to the sales floor; they also help load and unload delivery trucks. Hand packers and packagers, also known as courtesy clerks or baggers, perform a variety of simple tasks, such as bagging groceries, loading parcels in customers’ cars, and returning merchandise to shelves.

Management occupations. General and operations managers are responsible for the efficient and profitable operation of grocery stores. Often called store managers or department managers, they set store policy, hire and train employees, develop merchandising plans, maintain good customer and community relations, address customer complaints, and monitor the store’s profits or losses. A new type of manager in grocery stores is the “category manager.” Similar to a purchasing manager, they specialize in a particular category of goods, such as snack food. These managers must thoroughly understand consumer preferences for the specific category of items, package sizes, and marketing strategies, and are responsible for ordering the correct amount in the correct package. Category managers evaluate their store’s sales and inventory reports to determine product demand, sales trends, and profitability. They also consider comments from department managers and customers to adjust future orders, change product displays, and plan budgets. Marketing and sales managers forecast sales and develop a marketing plan based on demographic trends, sales data, community needs, and consumer feedback.

Other occupations. Grocery stores employ a number of workers in other occupations to help meet customer service needs. For example, pharmacists fill customers’ drug prescriptions and advise them on over-the-counter medicines. Pharmacy technicians assist pharmacists in filling orders. Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists recruit and screen prospective employees and are responsible for making sure that employees maintain and, if necessary, improve their skill levels. Building cleaning workers keep the stores clean and orderly.

Table 2. Employment of wage and salary workers in grocery stores by occupation, 2006 and projected change, 2006-2016.
(Employment in thousands)

Occupation	Employment, 2006		Percent change, 2006-16
	Number	Percent
All occupations	2,463	100.0	0.7
Management, business, and financial occupations	53	2.1	1.9
General and operations managers	28	1.1	-1.8
Professional and related occupations	51	2.1	21.5
Floral designers	8	0.3	9.1
Pharmacists	20	0.8	20.0
Pharmacy technicians	19	0.8	30.9
Service occupations	313	12.7	13.9
First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers	21	0.9	20.9
Cooks	16	0.7	12.9
Food preparation workers	119	4.8	20.1
Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food	91	3.7	9.1
Counter attendants, cafeteria, food concession, and coffee shop	24	1.0	9.1
Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners	16	0.7	11.5
Sales and related occupations	1,013	41.1	0.0
First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers	121	4.9	6.0
Cashiers, except gaming	823	33.4	-1.8
Retail salespersons	48	1.9	9.1
Office and administrative support occupations	574	23.3	-3.8
First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers	26	1.1	1.6
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks	21	0.9	9.1
Customer service representatives	57	2.3	20.0
Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks	15	0.6	5.0
Stock clerks and order fillers	406	16.5	-8.7
Office clerks, general	19	0.8	7.5
Production occupations	194	7.9	3.2
First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers	17	0.7	9.1
Bakers	41	1.6	8.6
Butchers and meat cutters	89	3.6	-1.8
Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers	22	0.9	9.1
Food cooking machine operators and tenders	9	0.4	-1.8
Transportation and material moving occupations	256	10.4	-9.5
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand	44	1.8	-1.8
Packers and packagers, hand	195	7.9	-12.7
Note: Columns may not add to totals due to omission of occupations with small employment By : http://www.bls.gov/

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