Common Retail Departments

Working in retail can mean working for many different kinds of companies. Some retail stores are extremely specialized, selling only one kind of thing like shoes, watches, or clothes. Others are more general, like stores that sell sporting goods or pet supplies. Of course, there are also department stores which often sell everything mentioned above and more, from electronics to plants to groceries.

The larger department stores have a lot of different kinds of products, and they divide these up into different sections to make things easier for people to find. These stores often put “soft” merchandise like clothing upfront, with jewelry and accessories nearby to draw people in. The clothing upfront is typically women’s clothing, as women are more prone to impulse purchases of attractive clothes.

Further into the store you will come across departments like the beauty department, which will contain things like cosmetics as well as shampoos, conditioners, and hair styling products, dyes, and other “beauty necessities”. You will also find departments like the retail pets department, a retail pharmaceutical department which includes over the counter medication, and a department selling cards, gift wrappings, and often things like candles nearby.

Departments in a retail store can also include more “necessity” driven items like office supplies and automotive parts. They can and do often include departments for all the rooms of the home as well, from decorations, mirrors, and lights to bedding, bathroom accessories, and kitchen appliances.

There is also usually some kind of retail electronics department with things like cameras, televisions, and other appliances as well as games and consoles. Music is often near the electronics department, with books near the music as a further media outlet.

Most department stores, if not all of them, also have a toy department with lots of attractive bits for children of all ages, usually close to the sporting goods so that the older children and parents can browse nearby while the children play with dolls and building blocks.

Not all department stores have a foods section, but the ones that do range from a snack or candy aisle all the way to a full retail grocery department, offering a wide range of products to choose from.

Department stores have many different kinds of products, all divided up into easy to manage sections and carefully arranged to draw customers in and to increase their buying potential. If you work in retail, chances are that you’ll work in a single department. Most companies prefer that their employees learn the ins-and-outs of a specific department in order to be able to more easily answer questions. Choose a department where you feel comfortable; chances are that you’ll stay in this department for a long time