Best Retail Cover Letter Examples [Retail Assistant & Executive]

To make the best impression while pursuing a retail career, it’s wise to start with a strong cover letter. Retail cover letters allow employees to introduce themselves, share their reason for wanting a particular job, and showcase their abilities as they pitch positive elements of why they are the best fit. Here are a few fundamentals to consider in creating a retail cover letter.

 A Retail Cover Letter is a doorway that can open entry into the relationship between employee and employer.

The cover letter is used to highlight prospective employees’ unique knowledge, skills, and capabilities. Think in terms of what makes an employee stand out from the crowd of other job seekers? In a world of mass production, having a personalized cover letter sets individual employees apart from their competition and makes it easier for employers to pre-screen the candidates they would like to invite for an interview and perhaps offer the job. In the retail space, job seekers understand their cover letter is their first opportunity to draw attention to abilities that will be used in the daily job functions.

Before writing a cover letter, it’s important to analyze the specific job announcement so employees can tailor their documents. Personalizing cover letters and resumes for each job puts employees in a higher level of competition. While anyone can send a mass-produced, one-size-fits-all resume to hundreds of jobs, personalizing a cover letter and resume to each specific job opportunity increases the chances of getting a call for an interview.

In terms of personalizing the cover letter, examine the following job advertisement as an example for ideas on where to start.

Example:

Analysis of this job posting reveals many opportunities to highlight the employee’s strengths and skills in a cover letter. This will be explained in greater detail in the next section. For now, consider where some of the following might line up with the employer’s described needs.

While considering the content, it’s also wise to know the proper format for a cover letter. Some necessary pieces include:

Greeting

This is the first chance to make a strong impression. Ideally, knowing an individual hiring manager’s name and using “Dear Mr. Smith” is better than addressing “To Whom It May Concern.” This is easier when potential employees do basic research such as asking a friend who already works at the location or calling the store to see who will be making the hiring decisions.

Introduction

Personal introductions are perfect times to draw lines of connection between employee and employer.

For example:

“My neighbor Steffen Jones works at the downtown location of XYZ Retail and said I would make a great addition to your team of new sales consultants.” 

State interest in the job posting

This is a fantastic place to highlight personality as well as enthusiasm about this job.

For example:

“I am very excited to see a new location of XYZ Retail opening in my neighborhood as someone who’s shopped at other locations for years.”

This shows familiarity and passion for the retail brand while emphasizing proximity to the business which helps employers see possibilities in terms of scheduling and retain ability.

Highlight retail sales associate skills

Note strengths and experience in any of the following areas that are necessary for success in retail sales.

• Customer service
• Friendliness
• Effective communication
• Active listening
• Persuasiveness
• Multi-tasking
• Promptness
• Ability to prioritize tasks
• Teachability
• Ability to use cash register
• Math proficiency
• Ability to problem solve
• Adaptability
• Patience
• Empathy

Emphasize customer service skills

Customer service applies in every profession, but especially in retail. As the front-line interaction with customers, it’s important to have interpersonal skills like friendliness, effective listening, and conflict management.

Describe relevant work experience

Detailing previous experience can be as simple as lining up with the job duties and qualifications mentioned in the ad. In the example above, the employer was looking for 1-2 years of retail experience. Simply stating, “With 5 years of retail experience, my qualifications exceed your expectations.”  

Include examples

As mentioned above, make use of every chance to provide examples that show how the employee will work. When candidates speak to the job posting, this affords opportunities for employers to learn about backgrounds and make preliminary decisions about whether the job seeker is a good fit.

In the example above, a potential employee may say “Since XYZ Retail sells athletic equipment, my ten years of playing baseball and running track gave me firsthand experience in what customers are looking for as well as the features and benefits of a myriad of product offerings that your store sells.” Businesses have a tough job finding quality candidates. A cover letter with great examples helps them make their choice by providing personalized examples that stand out from the pile of other potential employees.

Conclusion

If there is anything missing, this is a great chance to promote the employee as the one the employer will want to hire.  One great way to do that is by reviewing the announcement and making sure everything of importance is covered.

Sign off

This is a chance to “ask for the job” by thanking the employer for their consideration and mentioning a specific time and date for follow-up.  Many job candidates sit back and wait for a call. The ones who proactively let employers believe they want the job are usually the ones who get an interview.

Following are some free templates given that you can download as well:

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Upon understanding the basics of creating a winning retail cover letter, here are some important insider tips that make potential employees look more attractive to prospective employers.

Include related keywords

Every industry has specific keywords that employers hunt for. In some cases, computer programs utilize keyword finders to screen cover letters and resumes before human eyes ever see them. Therefore, it’s important to fill the cover letter with appropriate keywords through well-crafted sentences that confirm capabilities. Do not merely plug important keywords as if listing hashtags on a social media post. Here are some examples of related keywords that align with the retail example above:

• “Customer engagement”
• “Front end”
• “Point of sale”
• “Merchandise presentation”
• “Cash register ringing”
• “Cash handling”
• “Sales”
• “Customer loyalty programs”
• “Incentive programs”
• “Credit cards”
• “Seasonal promotions”
• “Flexible availability”
• “Math accuracy”
• “Retail experience”

Draw from the job listing

As referenced above, the job advertisement is a great place to link back to confirm a solid understanding of what the employer is seeking.

For example:

Employees who reference their schedule flexibility, proven track record of success, outstanding customer service reviews, integrity with cash handling, and overachievement in promotional or sales goals make it easier for employers to see a great fit to invite to an interview.

Promote both hard and soft skills

Share experience with the required “hard” skills, like the use of a cash register mentioned above. Don’t forget to add strengths in the “soft” skills like flexibility, customer service, and patience when dealing with frustrated customers. When job seekers may not have the actual “hard” skills an employer seeks, it is especially important to emphasize the “soft” skills that align with that retail job. Employers who can see that a potential team member is already thinking outside the box on how to solve typical challenges, that make their hiring decisions easier. Ultimately, every job search is about what the employee is bringing to the table that will help solve problems for the employer.

Showcase competence

When employees discuss all the above in their cover letter, the employer is on their way to ensuring the capabilities of potential employees. It’s always good to remember employers are looking for employees to answer the question “How will this person work in our retail operation?”

Use proper cover letter format

If unsure about the cover letter format, there are plenty of templates to choose from online. Here are some formatting elements to consider.

• Employee contact information in the header
• Make sure employee contact info is professional (i.e.., if personal email address includes profanity, sexual inuendo, etc. create a general job search email with something simple like first name.last name and preferred email extension)
• Use appropriate and professional font selection instead of something like “chiller” or “curlz”
• Set the font somewhere between 10-12 pt. for ease in employer readability
• Make use of “white space” by keeping margins set to 1” on all sides
• Keep it short, sweet, and to the point with an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion on no more than one page
• Leave our irrelevant information and stay focused on the topic of individual value in the workplace
• Leave out reference contact information, but do mention that individual references will speak to employee achievements and quantify the capabilities already described
• Add a professional close like “Sincerely” before signing name

Provide quantified achievements

As an added means of ensuring an interview, the best candidates point to previous examples of success in the retail field. By sharing achievements related to the job, employers have additional information they can use to make an informed decision about who to invite for an interview and eventually hire. Something as simple as saying “At my last retail job, I was the top salesperson for a straight six months.” For jobseekers without retail experience, they can creatively use examples like “While I’ve never formally worked in retail sales before, by obtaining the rank of Eagle Scout, I met a competitive goal that only 8% of Boy Scouts ever achieve.”

In closing, writing a cover letter for retail jobs is straightforward. Knowing how to write a cover letter and learning a few of the areas to highlight, employees, can create opportunities for open doors to employment. Job seekers who remember the cover letter is the best chance to make a great first impression will be far ahead of their competition and well on their way to retail success.