Position Summary

Reporting to the Bookstore Director, the Principal Clerk is responsible for purchasing, inventory management, customer service, and operational support across multiple departments. This role ensures right-sized inventory levels, creates engaging sales strategies, and oversees daily operations, including supervising student workers. Collaboration with other buyers and the Director is key to maintaining a successful and efficient bookstore environment.

Department Duties

Primary departments of responsibility include and are subject to change: School/Office Supplies, General Merchandise, Health Beauty Aids, Art Supplies, Technology and other departments as assigned.

o Collaborative work: Duties are performed collaboratively and in coordination with other buyers within the store.

o Merchandise selection: Purchase merchandise and maintain up-to-date knowledge of product trends. Find new merchandise and keep a regular planned rotation of new merchandise. determine the needs of local artists and public schools.

o Licensing: Choose artwork with approved marks for merchandise.

o Pricing: Determine appropriate levels of pricing.

o Inventory: Maintain appropriate inventory levels to align with sales trends and store needs. Select merchandise for markdowns, sales, and closeouts, and maintain a written markdown plan. Inventory decisions should be made in consultation with the Store Director and informed by reporting and analysis. Ensure inventory remains within reasonable levels to avoid overstocking while meeting customer demand.

o Product returns: Arrange for credits/replacements of overstock, damaged, and other items, including assisting with textbook returns.

o Sales floor displays: Setup and arrange displays for seasonal and other periods.

o Vendor relationships: Manage positive and productive relationships with vendors. Research and engage new vendors as needed. Assist with relationships, customer service and support sales through 3rd party emblematic partners.

o Sales strategies: Develop creative strategies to increase sales, including product placement advertising and other strategies.

o Data analysis: Review, create and use reports to make informed decisions.

o Website orders: Assist and provide backup to SLU Emblematic Apparel Buyer, including but not limited to fulfill and provide service for orders, organizing merchandise, help guests, and all other aspects of the department.

o Art kits: Prepare student art kits for art courses: confer with faculty, order, cost-out, and assemble kits.

o Special event related orders: Assist with orders for special events, such as graduation cap and gowns, and other merchandise.

Sales Associate Duties (expected of all Bookstore personnel)

o Customer service: Provide the highest level of customer service; ensure proper quality control of merchandise, maintain forms and cash levels, keep the checkout area neat and orderly. Maintain secure point-of-sale and monitor security system. Respond to customer needs, box or wrap merchandise, promote good will between Store/University and the customer/public. Check out customers at registers and support student workers at registers as needed.

o Provide first line sales floor security: Maintain awareness of potential shop lifting, respond appropriately to perceived shop lifting activities, respond to security gate alarms.

o Inventory: Assist in merchandise processing as requested; receive, price and stock merchandise, keep merchandise and displays neat and orderly; create in-store displays, help with advertising, actively participate in store merchandising meetings and strategy discussions. Perform periodic cycle counts and participate in the annual inventory process.

o Shipping/receiving: Prepare shipments and appropriate documentation for returns, mail orders, and other shipments; determine best method of and cost for shipping, maintain all logs, prepare reports as designated.

o Store maintenance: Supplement custodial service, including dusting, vacuuming, washing windows, mopping, and empty trash cans as needed. Perform routine maintenance on store fixtures and displays including painting and repair in emergency situations

o Textbook department: Provide clerical assistance in the receiving, returns, physical inventory, counter clerk service, semester-end book buyback.

o Off-location sales: Participate in off-location sales events (University readings, etc.)

o Store supplies: Order and track specified store supplies as directed. Including wrapping paper, ribbons, bags, and boxes.

o Perform other related duties as required.
 

Shift Manager Duties

o Opening and Closing: Perform regularly scheduled shift manager duties including having complete responsibility for opening and closing the store, as scheduled by Director.

o Respond to all store issues: Enforce store policies and procedures while maintaining a high level of customer service.

o Start of the day duties: Responsible for opening the safe and maintaining proper cash levels in all registers. Ensure that each register is prepared for the start of business.

o Supervision: Supervise student employees including assignment of tasks and provide any necessary training.

Disclaimer

· This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by their supervisor.

· The University reserves the right to add to or revise an employee’s job duties at any time at its sole discretion.

Workdays/Schedule: Fulltime (37.5 hrs./week + occasional overtime), Variable Monday-Sunday, 12 months