People who like general merchandise. People who are interested in selling goods. People who like to communicate with others.

The products sold at a general merchandise store range from tableware and other household goods to furniture, snacks, seasonings, clothes, toys, and more. The manager of a general merchandise store is responsible for a wide range of tasks. He or she is responsible for purchasing products for customers, checking product displays, managing inventory, shipping products, and so on. In addition, he or she also serves customers and manages the store's staff, if any. To do this, you need good communication skills. It is not a job that can be filled simply by liking sundries. Even so, it is very rewarding when customers are happy to buy items that you have carefully selected and purchased.

No specific educational background or qualifications are required to become a general merchandise store manager. However, it is a good idea to go to a university, junior college, or business school to learn the basics of running a store, and to experience working in a general merchandise store as a part-time student. After graduation, get a job at a general merchandise store and learn how to stock merchandise and other management know-how. This is a period of preparation to earn funds to open your own store in the future, or to acquire qualifications to broaden the scope of your work. Qualifications that are advantageous for running a general merchandise store include the Retail Marketing Certification Test, an official qualification recognized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Color Proficiency Test, an official qualification recognized by the Color Proficiency Association, and the Interior Coordinator, a private qualification recognized by the Interior Design Industry Association. While preparing, carefully consider the concept of the store you want to open, the location, the store's exterior and interior design, and the name of the store.

To open one's own general merchandise store, one needs to acquire a store, pay for the store's exterior and interior construction, purchase merchandise, and pay for advertising. The advantage of opening a general merchandise store is that it is possible to open even a small store, but it still requires a lump sum of about 6 million yen. For those who have the funds to open a store but find it difficult to open a store from scratch as an individual, there is a "franchise" system. In this system, you sign a contract with the parent company as a franchisee, pay royalties, and obtain the right to use the parent company's brand name and services. The advantage of this system is that even amateurs can easily open a store because they receive support on how to operate the store. However, there is a demerit of not being able to express one's own personality in the store, as one cannot pay a portion of the sales or freely choose products.

There are two ways to open a general merchandise store: one is to have an actual store, and the other is to have an online store. Even if they have an actual store, many stores also operate an Internet store for advertising purposes. However, if you search for "general merchandise" on the Internet, you will find many online stores. There is a lot of competition, but if you have a solid concept and passion, it is not a dream to become an Internet store loved by many customers. If the products you sell are attractive, you may even receive orders from overseas customers as people see the information and spread it on social networking sites. Incidentally, both actual stores and online stores need to apply for an "antique dealer's license" when dealing in secondhand books, secondhand clothing, antique sundries (secondhand tools), and other items. It is illegal to sell without an application, so please be careful.

The average annual income is 3.12-3.38 million yen. For independent stores, income varies depending on the area where the store is located and sales.

Weekends off. If you hire a clerk, you set the shifts and set the days off.

A general merchandise store. For online stores, a home with a computer, etc.

It's a chart that shows at a glance the main routes to getting a job as a grocery store manager!