Thrift Store Associate

Description

Job Title: Thrift Store Associate

Reports to: Thrift Store and Retail Manager

Objective: The thrift store associate is a retail position. As such, the thrift store associate provides customer service to shoppers, adopters and donors at the thrift store. They also handle day-to-day operations of the store including sorting donations, ringing sales, cat care/showing to potential adopters, pricing items, maintaining the sales floor and backroom, and coordinating with volunteers to ensure daily tasks are completed.

Position Type and Hours: Non-exempt, hourly, full-time. or part-time.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Customer Service (50% of time) 

• Create a friendly, welcoming atmosphere to all guests in the store by greeting or thanking all guests entering or leaving the store; addressing customer needs quickly and appropriately.
• Provide assistance to guests by answering customer inquiries, locating items, processing donation receipts, showing items/cats, testing items, helping to load/unload donations; directing customers to other organizations if they cannot accept a donation.
• Quickly and accurately handle all point of sale transactions by ringing up customer purchases in an accurate, efficient manner in QuickBooks; processing cash and credit card transactions accurately; providing correct change.
• Serve as a representative of CAT’s animal welfare work by showing the resident cat to potential adopters; using resources to provide clients with accurate information about CAT and local laws related to cats; directing clients to services when appropriate; maintaining realistic client expectations; protecting CAT’s interests by upholding internal policies and applicable laws.
• Facilitate timely customer communication by answering the phone during business hours; responding to email requests and replying to shoppers and donors on social media sites such as Facebook.

Donation and Inventory Management (40% of time) 

• Accept donations and move them to the donation room by helping to unload donations from donors’ cars and transporting them to the donation room.
• Sort newly arrived donation items by placing “keep items” into appropriately labeled bins by item category; moving full bins to the ready-to-price shelves.
• Process and price items for the sales floor by pulling donated items from back stock and pricing them according to established guidelines; adding items to the store inventory by entering them into QuickBooks.
• Merchandise the sales floor with items by following visual merchandising standards to display newly priced items and old stock on the sales floor in an appealing manner; creating new displays and restocking an area when necessary.
• Manage items in back stock by organizing donated items and moving them if necessary to appropriate storage areas to free up space and eliminate safety hazards in the donation room.

Administrative and Operational (10% of time)

• Monitor the digital communication log by reviewing the log at the beginning of each shift; completing tasks and projects listed if necessary.
• Complete opening and closing duties by following the opening and closing checklists to prepare the store for customers and close the store; adding notes to the digital communication log for the day; counting the till; reconciling cash and credit card transactions against QuickBooks nightly; pulling accounting reports from QuickBooks; preparing the deposit; elevating financial discrepancies to the thrift store and retail manager when necessary.
• Monitor the store cat’s health and well-being by conducting daily assessments of the cat’s kennel environment, food consumption, urination and bowel movements, and changes in behavior and temperament; reporting medical and behavioral issues to the hospital team following shelter protocols. 

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

Knowledge 

• Thrift/consignment industry
• Merchandising and display creation 
• Collectibles and antiques, furniture, jewelry, and fashion/accessories
• Cash handling 
• Basic computer knowledge in MS Office Suite, and Windows

Skills

• Provide friendly, professional, respectful customer service 
• Prioritize tasks to meet deadlines 
• Analyze and solve problems effectively 
• Remain organized 
• Complete tasks independently with little direction or supervision
• Communicate effectively in person and in writing 
• Operate computers and cash registers 

Abilities 

• Work cooperatively within a solution-oriented team environment 
• Connect with new people 

Qualifications and Experience: 

Preferred 

• Experience working in the thrift store or consignment industry 
• Experience working with volunteers in a nonprofit organization
• Experience handling cash and ringing sales

Mental Effort: This position requires the ability to assess risk as well as make determinations about tasks and deadlines. Additionally, this position requires a high level of attention to detail and accuracy. 

Physical Requirements and Work Environment: 

Physical Requirements

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential job functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. 

• Move and/or transport items up to 50 pounds (assisted or unassisted)
• Position oneself at various levels to successfully carry out the essential functions of the job
• Provide direct animal care, including feeding, watering, and other animal handling
• Disinfect and sanitize using agents such as bleach and/or Rescue®
• Communicate effectively with other staff, volunteers, clients, and members of the public
• Ascend or descend step stools and/or ladders while meeting OSHA safety standards
• Standing for long periods of time
• Navigate the building
• Read and keep accurate records/files
• Work on a computer and use various software programs
• Operate office equipment such as a copy and fax machine, printer, scanner, and multi-line telephone 
• Move around the store for continuous periods (up to 6 hours)

Work Environment

Work in this position may include regular hazards or obstacles and a higher risk of personal risk injury if safety practices are not observed. There is some personal risk or hazard. Job conditions are somewhat uncomfortable due to varying work environments;, exposure to contagious disease, contact with chemicals, machinery, or angry or hostile individuals. With that said, the worker may be occasionally exposed to the following: 

• Distressed animals that put the worker at risk for injuries such as bites and scratches
• Animal urine, animal feces, animal vomit, animal blood, animal fur
• Zoonotic disease, including but not limited to ringworm, intestinal and skin parasites
• Fumes or airborne particles
• Needles and blades
• Toxic or caustic chemicals
• Fluorescent lighting
• Disinfecting agents such as bleach and Rescue®

Pay Range: The position has a pay range of $18.00-22.00 per hour 

This position 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 duties required by their supervisor.  This document does not create an employment contract implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship.

To Apply: Click the Apply button below. Please upload your resume to the application portal--a resume is required for consideration. If you are unable to upload your resume, please email jobs@catadoptionteam.org with your resume and request a fillable application. 

PLEASE NOTE: There are required screener questions for this position that will replace a Cover Letter requirement.  

Salary : $18 - $22