Career change as a store manager

Career change paths

• Retail buyer

  Also: Category manager

  With on-the-job training

  In the head office of a retailer, you buy goods, negotiate with suppliers and plan product ranges for many branches.

  What you bring:

  You know the product range, sell-through and customer wishes from daily work on the sales floor.

  How to get there:

  Retail chains also fill buying positions with experienced branch or store managers and train them on the job in product groups and systems. You usually have to move to the head office for this.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €4,200gross per monthMedian salary

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• Head of a logistics center

  Also: Warehouse manager

  With on-the-job training

  In a central warehouse or at a logistics provider, you lead the warehouse and dispatch and make sure deliveries arrive on time.

  What you bring:

  You lead large teams, plan staff in shifts and know the flow of goods from goods receipt to the checkout.

  How to get there:

  Retailers and logistics companies train managers from sales on the job in warehouse processes and software. Shift work is usual. Further training as a certified senior specialist for logistics systems (Fachwirt für Logistiksysteme) is possible but not necessary.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workLittle customer contact

  €4,707gross per monthMedian salary

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• Sales trainer

  Also: Trainer in retail

  With on-the-job training

  As a trainer, you train sales teams and junior managers in retail and develop training programs.

  What you bring:

  You know from your own experience how selling, customer conversations and team leadership work on the sales floor.

  How to get there:

  Larger retailers have their own training departments and also staff them with experienced branch managers. A trainer course of a few months alongside work helps. Expect a lot of travel time.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contact

  €5,254gross per monthMedian salary

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• Field sales representative for branded goods

  Also: Key account manager in food retail

  With on-the-job training

  For brand manufacturers, you look after stores and retail head offices, negotiate product placements and promotions and plan sales.

  What you bring:

  You know how goods are placed, advertised and sold and what store managers expect from manufacturers.

  How to get there:

  Manufacturers also hire people from retail and train them on the job in products and terms. A driving license class B and willingness to travel are expected. Part of the pay is often performance-based.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €4,456gross per monthMedian salary

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• Shopping center manager

  Also: Head of a retail park (Fachmarktzentrum)

  With on-the-job training

  As a center manager, you look after the tenants of a shopping center, plan marketing and promotions, and steer service providers for security, cleaning and technology.

  What you bring:

  You know retail, customer flows and what stores want from your own experience.

  How to get there:

  Operators of shopping centers train managers from retail on the job, often first as an assistant to the center management. You learn the basics of lease contracts and real estate on the job or in courses lasting a few weeks.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursPhysically light
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• Recruitment consultant for retail

  Also: Recruiter

  With on-the-job training

  At a recruitment consultancy or staffing service provider, you find specialists and managers for retail companies.

  What you bring:

  You have filled many positions, held job interviews and know who can succeed in retail.

  How to get there:

  Staffing service providers quickly train career changers who have industry knowledge. Expect targets and a performance-based share of the pay.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office

  €4,167gross per monthMedian salary

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• Restaurant manager in system catering

  Also: Operations manager of a restaurant chain

  With on-the-job training

  As restaurant manager in system catering you manage staff, goods, hygiene and revenue, and ensure smooth operations.

  What you bring:

  You lead a team with shift plans, cash desk, goods ordering and key figures, which carries over directly to a chain restaurant.

  How to get there:

  System caterers give managers from retail on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in their own programs, usually lasting a few months and including hygiene training. Evening and weekend duty are common.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift work

  €3,956gross per monthMedian salary

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• Trainer in retail

  Also: Lecturer for retail specialist (Handelsfachwirt) courses

  With further training

  As a full-time trainer or lecturer, you prepare apprentices and further training participants for their exams.

  What you bring:

  You have instructed apprentices and know product knowledge, selling and calculation from practice.

  How to get there:

  To train apprentices, you need trainer aptitude (Ausbildereignung). As a store manager, you may already have it; otherwise you prove it in an exam at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). Preparation courses are optional, and their length depends on the provider. Full-time trainer positions exist at large retailers and training providers, while lecturing is often done alongside another job.*Regulated by law (Vocational Training Act (BBiG) § 30, Trainer Aptitude Ordinance (AEVO)).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contact

  €5,075gross per monthMedian salary

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• E-commerce manager

  Also: Online shop manager

  With further training

  In online retail you look after the shop, maintain products and prices, plan promotions and advertising, and evaluate sales figures.

  What you bring:

  You know the product range, prices, promotions and customer wishes, and you understand what leads to a purchase.

  How to get there:

  Alongside your job, you can take the further training course for certified senior e-commerce specialist (Fachwirt im E-Commerce) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). It usually takes one to two years and can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). Shorter certificate courses in online retail and online marketing take a few weeks and help with entry.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an officeHome office possible

  €5,550gross per monthMedian salary

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Salary: median of all full-time employees in the job, gross per month excluding special payments, as of April 2025. Half earn more, half earn less. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), table 62361-0030, license dl-de/by-2-0. Assigned to the jobs by quereinsteiger.de. No guarantee of accuracy.