Retail Management Cover Letter: Sample & Full Writing Guide

Your leadership and organizational skills are tried and proven. Show hiring managers that this is the case with a convincing retail manager cover letter.

Adam Joyce

Career Expert

Updated 11/24/2023

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“Can I speak to the manager?” Well, you are the manager. Or you’d like to be. After all, you’re more than qualified. But excellent customer skills alone won’t get you that retail management job. What can?

A skillfully-crafted retail store manager cover letter that makes a winning first impression. So read on to create a top-shelf cover letter that delivers like Walmart Grocery.

This guide will show you a retail management cover letter example and step-by-step instructions on how to write one that outsmarts the competition.

Want to write your cover letter fast? Use our cover letter builder. Choose from 20+ professional cover letter templates that match your resume. See actionable examples and get expert tips along the way.

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Sample cover letter for a resume—See more cover letter samples and create your cover letter here.

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Retail Management Cover Letter Sample

Estela J. Miles

Store Manager
1296 Pleasant Hill Road

Escondido, CA 92027
562-250-0048
estelajm@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/estelajmiles

Escondido, 8/30/2020

Ms. Amanda Harris
Head of Human Resources
Second Looks
4020 Main St.
Escondido, CA 92027

Dear Amanda,

As a long-time follower of Second Looks’ retail activities, and especially those having to do with consignment, I was very happy to have come across an opening for the manager position at your Main Street Escondido location. In my current role as a Manager at Amy’s, I was responsible for bringing in ≈50% of all of the consignments MoM for two years in a row. I’d love to use my know-how to do the same—or better—for Second Looks.

I understand your Main St. location is in need of a supervisor experienced not only in team management, but also of someone knowledgeable in current trends as well as designer and luxury brands. During my time at Amy’s, I successfully led a team of 6 floor staff and increased sales by 35%.

I’d love the opportunity to join the Second Looks team and to draw on my experience to fulfill and exceed your expectations.

Can we schedule a call or a meeting next week to discuss making Second Looks a success story?

Sincerely,
Estela Miles

562-250-0048
estelajm@gmail.com

PS—I'll gladly share with you the methods and avenues I use to increase consignments.

So there you have it—a shining example of a cover letter for a retail manager. Read on for detailed instructions on how to write yours.

You’ll need a great resume to go along with your pristine cover letter. See our retail manager writing guide here: Retail Manager Resume Examples

Want to see more great cover letter examples? Here you are:

Retail Cover Letter Example

Sales Associate Cover Letter Example

Hospitality Cover Letter Example

Front Desk Cover Letter Example

Apple Cover Letter Example

Customer Service Cover Letter Example

Call Center Cover Letter Example

Cover Letter for Internal Position Example

Career Change Cover Letter Example

Sales Cover Letter Example

Warehouse Cover Letter Example

Sales Manager Cover Letter Example

Manager Cover Letter Example

Operations Manager Cover Letter Example

Business Cover Letter Example

Fashion Cover Letter Example

Cover Letter Examples for All Professions

OK, let’s get this show on the road.

Retail Management Cover Letter Template

Here’s how to write a retail management cover letter step-by-step:

1. Use the right cover letter format

Your cover letter layout should look as tidy as a stockroom at Ikea. Here’s what a good cover letter should look like:

Use one-inch cover letter margins on all sides.
Choose either single or 1.15 line spacing.
Decide on an elegant cover letter font in 11pt to 12pt size.

2. Write a professional cover letter header

A well-formatted cover letter header will let the recruiter find necessary contact details in no time. So:

Put your name and contact information in the top-left corner.
Add your address, email, and LinkedIn profile name.
List the city and date right below.
Follow that with the addressee’s details.

3. Open with a personal introduction and a compelling first paragraph

Never open your cover letter with a “To Whom It May Concern”. There’s a better way to do it:

Use a salutation such as “Dear” followed by the addressee’s name.
Make the first sentence personal by mentioning the company and the position you’re applying for.
Use the next sentence or two to jump right in and highlight your most relevant accomplishments.

4. Show why you’re the perfect candidate for the position

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of sales managers will grow 4% by 2029. This is an optimistic forecast.

But—

It also means your cover letter will need to stand out like a pearl necklace on display in its very own glass case.

Refer directly to the job description and demonstrate how the business can benefit from your relevant experience.
Mention a few additional achievements.
Quantify your wins whenever possible.

Be sure your cover letter is of the right length: The Perfect Cover Letter Length

5. Sum up your desire to join the company

According to a PLOS article, a generic job application tells the recruiter that you either don’t really want the job, or that you’re unsure if you do. Naturally, you want to avoid that pitfall.

Here’s how:

Make the hiring manager see that you’ve zeroed in on joining this particular outfit, not just any outfit.
This makes it more personal and shows clear, focused intent.

6. Make an offer and spur action and close with a professional sign-off

In your last cover letter paragraph, be sure to:

Ask for a call or a meeting.
Suggest a productive tone for the meeting.
Sign the cover letter with your first and last name.
Below that, repeat your basic contact info.
You can also add a postscript to reinforce the call to action by enticing the recipient with a promise of added value.

If you don’t hear back within a few days, remember to follow up on your application. Here’s how—and how not to: Job Application Follow-Up: Examples, Dos, & Don’ts

As you can see, a well-thought-out cover letter can make a stunning first impression. Read more about writing a winning cover letter. Once you’ve grabbed the recruiter’s attention, however, you will still need to have it followed up with an eye-catching resume.

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.

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When you’re done, our easy resume builder will score your resume and our resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear from you. What did you think of our retail manager cover letter example? Drop me a line in the comments. Let’s chat!

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Retail Management Cover Letter: Sample & Full Writing Guide

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