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Retailers, retail manager

How to become a Supermarket Manager

Also called: Retail store manager, Supermarket store manager

Manages the products and staff of a supermarket selling food, household goods and other everyday items.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university or high school is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

Almost all supermarket managers are staff who joined a company and were promoted after a number of years' experience. Some companies have a system where staff are recommended by their manager to sit a store manager exam, or are appointed after completing a set course at a training session for manager candidates. After working as manager at two or three stores, some people move into senior management or head office roles. Store managers deal with many people and give instructions, make requests and negotiate, so they need good relationships with others, an eye for good products, the leadership to bring staff together, and the ability to analyse data such as sales figures that inform business decisions. Even after becoming a manager, you are expected to keep training and developing yourself through practice.

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Supermarket Manager?

Almost all supermarket managers are staff who joined a company and were promoted after a number of years' experience. Some companies have a system where staff are recommended by their manager to sit a store manager exam, or are appointed after completing a set course at a training session for manager candidates. After working as manager at two or three stores, some people move into senior management or head office roles. Store managers deal with many people and give instructions, make requests and negotiate, so they need good relationships with others, an eye for good products, the leadership to bring staff together, and the ability to analyse data such as sales figures that inform business decisions. Even after becoming a manager, you are expected to keep training and developing yourself through practice.

How much does a Supermarket Manager earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,576,200 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Other sales workers (shop owners, managers and others), which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Supermarket Manager?

Not always. In this job's census occupation group, 29% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Supermarket Manager?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026