Sales Associate

Remis Arcane Exchange / Crit & Crumble; Muscatine (IA); On-site; USD 17,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

Crit & Crumble in Muscatine, IA is seeking a friendly Sales Associate to create a welcoming, knowledgeable shopping experience for everyone who visits the store. You will help customers discover games, products, and experiences that fit their interests, while supporting day-to-day retail operations.

The role combines customer service, product knowledge, and teamwork: greet customers, recommend items, explain policies, handle transactions, stock merchandise, and assist with events and

Qualifications

• Strong customer service and communication skills.
• Friendly, approachable, and comfortable interacting with a variety of customers.
• Ability to learn new products, games, and store procedures.
• Ability to accurately handle transactions and follow established processes.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Dependable attendance and availability consistent with scheduling needs.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, and event hours as required.

Responsibilities

• Greet customers and create a friendly, inclusive store environment.
• Engage customers to understand interests and recommend products.
• Assist customers with questions regarding tabletop games, trading card games, role-playing games, miniatures, accessories, collectibles, and other store merchandise.
• Help new customers navigate unfamiliar games or product categories without intimidation or overwhelm.
• Identify opportunities to recommend complementary products and additional purchases based on customer needs.
• Communicate current promotions, events, new releases, and featured products.
• Provide accurate information regarding store policies, products, special orders, and events.
• Handle customer concerns professionally and involve leadership when appropriate.
• Stock and organize merchandise throughout the store.
• Maintain clean, attractive, and easy-to-shop displays.
• Ensure products are appropriately priced and located in their designated areas.
• Assist with receiving, unpacking, pricing, and putting away incoming merchandise.
• Monitor shelves and displays for products needing replenishment.
• Communicate low inventory, customer requests, and potential product opportunities to leadership.
• Assist with periodic inventory counts and inventory organization.
• Promote upcoming tournaments, leagues, game nights, demos, releases, and other store events.
• Help customers understand how to participate in store gaming activities.
• Assist with preparing and resetting gaming and event spaces.
• Support events as assigned, including registration, customer assistance, basic event coordination, and cleanup.
• Help foster a positive gaming community where new and experienced players feel welcome.
• Encourage appropriate use of gaming spaces and help maintain a respectful environment consistent with store expectations.
• Maintain cleanliness and organization throughout the sales floor, gaming areas, checkout area, restrooms, storage areas, and other shared spaces.
• Complete assigned opening and closing responsibilities.
• Perform routine cleaning, trash removal, restocking, and general store upkeep.
• Help ensure gaming tables and customer areas remain clean and ready for use.
• Follow established procedures related to safety, security, loss prevention, and store operations.
• Assist with other operational tasks as needed to keep the store running smoothly.
• Communicate effectively with coworkers and leadership regarding customer needs, inventory concerns, events, operational issues, and other important information.
• Complete assigned responsibilities and follow through on tasks.
• Support other team members during busy periods.
• Participate in training and team meetings as required.
• Accept coaching and feedback and apply it to future performance.
• Help create a positive, respectful, and collaborative workplace.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Product knowledge

Teamwork

Job description

Position Overview

The Sales Associate is a customer-focused team member responsible for creating a welcoming, knowledgeable, and engaging experience for everyone who visits the store. This position supports day-to-day retail operations while helping customers discover games, products, and experiences that fit their interests.

Sales Associates should be approachable, enthusiastic, and comfortable engaging with customers ranging from first-time visitors and families to experienced tabletop gamers and collectors. The role requires a balance of excellent customer service, product knowledge, sales awareness, organization, and teamwork.

Core Responsibilities

Customer Service & Sales

• Greet customers and create a friendly, inclusive, and welcoming store environment.
• Engage customers in conversation to understand their interests and recommend appropriate products.
• Assist customers with questions regarding tabletop games, trading card games, role-playing games, miniatures, accessories, collectibles, and other store merchandise.
• Help new customers navigate unfamiliar games or product categories without making them feel intimidated or overwhelmed.
• Identify opportunities to recommend complementary products and additional purchases based on customer needs.
• Communicate current promotions, events, new releases, and featured products.
• Provide accurate information regarding store policies, products, special orders, and events.
• Handle customer concerns professionally and involve leadership when appropriate.

Product Knowledge

• Develop and maintain working knowledge of the products and gaming systems carried by the store.
• Stay informed about new releases, popular products, upcoming games, and trends within the tabletop gaming community.
• Learn enough about major product categories to confidently help customers determine where to begin.
• Share product knowledge in a helpful and approachable manner while recognizing when additional assistance may be needed from another team member.

Point of Sale & Transactions

• Accurately process purchases, returns, exchanges, discounts, gift cards, and other transactions according to store procedures.
• Handle cash and electronic payments responsibly.
• Maintain accuracy when processing customer purchases and updating customer information.
• Follow established procedures for holds, special orders, preorders, and other customer transactions.

Merchandising & Inventory

• Stock and organize merchandise throughout the store.
• Maintain clean, attractive, and easy-to-shop displays.
• Ensure products are appropriately priced and located in their designated areas.
• Assist with receiving, unpacking, pricing, and putting away incoming merchandise.
• Monitor shelves and displays for products needing replenishment.
• Communicate low inventory, customer requests, and potential product opportunities to leadership.
• Assist with periodic inventory counts and inventory organization.

Events & Gaming Community

• Promote upcoming tournaments, leagues, game nights, demos, releases, and other store events.
• Help customers understand how to participate in store gaming activities.
• Assist with preparing and resetting gaming and event spaces.
• Support events as assigned, including registration, customer assistance, basic event coordination, and cleanup.
• Help foster a positive gaming community where new and experienced players feel welcome.
• Encourage appropriate use of gaming spaces and help maintain a respectful environment consistent with store expectations.

Store Operations & Appearance

• Maintain cleanliness and organization throughout the sales floor, gaming areas, checkout area, restrooms, storage areas, and other shared spaces.
• Complete assigned opening and closing responsibilities.
• Perform routine cleaning, trash removal, restocking, and general store upkeep.
• Help ensure gaming tables and customer areas remain clean and ready for use.
• Follow established procedures related to safety, security, loss prevention, and store operations.
• Assist with other operational tasks as needed to keep the store running smoothly.

Teamwork & Communication

• Communicate effectively with coworkers and leadership regarding customer needs, inventory concerns, events, operational issues, and other important information.
• Complete assigned responsibilities and follow through on tasks.
• Support other team members during busy periods.
• Participate in training and team meetings as required.
• Accept coaching and feedback and apply it to future performance.
• Help create a positive, respectful, and collaborative workplace.

Expectations

Successful Sales Associates are expected to:

• Be dependable, punctual, and prepared for scheduled shifts.
• Take initiative rather than waiting to be directed to every task.
• Be comfortable approaching and speaking with customers.
• Maintain a professional and positive attitude.
• Treat customers and coworkers respectfully.
• Be willing to continually learn about products and games.
• Balance conversations with customers and gaming interests with the operational needs of the store.
• Recognize that working in a gaming store involves both enthusiasm for the hobby and the everyday responsibilities of operating a retail business.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries while helping create a fun and engaging environment.

Qualifications

Required

• Strong customer service and communication skills.
• Friendly, approachable, and comfortable interacting with a variety of customers.
• Ability to learn new products, games, and store procedures.
• Ability to accurately handle transactions and follow established processes.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Dependable attendance and availability consistent with scheduling needs.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, and event hours as required.

Preferred

• Previous retail, customer service, hospitality, or sales experience.
• Familiarity with tabletop gaming, trading card games, role-playing games, board games, miniatures, or related hobbies.
• Experience participating in or supporting organized gaming events.

Extensive gaming knowledge is helpful but is not required. A willingness to learn, provide excellent customer service, and engage positively with the gaming community is equally important.

Physical Requirements

This position may require:

• Standing and walking for extended periods.
• Frequent bending, reaching, and movement throughout the store.
• Moving and stocking merchandise.
• Lifting and carrying boxes and merchandise consistent with normal retail operations.
• Setting up and moving tables, chairs, displays, and event materials as needed.

Performance Standards

Performance in this position may be evaluated based on:

• Quality of customer interactions and service.
• Reliability and attendance.
• Product knowledge and continued learning.
• Accuracy of transactions.
• Completion of assigned tasks.
• Store cleanliness and organization.
• Contribution to sales and merchandising efforts.
• Support of events and the gaming community.
• Communication, teamwork, and professionalism.
• Initiative and ability to identify what needs to be done without continuous direction.

Overall Role

The Sales Associate helps make the store more than a place to purchase games. Through knowledgeable service, genuine customer engagement, reliable execution, and support of the local gaming community, the Sales Associate helps create an environment customers want to visit, shop, play, and return to.