• Shoes: These individuals specialize in selling shoes to customers and have a vast amount of knowledge of the shoe industry.
• Clothing: These individuals specialize in selling clothing to individuals and be knowledgeable of clothing fabrics, styles, fit, and sizes.
• Sports Equipment: These individuals specialize in selling sports equipment to customers and know a lot about sports equipment and sports for all ages.

• Associate Degree: 2 years
• Bachelor's Degree: 4 years

Much of the education that individuals need to obtain in order to excel as a retail manager comes from the hands-on experience that they learn as a basic sales associate and then move up through the corporate ladder. Because there has been a great deal of competition in this field, many stores are requiring their managers to have a strong educational background in retail management. Many schools are starting programs with associate degrees in retail management that will take about two years to complete, while others are offering bachelor's degrees in retail management that will take about four years to complete. Either way, individuals must complete some type of hands-on training that enhances the skills that they learn during their coursework in the classroom. 

There are no necessary certifications retail managers need to find a job. However, graduates can earn voluntary credentials from professional groups such as the National Retail Foundation, which offers the National Professional Certification in Retail Management credential. Most voluntary professional credentials require students to have a certain level of educational experience and a passing score on an exam.

The degree in retail management is a specialized business degree that teaches students the skills to be leaders in retail business operations. The major curriculum in these programs is made up of courses in accounting, administration, personal relations, marketing, merchandising, and other topics in retail-specific business areas. Most degree programs allow students to specialize their skills in one area of retail, such as human resources, fashion marketing, merchandising, or store operations. Along with the major courses, students are required to complete a number of general education courses in subjects like the humanities, math, English, and social science.

Many retail management courses are general business classes that are pertinent to all types of business administration. For example, classes in financial accounting teach students how to keep track of sales and budget purchasing for the store. Courses in management principles and logistics teach techniques for overseeing personnel, planning store growth, and getting merchandise from the wholesaler to the store.

Other courses are more specialized to the needs of the retail manager. Most retail management degrees contain several courses in marketing, such as marketing principles and target marketing, since stores need to understand their customers desires in order to maximize sales. In classes in interpersonal communication, students learn how to effectively talk with customers and store salespeople.

Generally, yes. Most retail management stores require students to complete practicums and internships in order to get plenty of retail experience before graduation. In practicums, students work in a simulated retail environment to put the theories they learned in their courses into action. Internships and work co-ops take this one step further and put students in an actual work environment, where they can further hone their skills. Besides being a degree requirement, such experiences are also very helpful in finding a retail management job after graduation.

Many other degrees cover similar business skills. A degree in business administration has many overlapping course requirements and provides graduates with a general business background. Students more interested in going directly into marketing or advertising could seek out bachelor's programs in marketing. Degree programs in human resources management also include a core business curriculum, but they have a focus on labor and intra-office relations. Four-year programs in fashion marketing are also closely related to retail management degrees, although they focus more on purchasing and marketing, rather than general supervisory skills.

Individuals with more of a science and engineering bent could seek out a program in management science and engineering; students in these program learn how to use math to optimize business operations.