You're not getting called back not necessarily because you're doing something
wrong, but because everyone applies there and you don't stand out. They may also simply not be hiring. Most places will still take an application if they're not hiring.
A resume is a detailed job application and that's it
This.
If you're just applying for retail positions, then the application should have spots for everything they care about (personal/contact information, prior experience, etc). Your job search should be focused on making yourself stand out. Adding on a resume would just be repeating that same information. That doesn't make you stand out, it just increases the size of your application, which means it increases the amount of work it takes for the hiring manager to review it, and increases the chance they they'll just throw it out instead of taking that increased time, when there's tons of other applicants to review.
Instead of handing your application to the cashier or whatever, I would ask to speak to a manager, then hand it directly to them. That gives you the opportunity to speak to the manager directly and introduce yourself, which makes you stand out against other candidates, as you're someone they've actually met, rather than a name on the paper
