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Helping you find a career in the retail industry

The retail sector is the UK's largest private sector employer, and employs millions of people. Roles within the retail sector are extremely varied, and can range from customer assistants in stores, to head buyers controlling what goes on the shelves.

Retail sometimes gets a bad reputation for being monotonous, but in truth no two days are the same within this industry. You'll meet new people, have new challenges and different jobs to do each day.

At the broadest level, roles in retail can be divided into store and head office. A store relies on a team of people to keep it up and running. In a single store you may have a customer assistant team, stockroom team, maintenance staff and a management team all working together. A typical head office will include departments such as marketing, HR, finance, buying and merchandising. In smaller companies the head office and store may be combined in the same place.

Despite the range of roles available, each is tailored towards making the customer's experience the best it can be whilst maximising sales for a company.

With the growth of online shopping the retail industry has undergone massive transformations and there are more digital roles available. Alongside this, many companies are paying more attention to enhancing the experience of a physical shop to encourage more people to go.

N Written by Navdeep

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Skills & interests required for a career in Retail

Those who enjoy a busy schedule will be best suited to a career in retail. It's an incredibly fast-paced industry and will have you working with a variety of people daily. If you're working in a store, you should be prepared for spending long periods of time on your feet.

Many roles within retail will be customer-facing and you will need to be able to build up a rapport quickly.

Other skills that will help you in retail include: -Organisation -Time management -Eye for detail -Personable -Teamwork -Confidence

Working in retail means you must be able to multitask and not get flustered easily. A busy store will mean that you have to work quickly and often change priorities on your to-do list. Being able to do this easily, and without becoming stressed, is key to succeeding in retail.

Retail apprenticeships & other career progress routes for school leavers

Part of the beauty of the retail industry is that there is always the opportunity to climb the ladder within a store. A large proportion of managers will have begun on a part-time sales assistant contract and progressed into more senior positions.

In head office roles the progression routes will differ depending on which department you are in.

Tips for getting into the field

Make sure you do your research! When interviewing with a retail company, you will need to know them inside-out. Familiarise yourself with the company vision and ethos. Also be sure to visit a physical store beforehand, if possible, to get a feel for the brand.

What do Retail professionals get paid?

The earning potentials in retail depend widely on what role you choose. Here are some typical salaries for roles in retail, according to Payscale:

Assistant buyer - £21,046 Shop assistant - £6.89 per hour Assistant merchandiser - £23,531 Area manager - £34,364

Of course, these salaries can vary depending on the employer.

What qualifications do I need for a career in Retail?

Some companies may require a degree to work in the head office and you will have to prove your competency depending on the department you will be going to work in. In finance, for example, you will need to show that you are good with numbers.

Alternatively many retail employers will offer structured apprenticeship programmes, designed to give you the vocational skills you'll need to succeed in both head office and in-store positions.

For the most part, it does not matter what subject you study in retail. Personality goes a long way in this industry and you can be trained for management positions on the job.