Retail Recruitment
what where
job title, keywords or company
city, state or zip jobs by job search



Retail Job - Retail Recruitment

Retail continues to be an industry with enormous growth potential. Retailers are always looking for strong individuals for their retail jobs with a commitment to customer service, commerciality, drive, ability to work in a team environment and someone who will go above and beyond customers and the retailer’s expectations…

The retail sector is global and retail jobs are available around the world as well as both regionally and nationally in the UK. Working in a retail job offers many exciting opportunities for dedicated individuals. Whatever the economic conditions, many organisations see retail job recruitment as a long-term investment and are always looking five years ahead in their succession plans.

Retail the facts…

  • The retail industry employs nearly 2.8 million people (data collected March 09).
  • This equates to 11% of the total UK workforce (UK Retail Futures 2011: Sector Summary, Datamonitor).
  • Almost 8% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the UK is generated by the retail sector.
  • In 2008 UK retail sales were over £287 billion which is larger than the combined economies of Denmark and Portugal (UK Retail Futures 2011: Sector Summary, Datamonitor).
  • More than a third of consumer spending goes through retail shops.
  • Retail sales account for 1/5 of the UK economy.
  • Sales over the internet account for less than 4% of total retail sales, despite strong growth in recent years.
  • The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that, of all occupations, retail sales will have the greatest number of job openings through the year 2016. It is expected to grow as fast as the average for all occupations.

The organisational structure of a retail store will vary by the size and type of the business. Most tasks involved with operating a retail business will be very similar whether the store is small, independent or a large national business. However small or independent retail stores may combine many roles together under one roof, while larger stores create various divisions for each particular function along with many layers of management.

What kind of retail jobs are available?

  • Store Operations job – managing a store or business unit.
  • Buying job - finding new products and developing ranges.
  • Design job - creating new products.
  • Finance job - analysis, reporting and strategy.
  • HR job - hiring and training staff, providing support to managers.
  • IT job - business systems.
  • Logistics job - product distribution.
  • Merchandising job - market analysis and working with budgets.
  • PR and Marketing job - promotion, communication and media.
  • Retail Banking job - customer facing banking.
  • Visual Merchandising job - designing and producing product display.

What’s it like working in retail?

  • The retail culture is commerciallydriven and as such there is pressure to perform in your retail job.
  • Working in a retail job is hard work and the dynamic nature of the business requires a flexible attitude and a strong character.
  • Working in retail is challenging, rewarding and satisfying – a very varied and creative career.
  • Retail job opportunities are unlimited for employees with the right attitude and those that promote the right culture.
  • Working in a retail job is very likely to involve working weekends and late nights ensuring flexibility to meet retail customer’s demands.

Retail Job Structure:

Relow is a brief outline of some of the divisions in a retail business;

Owner/CEO or Managing Director
Store Operations: Management, Cashier, Sales, Loss Prevention
Marketing: Visual Displays, Public Relations, Promotions
Merchandising: Planning, Buying, Inventory Control
Human Relations: Personnel, Training
Finance: Accounting, Credit
Technology: Information Technology

As a retail store or company grows and the retail business evolves, the dynamics of retailers structure will change too. Therefore it is paramount to redesign a store's structure to support the decision-making, collaboration and leadership capabilities that are essential during and after a growth period.

Educational Requirements for Retail Jobs:

Although there aren't any formal educational requirements for starting in a retail job many employers prefer GCSE’s or A’ Levels as a minimum. Often to build your career in a retail job many retailers require outgoing personalities and employees to have a positive attitude with a desire to exceed expectations. When retail employees wish to change their retail job to a new employer; retailers will look for proven retail experience and results.