Did you know? The retail industry is one of the UK’s largest private sector employers

The retail industry is one of the UK’s largest private sector employers. Within the retail industry many of the roles will be customer facing, but you could also work in areas such as buying, online retail, merchandising, IT support, marketing, distribution, or logistics.

Almost 1 in 10 working people work in the retail industry and 60,000 Retail Managers may be needed in the UK by 2022. The growing number of self-service tills in shops such as supermarkets means fewer Check Out Assistants, but Store and Deputy Store Managers will be in demand.

New technologies are changing work and creating new job roles within the retail sector. Nearly three quarters of young people buy from social platforms and the emergence of virtual reality, augmented reality and improved mobile technology will continue to push retail brands to add layers and new experiences.

Future Trends

We can expect to see more opportunities for: E-Commerce Merchandiser| Customer Relationship Manager | Web Designer | Digital Marketer |User Experience Designer | App Developer | Customer Data Manager | Cyber Security Expert | Blogger/ Vlogger | Social Media Manager |Software Developer | Web Analytics Expect | SEO (search engine optimisation) Manager

These job roles are linked to the head office of major retailers along with other essential roles such as HR, IT and Finance.

As E-Commerce deliveries become faster, using programs like free same-day delivery program, consumer expectations grow. We could see more drone deliveries and delivery times could shrink to a few short hours in the coming decade. Companies will be forced to open more distribution centres and infrastructures to meet these demands.

Automated Purchasing

Another huge shift in retail and E-Commerce has come from automated purchases. In the future, consumers will be more likely to have certain items automatically shipped to their house on a monthly or weekly basis. This removes the need to go to the local grocery store (or order online) to secure their essentials. Anything that is an essential home product has the potential for automated replenishment.

The ‘Amazon Dash’ button is one recent example of automated purchasing. Solutions like this may well be the future of eCommerce and online shopping.

Large companies in London include: Liberty London | ASOS | John Lewis | Selfridges | House of Fraser | Tesco | Sainsbury’s | Marks and Spencer | Zara | Topshop | Pandora | Harvey Nichols | Fenwick | Harrods | Urban Outfitters | Aspinal of London | Primark

Types of apprenticeships include: Barista | Personal Shopper | Visual Merchandiser | Retail Merchandiser | Social Media Assistant| Retail Buyer | Style Adviser | Team Leader | Design Team Leader | IT Support Technician | HR | Retail Store Manager | Retail Manager

Useful websites

Retail Jobs - www.retailjobs.co.uk

Sales Roles - www.salesroles.com

Retail Choice - https://www.retailchoice.com

Simply Sales - www.simplysalesjobs.co.uk

Retail Appointment - www.retailappointment.co.uk