Retail is a huge industry and as such there are many, many job roles involved. We’ve taken a selection and these retail job roles are explained below.

Retail sales jobs

Sales is by far the biggest area of retail work and again roles are available at a variety of levels. Sales roles also differ depending on the organisation that you are employed by. The roles all include selling products or services offered by the organisation / company either direct to consumers or business to business.

Roles can include working as a sales assistant or cashier, which may involve some active selling of products and negotiation or may not or might be based on individual sales targets, which involve a great deal of negotiation and consumer interaction.

Working as a team leader or sales manager will include managing staff, recruitment and timetabling of staff members as well as setting sales targets. As a manager you would be expected to make sure that targets are met and that profit and loss are reported on. As an area sales manager you would be responsible for managing sales managers and reporting on sales over a wide area.

Retail merchandiser jobs

Retail merchandisers work closely with the buying team and with sales management to make sure that products are in the right stores or online and that the right amount is purchased. They set prices and plan promotions as well as minimising losses that occur where there is too much of a product or where products are not promoted effectively and therefore do not sell. In smaller retail outlets the roles of merchandiser and buyer are often combined into one.

Merchandising is closely associated with marketing and as such studying in this area will put you in a good position for applying for a merchandising role. Much emphasis is placed on experience in the retail sector though, so working within the sector, even if it’s part-time is a good idea. There are level 4 diplomas available in retail merchandising and you can study buying and merchandising as a combined degree subject also. The advanced apprenticeship in retail can lead to the role of visual merchandising supervisor also.

Retail buyer jobs

Buyers plan and select the range of products to be sold. They analyse consumer buying patterns and predict and prepare for future buying trends. They also develop and maintain relationships with suppliers and present new products and ranges to senior retail managers. Buyers can be very specialist, for example wine buyers who deal with products from particular countries or regions.

Senior buyer roles in large organisations tend to be graduate jobs. Routes into this might include an HNC, HND, Foundation Degree or Honours Degree. These might be gained through full time study at a college or university, through an apprenticeship or by undertaking a sponsored degree with an employer, where you are employed and released, much as you are on an apprenticeship programme to study perhaps one day a week at a university.

Retail marketing jobs

Marketing managers develop campaigns that promote products and services. Duties vary according to the seniority of the role but generally will include: conducting market research, developing marketing plans, producing marketing materials, including advertisements and securing advertising opportunities.

A huge growth area for marketing is social media and digital marketing using social networking platforms and websites to promote services and products, run campaigns and recruit staff.

Just as the roles within marketing are varied, so are the routes into this career. You might choose to study for A-levels including business studies or a level 3 national diploma in business, an intermediate level apprenticeship, which could see you working as a junior marketing executive or an advanced apprenticeship where you could work as a marketing assistant or manager or as a PR officer.

Distribution and logistics jobs

Products sold need to get from one place to another – from suppliers to warehouses and to specific retail outlets or with regards online sales, from the warehouse to the customer. Products need to be in the right place at the right time.

There are multiple roles within distribution, from warehouse operatives and drivers to distribution managers who manage warehouse staff as well as stock levels, delivery times and transportation of goods.

Distribution and logistics are a vital part of retail activity and success – again, some roles you can work your way into by proving yourself capable and being promoted within an organisation. Should you choose to undertake a programme or training and qualification though, there are specific apprenticeships available at intermediate, advanced and higher levels, such as the Logistics operative apprenticeship at intermediate level or the Warehouse and Storage apprenticeship at advanced level.

IT Jobs

There are many IT roles in retail covering pre-sales, sales and post-sales. Pre-sales there are opportunities in software development, including programming and website and mobile app development. There are also roles covering acquisition and installation of computer systems.

In sales IT job roles might include database administrator and information systems management roles as well as day to day activities including scheduling and running updates, upgrades and security backups and installing new systems as well as training end users.

IT support roles are essential to the smooth running of the business, both internally and externally – supporting customers. Routes into careers in IT are incredibly varied, from full-time vocational college courses and A-levels to apprenticeships at levels 2 – 5. Whether you choose to focus on information security, software or IT applications for example will depend on the kind of role that you are interested in pursuing.

Human Resources jobs

Everybody organisation needs HR employees to ensure that the right staff and levels of staff are employed. Working in the human resource department you might advise on policies and procedures, support individual staff members and managers with issues relating to pay and conditions, ensure that regulations pertaining to employment are adhered to and perform inductions and training for new staff members.

The higher apprenticeship in HR management that is available is open to people aged over 18 only due to the nature of the role and the sensitive information that you need to handle. An alternative to the higher apprenticeship would be to study for at least an HND perhaps in HR or business management and some organisations might require you to gain a professional qualification from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)