Retail jobs aren’t just about shop work – some not-on-the-high-street retail roles may be less well-known but they’re still well worth knowing about!

When you hear the word ‘retail’ you immediately tend to think of shops, stores and supermarkets – places that sell stuff. They can be small, independent or family-run shops, big supermarkets, vast department stores, convenient corner shops or high street chain stores - but they are all places where we go to buy things. Things like clothes, shoes, mobile phones, electrical goods, furniture, food, drink, plants or sports equipment.

But if you look beyond the shopfront and the shop floor, you’ll see that the UK retail sector is directly linked to many other kinds of industries and businesses.Behind the scenes, the retail industry offers plenty of diverse job opportunities in for everyone from entry level school leavers to university graduates. Have a look at the following guide to alternative retail jobs:

Retail Property Manager Jobs

Very few retail businesses own the properties they use as shops. They tend to be rented from a landlord or property agency and a retail property manager’s tasks are the day-to-day management of properties, rent collection, overseeing repair and maintenance and dealing with landlord and tenant issues.

Package Designer Retail Jobs

Just think about the stuff you buy – someone, somewhere, has designed the packaging it comes in, whether it’s a pair of trainers, a packet of biscuits, a fizzy drink or a new telly. A package designer’s work plays an important part in a product’s marketing because the way a it’s packaged can make all the difference to how well it sells.

Loss Prevention and Security Officer Retail Jobs

Unfortunately, the retail industry loses millions of pounds every year through shoplifting. This is why store detectives are important members of staff in large and medium-sized shops and retail enterprises. For some loss prevention officer jobs you would need to be licensed by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) but you could go into this career at entry level as generally you’re don’t need formal qualifications.

Display and Point of Sale (PoS) Designer Jobs

Not to be confused with the ever popular role of visual merchandiser, this role involves designing the display equipment, stands and panels used in shops and stores to show off whatever the retailer is selling to its best advantage. They also design and produce point-of-sale (near the till) display equipment – things like the shelves, boxes and containers used to display products.

Warehouse Operative Retail Jobs

Whether they’ve been imported, sourced within the UK or locally produced, the goods intended for retail have to be transported to a central warehouse and then re-distributed to allocated shops and retail businesses. Warehouses are very busy places and the role of a warehouse operative involves being organised, good at taking orders and able to work in a team.

Ecommerce Worker Retail Jobs

Ecommerce involves selling products through a retail business’s website but could involve you in other roles, depending on the size of the company. This might be designing and maintaining the company website, using social media to market the company’s products and telephone sales and marketing.

Retail Technology and IT Worker Jobs

The design and application of retail technology provides solutions for stores and chains of all sizes. As a retail technology expert, you’ll develop specific software and applications to suit the unique IT needs of individual shops and retail companies.

For more information on retail jobs and careers go to our dedicated Retail Careers section.