Retail

Retail Jobs

Area Manager • Buyer • Call Centre Operator • Checkout Assistant • Customer Service Assistant • Delivery Merchandiser • Human Resources Assistant • Marketing Manager • Merchandise Analyst • Order Processor • Product Demonstrator • Procurement Specialist • Retail Manager • Retail Security Officer • Stock Control Assistant • Visual Merchandiser • Warehouse Operative

area manager

As an area (or regional) manager, you will have overall responsibility for a number of stores in an allocated area. You will be responsible for staff and will work closely with other senior managers and department managers.

Your duties will include:

Setting sales targets
Maximising sales and profitability
Providing your team with a stimulating and supportive environment
Maintaining and increasing standards of customer service
Driving team performance
Controlling the training and development of your staff

It would be your responsibility to make sure your store makes a profit and the members of your team are satisfied with their jobs.
You would have to understand retail laws, security guidelines and health and safety rules and make sure your staff follow them.

buyer

You would find exciting new products that you think people will want to buy. You would negotiate with suppliers to sell them in the shops or retail organisation you work for.

You would need to be able to spot future trends. You would need to work out what your customers are likely to want and the prices they are willing to pay. It would be important to understand your shop’s customers and what motivates them to buy certain things.

Most buyers specialise in one product type, for example, clothes, homewares or food and drink.

You would:

Analyse trends and consumer buying patterns
Go to trade fairs or fashion shows to find new products and suppliers
Choose product ranges
Judge product quality and get customer feedback
Place orders with suppliers and negotiate prices and delivery contracts
Present products to colleagues and write reports
Track sales performance figures
Monitor what other shops are doing
Take action to maximise sales and minimise losses

Within a retail organisation, you would be responsible for one area, category or brand, such as footwear, cosmetics, or beers and wines.

You would work closely with retail merchandisers, visual merchandisers, designers and marketing staff.

Checkout assistant

You would work on a till in a shop serving customers. You would add up the cost of what they are buying, take their payment and give them their change.

You could work in a supermarket, convenience shop or large retail store. You would need to work quickly so that the customers don’t have to queue for too long.

You would:

Use a computerised till system with a barcode scanner
Scan items for customers
Weigh and price items such as fruit and vegetables
Remove security tags
Check customers' ages for restrictions on items like alcohol
Pack and wrap purchases
Process store loyalty cards, coupons and vouchers
Take payments
Make sure that the money in the till adds up at the end of the day

You would also help customers use the self service kiosks.

You might also fill shelves, check stock or work on a customer service desk, depending on what type of store you work in.

call centre operator

You would answer people’s questions, give them advice and sort out their problems by phone and email.

You would help customers with clear, friendly advice and information. Sometimes you would help them complete a task such as pay a bill or buy a product which they may find confusing or difficult.

You would probably speak with people on the phone or use email, text and instant messaging to chat with them. But you might also respond by post or fax.

You could work in a lot of different sectors.

If you work for a retail company, shop or mail order business, you would:

Deal with customer orders
Handle credit and debit card payments
Answer enquiries
Respond to complaints

If you work or a financial institution you would advise people about the products and services. You would also do telesales to sell the products and do market research.

If you worked on an information technology (IT) helpline you would help customers fix their computer problems. You might talk them through the process.

You could also help the people who call advice lines for services like:

Counselling
Welfare and benefits advice
Legal information
Help with careers

You would usually access and update customers' records on computer databases.

With experience, you could mentor and train staff and check calls to ensure customers get a good service.

customer service assistant

You would help customers with their enquiries and tasks. You would answer their enquiry or put them in touch with the right department.

You would often be a person’s first point of contact with the company you work so you would need to be friendly, helpful and patient.

You could deal with customers face-to-face, or you might help them over the phone or by email.

You would:

Answer customer enquiries or put them in touch with the right department
Give information and help to solve problems
Sell products or take orders
Arrange services for customers, such as book tickets or set up insurance policies
Handle complaints and pass them on to a manager if required
Enter customer information onto a computer database
Take payment for goods or services
Give refunds

retail manager

You would manage a retail store to ensure high sales and happy customers and staff. It would be your responsibility to make sure your store makes a profit and the members of your team are satisfied with their jobs.

Tasks vary, but usually you would:

Motivate your team to increase sales
Hire and train staff
Use a computer to order stock
Organise sales promotions and events
Serve customers
Deal with customer queries, complaints and feedback
Study sales figures and predict future sales
Follow market trends and competitors
Control budgets
Give reports to senior company executives

You would have to understand retail laws, security guidelines and health and safety rules and make sure your staff follow them.

delivery merchandiser

Merchandisers ensure that products appear in the right store, or on a website, at the appropriate time and in the correct quantities. This involves working closely with the buying teams to accurately forecast trends, plan stock levels and monitor performance.

While the buyer selects the lines, the merchandiser decides how much money should be spent, how many lines should be bought, and in what quantities.

In smaller companies, the same person may be responsible for both buying and merchandising.

Merchandisers play a key role within retail, as profits can be affected by how successfully they undertake their work. Merchandisers set prices to maximise profits and manage the performance of ranges, planning promotions and markdowns as necessary.

They also oversee delivery and distribution of stock and deal with suppliers.

You will:

Plan product ranges and preparing sales and stock plans in conjunction with buyers
Liaise with buyers, analysts, stores, suppliers and distributors
Producing layout plans for stores, sometimes called 'statements'
Forecast profits and sales, and optimising the sales volume and profitability of designated product areas
Planning budgets and presenting sales forecasts and figures for new ranges
Control stock levels based on forecasts for the seasonusing specialist computer software, for example to handle sales statistics, produce sales projections and present spreadsheets and graphs
Analyse the previous season's sales and reporting on the current season's lines

humAn resources assistant

You would support the Human Resources Manager to find and hire the right employees for your organisation or business. You would make sure that staff are treated fairly and understand the rules of your workplace.

You would organise development and training opportunities. And if someone is experiencing difficulties – either professional or personal – you would arrange for them to get support or services that could help.

You would:

Hire staff by advertising and interviewing
Work with other managers to plan future staff needs
Keep employee records
Provide staff training and development
Make sure staff have the right pay and benefits
Arrange staff services such as welfare and counselling
Deal with complaints and discipline procedures
Promote equality and health and safety
Advise colleagues on matters like pay negotiations, redundancy and employment law
Develop HR policies and procedures
Write staff handbooks

In large organisations, you may specialise in one or two of these areas. In smaller companies you would usually deal with all aspects of the job.

You would need to be tactful and approachable but sometimes you would need to be firm too. It is very important to respect people’s confidentiality.

marketing manager

You would use your creativity to promote the goods and services offered by your business or organisation to potential customers.

You would plan the best ways to connect with people so they have a positive impression of the products, services or brand.

Your job would vary depending on the organisation you work for and the sector you work in. You could specialise in certain types of product or market, such as fashion, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) or financial services.

You would:

Research and analyse market trends
Identify target markets and how best to reach them
Work out marketing strategies
Plan campaigns and manage budgets
Organise the production of posters and brochures
Come up with social media strategies
Attend trade shows, conferences and sales meetings
Make sure that campaigns meet deadlines and budgets
Check and report on the effectiveness of strategies and campaigns

You would plan the marketing activity for a campaign. You would think of new ways to get your message to the customers.

You might work with other organisations to find out more about customer satisfaction and expectations. Data from market research will be useful to help you find ways to make your campaign more effective.
At the end of each campaign you would assess its success and report to marketing directors.

You could lead a team of marketing executives and assistants who you’d motivate to make each marketing campaign a success.

order processor

Your day-to-day tasks may include:

Selecting items to match the customer’s order sheet
Using voice-activated picking machines and scanners
Requesting freshly made items from in-house departments like bakeries
Checking product quality
Choosing suitable replacements where stock has sold out
Packing items ready for despatch
Updating customer records on computer systems
Helping customers if working in-store

retail security officer

You would keep buildings, valuables and people safe, prevent theft and damage and deal with emergencies.

You might be working for any kind of organisation. Your tasks would depend on where you work.

You could:

Patrol, secure and check premises, sometimes helped by closed circuit television (CCTV)
Guard cash or other valuables in a security vehicle that is travelling between locations
Sign in visitors and give directions
You may have to keep records and write short reports, which could be used by the police or courts.

stock control assistant

Your day-to-day tasks may include:

Processing orders
Making sure paperwork is correctly filled out
Checking stock levels and ordering new stock
Updating stock information on computer systems
Receiving deliveries
Making sure orders are despatched on time
Answering customer enquiries online, over the phone and face-to-face
Carrying out spot checks and audits

Your job may also include other duties like forklift driving or serving customers over the counter.

You will work in places like shops, warehouses and distribution centres.

product demonstrator

You will demonstrate a range of different items like food and drink, toys, domestic appliances and gadgets, technology products, and cleaning, beauty and DIY items.

You might sell directly, or pass leads onto the sales team.

Your day-to-day duties could include:

Setting up a counter or other area where demonstrations take place
Arranging stock, posters and other publicity material
Talking to individual passers-by, or using a microphone to catch the attention of shoppers
Demonstrating how to use a product and talking about its benefits
Inviting customers to try a product
Answering questions and handing out leaflets, brochures, coupons and free samples
Meeting targets and keeping records
Monitoring stock levels

merchandise analyst

You would monitor inventory and follow and chart the profits and sales of a store or company. You would also watch consumer patterns, such as seasonal purchasing, and present their findings to store managers, buyers, planners, and corporate executives.

You would:

Offer insight on ways to alter merchandise assortments in order to increase revenue
Minimise loss
Need analytic ability, along with problem solving, decision making, written and oral communication, negotiation, organisation, time management, and reporting skills.

You would also be be skilled at data entry and familiar with Microsoft Excel and Access, as well as inventory reporting and ordering systems.

procurement specialist

You would buy the best quality equipment, goods and services for your company or organisation at the most competitive rates.

It would be your aim to save money for your company or organisation.

You would need to analyse information from suppliers to check the quality of their goods or services and the cost. You could negotiate with the suppliers to try and get a lower price.

There are lots of different industries or areas you could work in, so what you would buy would depend on your employer.

For example, you could buy:

Raw materials and engineering components for a manufacturing company
Wholesale goods from a producer to be sold by a shop
Furniture, stationery and cleaning services for your organisation’s offices

You would:

Decide what goods, services and equipment your employer needs.
Check and forecast stock levels
Research and identify new products and suppliers
Assess information and tenders from potential suppliers
Negotiate prices and agree contracts
Make sure that suppliers deliver on time
Process payments and invoices
Keep up with market trends

In larger organisations you might run a purchasing department and lead a team of buyers and administrators.

In smaller companies, you might combine purchasing responsibilities with other management duties.

visual merchandiser

You would create eye-catching displays and store layouts to help bring in more customers.

As a visual merchandiser in a large retail company, you would work as part of a display team. You would follow design plans created at head office by a visual merchandising manager or senior display designer.

Your role may sometimes overlap with that of a display designer. Display designers create things like display stands, stock containers and sales posters.

Tasks vary, but in general you would:

Produce design ideas for displays and develop floor plans, or follow a company plan
Create special displays to promote a specific product or offer
Decide how to use space and lighting creatively
Make best use of a store's space and layout
Give feedback to head office and buying teams
Set up displays, dress dummies and arrange screens, fabric and posters
Source display materials and hire, borrow or make props
Make sure that prices and other required details can be seen
Teach sales staff how goods should be displayed
Take down old displays
As a senior visual merchandiser, you would also plan the store display for the year, draw design plans and buy the right models, props, equipment and signs.

As a head office visual merchandiser coordinator, you may have to prepare visual merchandising packs to send to other stores, so that all stores have the same look and feel.

warehouse operative

You would handle the goods and products in warehouse or stockroom. It would be your job to to keep them safe and make sure they are delivered to customers on time.

Your role would be important in making sure customers are not disappointed by damaged items or late deliveries.

You could be based in a warehouse, retail store or factory.

Wherever you work, you would:

Receive deliveries of goods and supplies
Check for damaged or missing items
Store goods
Move stock around by hand, using lifting gear or a forklift truck
Pack orders
Load, and sometimes deliver, goods
Keep records of stock
Keep paperwork up to date
Clean work areas

Understanding and following health and safety rules would be essential in this job.