Retail Sales

The retail sales and customer services sectors offer a wide range of goods and services to customers. Some businesses specialise in selling a particular product, such as books or shoes, while others, such as department stores, sell many different products.
Retail sales staff such as retail assistants, checkout operators, shopkeepers, market traders and personal shoppers deal directly with customers.
Customer services staff may work behind a counter or in a contact centre or showroom, and are seen as essential in the drive to increase sales.
Wholesale staff work in such organisations as builders' merchants and vehicle parts operations.
Full-time staff usually work 37 to 40 hours a week, but shift work is common, and there is plenty of scope for part-time and flexible working. Most people in the retail sector work in clean, bright shops and stores in customer-facing roles. Many also work behind the scenes in offices and contact centres. Some jobs may involve travel to visit different stores, suppliers and customers.
Employers include supermarket chains, department stores, independent retailers, car dealers and mail order companies. Employment opportunities are available with small businesses as well as with very large retailers. Self-employment is common in some careers, such as market trader or greengrocer.
Jobs in retail sales and customer services are available throughout the UK. The retail sector is fast-growing and employs over three million people in 291,000 retail businesses, which is about 11 per cent of the UK workforce. With more households using the internet, online retail is increasing. The contact centre industry has also been growing in recent years. There are around 500,000 contact centre staff in the UK.
People who work in retail and customer services need to be friendly and helpful, with the confidence to handle complaints in a fair but firm manner. They must usually be able to work well in a team and enjoy working with people. Managers, shop owners and other professionals need organisational and people-management skills. IT skills and skills with handling money and finance are often necessary.
Many jobs in this sector do not require educational qualifications, but some employers may ask for qualifications ranging from GCSEs/S grades to A levels/H grades and degrees, or equivalent qualifications. Retail courses are available in colleges and universities throughout the country.
Training is often offered on the job. Internal training or Apprenticeship schemes enable people to gain NVQs/SVQs or other retail qualifications. Many companies offer management training schemes for those with A levels/H grades or degrees, or equivalent qualifications.
There are plenty of opportunities for promotion to supervisory or managerial posts in stores and distribution centres, and into head office positions, particularly for those who are willing to relocate.