SUCCEEDING IN THE SUPERMARKET RETAIL INDUSTRY

Employment opportunities in the fast-paced and ever-changing world of retail have never been better, as Laura Winterhalder discovers.

Some people jokingly claim that shopping is a sport, but it undeniably means big business for retailers, as in 2005 the retail industry netted sales of £249 billion (brc.org.uk). Retail is the UK’s top service industry, employing approximately 3 million people, which equates to 11% of the UK’s total workforce. British retail, especially supermarket retail, is fiercely competitive. Merlin Stone, business research leader at IBM, explains: “Grocery retailing in the UK is a classic oligopoly, with the top three or four firms accounting for around 60% of the market.” These companies are fighting for overall UK groceries spend of £65bn a year. In recent years, retail has become one of the sectors with the highest volume of graduate vacancies.

The Consortium of Retail Training Companies have drawn up four key competencies that graduates need to possess to succeed in the retail sector: business focus, personal effectiveness, relationship management and critical thinking.

It is important to be enthusiastic and have a passion for retailing. Gaining relevant work experience is important and having good communication skills is vital, as you need to communicate with and listen to others.

Graduate Schemes
To be eligible applicants need to have recently graduated or be university finalists with an obtained or expected 2.1 or 2.2 degree depending on the role, and the degree can usually be in any discipline, however business studies is a useful subject to have studied. One crucial motto is: PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE! Employers will use application forms and interviews to investigate why you want the specific job you have applied for, and why you want to work for them. Always research the competencies/skills required and memorise specific examples to highlight when you have used these skills, such as leading a team.

Alternative routes into retail
Join at an entry-level role, for example, as a sales assistant. Some supermarket training schemes provide opportunity to progress through hard work and determination to more senior and managerial roles.

Graduate opportunities:
Management roles
Management roles are usually based throughout the UK and you can state your preference of location on your application. Retailing is a demanding industry and you must be prepared to relocate to progress in your career. In this position you will be based in the store and will be responsible for its day-to-day running. A typical career path involves starting as a retail management trainee, then progressing to manage your own store, then becoming senior store manager and finally an area manager. You will need excellent communication skills as you will be required to interact with customers and lead your team.

Buying
As a buyer you will usually be based at the organisation’s head office and your role is to source products, get the best deal for your company and give the customer what they want at a competitive price. You will need to be persuasive and possess good negotiating skills. Inretail.com writes: “Buyers in many organisations also have responsibility for quality control, in-store displays and brand management”. To be a successful buyer it is important that you are commercially astute and relatively numerate, as well as showing a keen interest in the products you are buying. You will embark upon your career as a buyer’s administration assistant, hopefully followed by a promotion to an assistant buyer, then a junior buyer and finally as a buyer.

Merchandising
The merchandiser’s role is to analyse historical sales and stock information, as well as monitor current trends. You will be required to forecast sales and predict stock requirements through analysis of market trends and statistics, deciding which stores will sell which lines, with the ultimate goal of achieving maximum profit for your company. In this area, you would start as a merchandising administration assistant before becoming an assistant merchandiser, then progress to a junior merchandiser before becoming a fully-fledged merchandiser.

Supply Chain
Your role will be supplying stores with the right product, at the right time, in the right quantities, whilst securing it at the right price. You will build strong working relationships with the merchandising and buying teams and provide the vital link between the stores and Head Office.

You will need to be able to communicate effectively and feel comfortable working with figures. A typical path for a graduate embarking upon a career in the supply chain sector is to start as a distributor, move up to the post of senior distributor and finally become stock distribution manager.

Many graduate schemes open in September, recruiting for the following September, so the key is to apply early. Working in the retail environment is challenging; the industry is fast-paced and continuously changing in order to satisfy customer demands. To succeed in the retail industry you will need to be confident and results driven, and in return you’ll be rewarded with excellent career prospects and a good salary.