The retail sector is very diverse and ranges from the smallest corner store and market trader to the largest department stores and supermarkets. Over three million people work in nearly 300,000 retail businesses in the UK.
The retail sector also includes catalogue sales and internet based stores.
Career options in the retail sector can be broken down into eight areas:
A lot of the larger retail companies have graduate recruitment schemes with in house training.
This area looks at just four different job areas in the Retail sector, with three possible career routes for each:
You can get your qualifications by taking vocational courses or studying while in employment as well as by the more traditional full time education route. The important thing is to choose a route that suits you.
Remember these are career pathways, and you can get on or off the pathway at any point!
Mature students without formal qualifications are advised to talk to their local
nextstep provider. One year Access to Higher Education courses give adults without formal qualifications the chance to study at degree level. Contact individual colleges and universities to discuss their entry requirements.