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  • Featured Job

    Senior Buyer
    Witney
    Permanent
    £47,000 - £57,000

    Exciting opportunity for an experienced Buyer/ Senior Buyer to join a British Heritage brand - Whittard of Chelsea. This role will be incremental in the further growth and development of the specific category with great career prospects.

    • Attractive growing business

    • Creative and innovative business

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Kingsbridge
    Permanent
    £21,500 - £24,000

    Retail Store Manager - Kingsbridge

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Buckingham
    Permanent
    £20,500 - £21,500

    Retail Store Manager - Buckingham

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Bicester
    Permanent
    £23,000

    Retail Store Manager - Bicester

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Rushden
    Permanent
    £20,000 - £21,000

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Ruislip
    Permanent
    £19,500 - £20,500

    Retail Store Manager - Ruislip

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Sittingbourne
    Permanent
    £21,500 - £22,500

    Retail Store Manager - Sittingbourne

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Sutton
    Permanent
    £19,500 - £20,500

    Retail Store Manager - Cheam

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Margate
    Permanent
    £19,000 - £20,000

    Retail Store Manager - Margate

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Reigate
    Permanent
    £21,500 - £22,500

    Retail Store Manager - Reigate

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Slough
    Permanent
    £26,500 - £27,500

    Retail Store Manager - Slough

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Uxbridge
    Permanent
    £29,500 - £30,500

    Retail Store Manager - Uxbridge

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Ascot
    Permanent
    £20,500 - £21,500

    Retail Store Manager - Ascot

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Haslemere
    Permanent
    £23,500 - £24,500

    Retail Store Manager - Haslemere

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Blandford Forum
    Permanent
    £20,500 - £21,500

    Retail Store Manager - Blandford

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Sherborne
    Permanent
    £21,500 - £22,500

    Retail Store Manager - Sherborne

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

    Save jobView job
  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Romsey
    Permanent
    £20,500 - £21,500

    Retail Store Manager - Romsey

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Minehead
    Permanent
    £23,500 - £24,500

    Retail Store Manager - Minehead

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Cowbridge
    Permanent
    £21,500 - £22,500

    Retail Store Manager - Cowbridge

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Birmingham
    Permanent
    £22,500 - £23,500

    Retail Store Manager - Harbourne

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Wellingborough
    Permanent
    £20,500 - £21,500

    Retail Store Manager - Wellingborough

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Felixstowe
    Permanent
    £23,500 - £24,500

    Retail Store Manager - Felixstowe

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

    Save jobView job
  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Troon
    Permanent
    £19,500 - £20,500

    Retail Store Manager - Troon

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Nottingham
    Permanent
    £21,500 - £22,500

    Retail Store Manager - Arnold

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

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  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Pitlochry
    Permanent
    £22,500 - £23,500

    Retail Store Manager - Pitlochry

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

    Save jobView job
  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Redcar
    Permanent
    £20,500 - £21,500

    Retail Store Manager - Redcar

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

    Save jobView job
  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Berwick-Upon-Tweed
    Permanent
    £22,000

    Retail Store Manager - Berwick

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

    Save jobView job
  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Keswick
    Permanent
    £20,500 - £21,500

    Retail Store Manager - Keswick

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

    Save jobView job
  • Featured Job

    Store Manager
    Pitlochry
    Permanent
    £20,500 - £21,500

    Retail Store Manager - Pitlochry

    WHSmith are looking to recruit nationwide Retail Store Managers!

    Interview days booked throughout November - apply below!

    • Great career opportunity

    • Execellent career development

    Save jobView job
  • Greater Manchester
    Permanent
    £27,000 - £32,000

    Buyer - FMCG - Greater Manchester

    • Join a Progressive business with year on year growth

    • Genuine opportunity to progress and take on additional responsibility

    Save jobView job

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Our Retail insights

The top 10 skills in the retail sector for 2019
The top 10 skills in the retail sector for 2019
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What does the buying and merchandising landscape look like for 2016?
What does the buying and merchandising landscape look like for 2016?
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What can relocating to the South and working for an SME offer you?
What can relocating to the South and working for an SME offer you?
View article
View more insights

A guide to retail jobs

Retail careers can vary greatly but all typically provide services to either both businesses and individual customers or specialise in products specific to one or the other. Retailers normally have their staff working in teams and those teams can be located within stores, an office, or even a warehouse. Working times are usually allocated on a shift basis and will vary depending on the specific products and/or services being provided. The type of products that retailers sell can vary, they may sell very specific products or offer a diverse range of merchandise. For example, a retailer might specialise in selling electronics, produce, entertainment or clothing while some larger stores might offer a mixture of these. Good customer service is a key part of any retail sales success and most retailers now have an online presence that bridges the gap between online sales and the high street shops.
 
Michael Page Retail & Fashion have forged strong relationships with our clients over the past 40 years. The jobs we recruit for range from positions within traditional stores to multiples and department stores, as well as multi-channel operations, online retailers, mail order and TV shopping channels, covering food, non-food and general merchandise.

Retail jobs we recruit

  • Assistant Store manager
  • Head of Merchandising
  • Buyer
  • Technologist - retail
  • Retail Store Manager
  • Merchandiser
  • Sales Advisor
  • Retail Customer Services Manger
  • Sales Consultant - retail

Key retail tasks

  • Greet customers as the first point of contact.
  • Deal with customer refunds.
  • Handle customer complaints.
  • Work within established guidelines, particularly with brands.
  • Receive and store stock deliveries.
  • Set up displays and POS material.
  • Assist customers in finding the products they are looking for.
  • Process cash and card payments.
  • Stock shelves with merchandise.
  • Report any problems or discrepancies.
  • Provide customers with advice and guidance on product selection.
  • Balance cash registers with receipts.

Key retail skills

As a retailer, good communication skills are a must when dealing with queries and executing a sale. If the customer can’t understand you or if you fail to get your point across, that oversight could impact any potential sale. You need to be comfortable working directly with members of the public because sales roles require regular interaction with customers, whether that’s on the phone or face-to-face. You also need to possess a confident demeanour, not only will this improve a customer’s confidence in you as a sales representative but it will also increase their association with the brand or product you are selling to them. A shy and uncertain sales person might discourage a customer from making a purchase. 
 
Being helpful and polite, while possessing a comprehensive understanding of your area of sales is a must. The better you know your product, the more confident you will be in selling it and similarly your potential buyer will have more confidence in you. Finally, a person that works within retail needs to be able to work effectively as part of a sales team which would include getting point of sales (POS) items ready, filling in if a colleague is away, completing a sale on behalf of a colleague or helping a colleague by persuading a customer that the product that they’re considering is the right one.
 

Qualifications and experience

Retail jobs have no formal educational requirements. However, most employers look for what you already know. For a lot of retail jobs, experience is learned while training on the job, although some large stores have training programs for new hires. If you have any prior experience with the products you'll be expected to sell it will be a plus, such as IT experience when applying for a sales position at a computer or electronics store. Prior experience will help boost your initial salary.
 
However, if you’ve set your sights on long-term career progression then there are various levels of qualifications available for you to choose from and these qualifications enable employers to make better informed decisions during the crucial recruitment stages. The levels range from entry level through to level 8. The higher levels begin from the City &Guilds Higher Professional Diploma in Retail Management (level 4) and the BTEC Higher National Diploma in Retail Management (level 5) and are reserved for those that want to be leaders in their field, e.g. managing directors.  The topics covered do these courses range from customer service, managing retail operations, finance, managing retail environment, to consumer behaviour, supply chain, and retail marketing. Westminster Kingsway College and the University of Brighton offer diploma courses too, like the Access to Higher Education Diploma Business level 3.
 
If you're interested in undertaking a foundation degree then there are courses available, supported by Skillsmart Retail – the sector skills council. There are higher education institutes that also offer courses including Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of the Arts London, and Leicester College. The degree courses offer a more specialist focus like fashion retailing, retail marketing or buying. There are also postgraduate degree options that include retailing MBAs.
 
A few big employers are also offering workplace-based courses which allow flexibility to students and provide valuable hands-on experience to better equip them when they progress with their career.
 
If you would like to discuss your career options, get in touch with our team of specialist retail consultants. Alternatively, if there is a specific position you are interested in contact the listed consultant directly.
 
To browse jobs by salary, region or industry use the filter on the left-hand side of the page to find your perfect role.