It's easy to think that the entire UK retail industry is stuck in the mire, with news headlines reminding us all too often of closing High Street chains or the pending doom of job losses.
It's easy to think that the entire UK retail industry is stuck in the mire,
with news headlines reminding us all too often of closing High Street chains or the pending doom of job losses. In fact, amid the apparent threats and realities, February 2013 was a promising month with overall sales up from previous years based on a like-for-like basis. Also, we should remind ourselves that while the outlook of the High Street's future can look a little murky, such a downturn is vastly due to a promising shift to online retail – or 'e-tail'.
E-tail is a steadily growing part of the UK's retail industry, as more and more households get hold of mobile devices which make it easier than ever before to buy an array of goods: from groceries, to household items, to the latest in fashionable clothing. In fact, online spending this year is predicted to reach nearly £90 billion in the UK – up from last year's estimated spending of £78 billion.
Such a rise is great for the UK economy, but what does this mean for finding a job in retail?
Well, being blunt, it tells us that if you're looking for a retail jobs you shouldn't neglect the rising prominence of online's importance. While there still exists an array of jobs amid the High Street, more vacancies are lending themselves to e-commerce – and not just for those who know the ins and outs of HTML or social media.
Below are a few tips to help you secure a job in retail during this digital age:
Apply your offline skills to online skills
Competing for jobs can be tough at the best of times and so doing something to give yourself the edge over competitors is a must. A simple search for online jobs shows that a lot of online vacancies boast similarities – both in title and role – to traditional High Street positions. Take an Online Merchandiser, whose duties still remain being responsible for displays. However, rather than a shop front it's a website home page.
Broaden your skills set
Much like the above, where offline positions have online sisters, if you acquire extra skills that can be applied online then you only improve your chances of employment. Take the position of Online Marketing Assistant, for example. Customer service experience is still vital (like it would be for a Sales Assistant role in trying to sell products face-to-face), however because you're tasked with promoting your employer's brand or website, it would be great to know how to use social media. Go away, sign up to some platforms and have a play, or better yet, sign onto a training course. The more skills you have on your CV, the more chances you face of employment.
Remember: People will always be needed
Don't get caught up in worrying about robots or technology taking over because remember: People will always be needed. While online sales rise, there will always be people required to source the items from the store or warehouse, or deliver the purchases to the customer. We've not reached an age of Transformers or RoboCops just yet.
Being active and thorough on the job hunt is vital, but also open yourself to the opportunity to be head-hunted. CV-Library allows candidates to sign up for free and have their CV accessed by a vast collection of recruiters. More than rely on others to come to you, JobsRetail boasts thousands of retail jobs available from throughout the UK, stretching across all areas of interest as well as on and offline.
