THERE IS A HELL! - - - IT IS CALLED RETAIL THERE IS A HELL AND IT IS CALLED RETAIL!

5 It's not all glamour and shopping as a merchandiser and no two days are ever the same. Your typical daily tasks are likely to include:  Visiting suppliers and manufacturers  Analysing sales information  Negotiating prices with suppliers  Ordering goods  Talking to other departments  Helping with promotions and advertising campaigns  Producing sales projections What skills are Retail employers looking for? Retail is a popular industry, so it's imperative to find out what the in demand skills are, acquire these skills and give yourself a competitive advantage over your fellow applicants. Some roles will require a very specific set of skills. For instance, Visual Merchandisers will need to have a creative flair with an eye for three - dimensional design and the ability to translate design concepts into tangible displays that will woo potential customers. Buyers and Merchandisers need to be analytical, numerate and commercially astute. Whilst Store Managers need to be good all - rounder’s – sales people, team leaders, target driven and the ability to juggle a number of different tasks simultaneously. Luckily, most of the skills that are required for each position will be learnt on the job but, you may have already acquired some of them during your career or work placements. Regardless of whether you enter your career via the graduate or non - graduate route, the retail industry recognises a set of four key competencies that anyone serious about carving out a career for themselves in this sector will need.  Business Focus  Personal Effectiveness  Relationship Management  Critical Thinking These competencies include a range of typical skills that employers are looking for in applicants, such as:  Excellent communication and interpersonal skills  Good standard of IT and numeracy  Effective influencing and negotiation skills  Strong customer focus  Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines  Analysing and problem-solving skills  Commercial awareness  Flexibility dodie ste®eo p®odu©tion ™ Page 5 of 36

THERE IS A HELL! - - - IT IS CALLED RETAIL THERE IS A HELL AND IT IS CALLED RETAIL! | Page 5