If you have been looking for work in the retail industry then you have probably written off the last 12 months. Since Covid arrived in the UK over a year ago, retail has taken a massive hit. Many shops have had to close for long periods of time and even when they were open, not many people have been buying clothing because they have had no where to go. The retail industry is set to start to reopen again later on this month but shops will have a hard time in getting rid of their backlog of stock, much of which is probably left over from Christmas so may not be suitable for this time of year.
If you are looking for a job in the retail sector then now is the time to start applying. You may wish to register with an agency or you could go in and approach then shops directly. Some major high street stores may require you to apply to head office or online whereas other stores will accept your CV as an application. It is important that you demonstrate how keen you are to work for a company without being too pushy. If they tell you they have no current vacancies then you could always ask if it is possible to be put on a waiting list.
Experience is often something that is not essential in retail, but a benefit. You may even deice to volunteer in your local charity shop or bric-a-brac store to gain some experience. You may have decided that you do not want to work on the shop floor but rather behind the scenes. There are a number of different roles within the retail sector making it quite diverse. If you have a flare for design then you may decide to try and get into the design and marketing aspect of retail. This could include choosing the displays to have in the windows, using the social media platforms to share news and information about new products or stores opening or to keep the website updated. This may require you to have previous marketing experience or even have a programming background.
It is often fairly quick to move up in the retail industry if you prove yourself. If you stay with a company for a while then you may be given the opportunity to progress to store manager or even regional manager if working for a big company. This often comes with other perks such as a company car and higher wage.