Retail industry overview and career opportunities

Jane Rexworthy

15 May 2012

Speaker

Date

UK Retail: Key facts and figures 2012

• The established definition of retail is “the junction between

production and consumption”

• Retail continues to be the UK’s largest private sector employer with

2.77 million employees

• The UK’s top 75 retailers employ two-thirds of the total workforce,

while there are around 150,000 sole traders operating in the sector

• Despite the recession, the turnover of the retail sector in 2011 was

£343 billion, which equates to 8% of UK’s GVA

• There are 188,000 retail enterprises, operating in around 286,000

retail establishments across the UK

Nation Number of retail establishments %

England 239,450 84

Scotland 23,825 8

Wales 13,670 5

Northern Ireland 9,735 3

Total 286,680 100

Number of retail establishments

• 14,155 business operating in nearly 24,000 outlets

• 12% of all Scottish businesses are retail

• 80% of Scottish retailers employ less than ten employees

• 1% of Scottish retailers employ more than 250 employees

• 240,000 people work in Scottish retail

• 45% work full-time and 55% work part-time

• 28% of employees are male and 62% female

• Over a third (36%) are 16-24 years old

• 7% are over 60 years old

• 6% of Scottish retailers are BAME

Retail in Scotland

• Main skills lacking in Scottish retail workforce from the

owner/managers’ perspective:

• Problem solving skills (56%)

• Customer handling skills (54%)

• Team working (50%)

• The Glasgow retail location brings in the largest consumer

expenditure in Scotland per year (£2.6billion in 2010)

• Scotland as a whole has an overall vacancy rate of just over

12%:

• Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow are 13.4%, 11.4% and 17.8% respectively

• Paisley, for example, has a shop vacancy rate of 23.5%, but Livingston’s is only 11.3% (Current UK national average vacancy rate from LDC is 14.5%)

Retail in Scotland cont..

Scotland UK

Retail All Sectors Retail All Sectors

All £258.7 £463.2 £284.2 £487.6

Part-time £136.4 £191.8 £133.9 £197.9

Full-time £397.0 £570.1 £436.9 £598.3

Pay scales in retail

• Retail develops skills useful in any workplace (88%)

• Retail offers a wide range of opportunities for people of all ages (84%)

• Retail offers individuals responsibility at an early stage (73%)

• Retail is an employee friendly sector where employees are treated with respect (66%)

• Retail generally has competent and effective managers (64%)

• Retail offers top quality training and career development (63%)

Careers advisors perceptions of retail (UK)

• Careers guidance is available to young people from a

number of different sources in the UK

• Unique to Scotland is that career guidance practitioners

work within publicly-funded agencies, including Careers

Scotland, rather than within the schooling system itself

• Many town centres are now recognising the need to grow

new business in their high streets, there is real opportunity

for Business Enterprise

• In the UK 53% of under graduates would consider starting

up a business, with 63% in Scotland considering this as a

career option

• Careers in retail - from retail finance director to sales

advisor the opportunities are diverse and varied

Careers within retail

Driving up skills in retail

Within five years create a national network of up to 70 retail skills shops which will:

• Provide access to world-class skills and business support for retailers whatever their size, wherever they are located

• Lead the drive for professional rewarding careers and skills development for everyone who works in retail

• Create a consistent national approach for training and skills in the UK's largest private industry sector

National Skills Academy for Retail’s vision

45

3

3

English skills shop network

Scottish skills shop network • Edinburgh Skills Shop • West Lothian Skills Shop • Fife Skills Shop • Grampian Skills Shop • Highlands Islands and

Moray Skills Shop

Northern Ireland skills shop network

Welsh skills shop network

5

• The network of skills shops in Scotland

• Provide information, advice and guidance

• Work ready programmes – Retail Works, WorldHost

• Modern Apprenticeships

• Retail Therapy

• The Institute for Retail

• Continuing Professional Development

Supporting young people in retail careers

ALDI

TK Maxx

Halfords

Debenhams

Dunelm Mill

JJB Sports

Midland Co-operative

National Market Traders Federation

Association of Convenience Stores

e.g. Spar – AF Blakemore

Retailers delivering Apprenticeships