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Job description: Retail Fashion
Fashion retailing offers you a wide choice of jobs, from area and store manager to sales assistant, as well as specialist areas such as buyer and stock control.
You can also work for all sizes of organisation, from well known high street chains to small independent shops and elite fashion brands.
You should check out individual job profiles for the details, but common responsibilities are likely to include: dealing with customers and selling goods, handling payments, making sure that the goods are attractively displayed, offering advice and answering questions, managing stock availability, helping with special promotions, ordering stock and overseeing delivery.
Your responsibilities increase and change the higher up the scale you go. As a store manager, for example, you'd concern yourself with managing and motivating staff, making sure that your store or department meets sales targets, managing stock levels, analysing sales figures and forecasting future sales and dealing with takings.
In contrast, as a sales assistant, you would spend much more time on your feet serving customers and dealing with enquiries. You might also have specific tasks, such as taking customers' measurements.
By its very nature, fashion is glamorous, high profile, fast moving and ever changing. The emphasis is on style and the individual brand values of your organisation. It's also your responsibility to reflect these, both in the way you act and the way you look.
In smaller stores, your day-to-day jobs will be more varied than a large High Street outlet, and may include activities such as window display and receiving deliveries.
Hours and Environment
You usually work store opening hours, which is around a 37 or 38 hour week. This is likely to include evenings and weekends, and you may work shifts.
As a sales assistant, you'll spend a lot of time on your feet, and may wear a uniform. Managers are mostly office-based, but will still spend time on the shop floor.
Skills and Interests
Again, these vary with your role. However, general qualities you'll need in fashion retail include:
- The ability to work as part of a team
- Good communication and 'people' skills
- A strong commitment to customer service and helping people
- The ability to work under pressure and handle challenging situations
- Confidence, drive and enthusiasm
- Decision-making ability and a sense of responsibility
- A 'passion for fashion'
- A good, even stylish appearance and dress sense
Entry
You don't need specific qualifications for fashion retailing, although a keen interest and enthusiasm for the subject is a real advantage. A good age match to your potential customers would also be good.
Generally, empathy and aptitude are more important than pieces of paper. It would be helpful to have a good general education, and previous experience of working with the public. More senior roles require specific fashion experience, although general retail experience can also help you.
Training
When you're working for a large retail chain, you are likely to be offered in-house training. This could include the chance to gain work-based qualifications, such as NVQ Level 2 in Retail Skills, Level 3 in Retail and Level 4 in Sales.
Structured graduate management training schemes usually last between 18 months and two years. Note that larger organisations will offer a programme of ongoing training throughout your retail career.
In addition to this, you will be expected to develop your skills on the job.
Opportunities
With outlets the length and breadth of the country, fashion retailing offers many opportunities. You'll find jobs advertised in both the local and national press, at Jobcentre Plus, on employers' own websites, in-store and on specialist recruitment websites.
Moving employers is always an option as skills are transferable, while you could also move into another area of retailing altogether.
You also have the opportunity to open your own outlet.
Annual Income
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
- Sales assistants are likely to earn around £12,000 - £15,000
- Assistant managers earn around £17.5-£25k
- Store managers typically earn around £40,000 - £45,000, but can earn up to £70,000
You may also earn extra bonuses and commission for meeting sales targets.
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