Career Research: Current Trends and Skills in the Retail Industry

This report provides insights into career research in the retail industry, including current trends, changes, and job vacancies. It explores the skills and knowledge required for different positions and highlights the importance of effective communication and computer skills. The report concludes with a job advert for a customer service representative position at Marks and Spencer, UK.

CAREER RESEARCH

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................3
APPLICATION AND ANALYSIS.............................................................................................................3
EVALUATION...........................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Career research refers to a valuable application as it helps an individual person to self-
assessed individual skills, aptitude, preferences, personality etc. Those are interlinked with
developing personal and professional career (Bakker, 2018). It is an appropriate tool for me
because with the help of career research I would understand the current trends, skills and
knowledge which are needed within my interested profession. My interested industry is retail
industry where I want to work for generating higher profits and revenues. Due to my interest I
have to indulge in retail industry that is a wider concept as it includes several sectors like
superstores, departmental stores, chain stores, mail-order houses and many more. The main
purpose of conducting this career research is “to examine the current trends within retail industry
along with changes that are happening within retail industry”. Further it also “examines skills
and experience requirement while doing job within retail industry”. At last I will evaluate the job
vacancy that was available within marketplace.
APPLICATION AND ANALYSIS
Current trends of the retail industry
Secondary analysis
According to the viewpoint of “Frederic Mccoy, (2021)”, It is to be stated that in
emerging market trends related to retail industry is changes due to high usage of technology. The
major aim of the trends that are present within retail industry is occur to sustain within
competitive market and fulfill the customers’ requirements in a best manner. To gain benefits
retailers invest in modern business strategies to lead advanced technologies. Several trends that
are occurring within retail industry are presented below:
 Refitting stores for customer engagement- The current trend that are present within
retail industry is refitting the stores by using omni-channel strategy. In this companies
will handle goods and not on physical stores. Now retail industry makes authentic
connections with today’s customers by providing convenient shopping to them.
 Augmented and virtual reality- In 2021, the major retail industry trends is the
augmented and virtual reality. It is quite impressive to attracts and satisfy the customers

in long term manner as a customer’s engagement strategies. The use of augmented and
virtual reality helps in fulfilling the needs to fit the customer shopping journey. Due to
the usage of augmented reality customers try the products virtually like they try cloths,
pair of shoes, make up etc. this will helps customers to enjoy the shopping journey as per
their own convince.
What changes are happened within retail industry
Secondary analysis
As per the viewpoint of Sheryl Posnick, (2021), Retail industry will change for success
and sustainability. The major changes that are happened within retail industry are due to
technological advancement and globalization of companies. The major changes shows by high
growth in E-commerce market. In this consumer purchasing and spending habits are to be
effective and advanced. Now customers do shop the products as per their convenience. In this
Tech-savvy person including computer jobs have a great opportunity to get the high profile job
within retail industry.
Primary analysis
What are the current trends within retail industry along with changes that are happening within
retail industry?
Respondents Question asked Response
Respondent 1 What are the current trends within
retail industry?
Respondent 1 represent that current trend
that was present in retail industry is high
usage of technology due to which changes
also occur as customers do shopping via
e-commerce websites.
Respondent 2 What type of changes occurs within
retail industry?
This respondent present that technology is
the major factor due to which changes are
occur within retail industry. Now-a-days
most of the people are internet savvy due
to which retail industry change their

strategy physical to online.
Respondent 3 What changes are happened within
retail industry?
Within retail industry, respondent reflects
that globalization is the major change that
was happened within retail industry. Due
to globalization retail industry work and
operated in the international market that
helps in gaining profitable results.
Skills/ knowledge and experience required within retail industry
Secondary analysis
As per the viewpoint of Nicasio Francesca, (2021), several skills are to require within the retail
industry that can be taught to the person within business institution that are demonstrating below:
 Active listening skill- It is a vital skill that was needed to a person while working in
retail industry. It is useful for getting customer service and salespeople job. It is a natural
skill but could be developed through regular practice.
 Communication skill- It is crucial to while greeting customers effectively, solving their
issues etc. It would be developed through regular participation of presentation, seminars,
talking with strangers.
 Technical skill- It refers to those skills which are needed to a graduate job applicant.
This skill is to be developed by implementing hand on training, take support of POS
system etc.
 Customer service skill- It is a vital skill for a person for working under retail industry. In
this a person has the knowledge and experience related to greet customers, assessing their
needs and examines interest and problems so that customers are close to company.
Primary analysis
It would be done by using the interview method. In this interview is to be conducted for
examine several skills and experience for developing career within retail industry:
Respondents Question asked Response

Respondent 1 What skills are needed to job
within retail industry?
This respondent present that several skills
are to needed while indulging in retail
industry is that communication skill,
Technological skill, interpersonal skill,
active listening skill, numeracy skill. All
these skills are needed for graduate
student to work under retail industry.
Respondent 2 What type of knowledge is needed
within retail industry?
This responded reflect that a to developed
the career within retail industry a graduate
student have knowledge about how to
attend and retain customers, how to sale
their products to customers by examine
the needs and wants.
Respondent 3 What type of Experience people
need to do a job within retail
industry?
This respondent present the answer for
graduate student who develops their
career within retail industry. it
demonstrate that he/she will have an
internship experience of 4-5 months
within retail company. This helps in
gaining profitable results to a person.
EVALUATION
From above analysis I have to examine several job vacancies within retail industry. These
are cashier, sales associates, customer service representative, store manager, assistant store
manager, and inventory control specialist and many more (Bilik and et. al., 2020). To get the job
any of these positions I want to examine skills and knowledge requirement. For sales associate-
having a good communication, basic mathematical skill and listening skill. For cashier- I have to
basic math and financial knowledge. For becoming customer service representative a person
need basic computer skill, POS skill, team handling skill, having an experience of 4-5 months as
an intern.

From above vacancies I have to asses that I will try to find a job within customer service
representative because it have basic computer knowledge, having an experience as an intern,
problem solving skill, team handling skills.
It is evaluated that because of my effective communication, computer , problem solving
skills I have an interest to do a job as a customer service representative within reputed retail
company. This is an interesting job role because it helps in connecting with number of people on
the global level that also provides more opportunity within future context. As a customer service
representative I want to work within retail industry because it’s very interesting and amazing
business sector within business world that provide huge opportunity to me in future context. I
prefer this job opportunity to other people like my friends and family because it is an amazing
profile that also enhances the living standard of people. As per present condition of world, high
usage of technology is to be done due to this my chosen job role is very emerging as current and
future point of view. Customers are the reason for profits and working for them is very effective.
Hence, it is to be proofed that this job role is very effective for me in present and future context.
Job advert
Marks and Spencer, UK calls for urgent hiring for a customer service representative
having an effective communication skill, basic computer knowledge, active listening skill,
Numeracy skill and also have an experience of 4-5 months as an intern within Retail Company.
Candidates who are interested for this profile send their resume on official website of company
and develop their future career with effective salary and benefits.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it is to be concluded that career research is very crucial for
developing the future growth within personal and professional life. This report helps in
evaluating the several current trends which are present within marketplace related to retail
industry. As working within this industry is very competitive because of high competition is
available within the marketplace. This research report is also helpful in developing the
understanding related to skills and knowledge which are essential to do a job within retail
industry. To effectively understand the in-depth analysis secondary and primary research is very

helpful as it provides the valid and reliable data that helps in growing career within retail
industry.

Appendices

REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Bakker, A., 2018. Design research in education: A practical guide for early career researchers.
Routledge.
Bilik, O. and et. al., 2020. Identifying trends, patterns, and collaborations in nursing career
research: A bibliometric snapshot (1980–2017). Collegian. 27(1). pp.40-48.
Online
McCoy. F., 2021. [Online]. Trends in the retail Industry 2021: What is in store?, Available
through: < https://www.jabil.com/blog/eight-retail-4-0-trends-driving-the-industry.html>
Nicasio. F., 2021. 15 Retail Skills Every Sales Associate Should Have (and How to Develop
Them). [Online]. Available through: < https://www.vendhq.com/blog/retail-skills-sales-
associate/>
Posnich. S., 2021. 3 ways retail will change in the next 5 years, [Online]. Available through: <
https://www.thejobnetwork.com/3-ways-retail-will-change-in-the-next-5-years/>