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Careers in the Retail Sector |
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Retail is among the fastest growing industries in India. It is moving towards modernization and consolidation, generating employment for innumerable people. Increasing disposable income, purchasing power and awareness levels are leading to the growth of the sector. This scenario would bring out lucrative opportunities for the young as well as experienced candidates. Retail sector is expected to offer 50,000 jobs in the coming five years. The sector has vacancies from the entry level to senior management level. The skills required to survive and grow in this sector are people skills, zeal, communication skills and team spirit. To excel in this challenging sector the candidate must have an outgoing personality to interact with customers or sellers.
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As it is a people-oriented business, the candidate should be dynamic, versatile and should have the right attitude to be successful. The profession demands excellent command over language and spirit of working in teams. Promotions and growth entirely depend upon the skills, achievements and efforts of the candidate.
Some of the profiles that the sector provides include:
Sales
This profile is composed of the sales force, which deals directly with the customers and helps them make choices. These are the people who are a part of the consumer's final purchase process. They are required with high level of expertise and persuasive powers. These are entry-level jobs and graduates with lots of enthusiasm are preferred.
Store manager (SM) / Assistant Store managers (ASM)
Store managers are responsible for an entire store and take care of the day-to-day operations. They are confronted with an environment that changes rapidly. A store manager has to keep his staff motivated and encourage them to satisfy the customers fully. They have to set sales and profit targets, and achieve them. Graduates with two years of experience are given preference.
Retail manager
The Retail manager helps coordinating the day-to-day operations of the store. The person is involved with the layout of merchandise, managing the supply chain, checking the stock levels and keeping the records of the financial transactions. The individual must understand the customer requirements. An MBA with 1-2 years of experience is suited to the job.
Retail buyers
The retail buyers are responsible for maintaining a variety of products and selection of the right material and goods. They must take into account the customer specific requirements. They select the merchandise and buy the goods. The retail buyers can become store managers, divisional merchandise managers, product developers and merchandise planners. Graduates with some amount of experience in a related area are suitable.
Product development
Product development involves creating merchandise, developing marketing plans, working with designers and giving a shape to the final product. Most developers have a merchandising background. They understand the timing, assortment planning and quality of product. Experience requirements are high in this field.
Merchandise planning
Merchandise planners develop the financial plans and allocate the quantities of merchandise to each store. This profile would require a knack for numbers, managerial and people skills. Analyzing and suggesting business strategies, understanding the duties of both a buyer and store manager are some of the expectations from the planner. He must keep a record of the inventory, price changes, assortment plan and marketing strategy. An MBA with 2-3 years of experience or a graduate with 7-8 years of experience would be suitable.
Retail design / Visual merchandise
Retail designers and visual merchandisers have to give a face to the brand. They enhance the brand image and attract the customers to the store. This profile requires an eye for detail and a creative mind. Experience counts a lot in this profile, too.
Institutes with retail management programmes
More and more business schools are focusing on this sector and large retailers are collaborating with these institutes and are setting up retail academies. Courses in retail trade and management encompass an understanding of the necessities and competencies required in the sector. They are taught about various issues of the sector such as location, assortment, positioning of the store, in store management, logistics, distribution, supply chain management, customer service, retention and many other fields. These institutes also help the students in getting experience in the industry and enhance their placement opportunities.
Some of these institutes are:
Institute for Integrated Learning in Management (IILM) offers a two-year full time course in retail management with Pantaloon Retail India Limited.
Institute for Integrated Learning in Management
16, Knowledge Park-II, Greater Noida - 201 306
Tel: 0120- 2328232, 9871794993, 9312940388
Email: adm@igsm.in
Website: www.igsm.in
Indian Retail School offers one year advanced programmes in Retail Management and Retail Entrepreneurship and two-year programme in Lifestyle Retailing.
Address:
Images Pearl Retail Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Site 2, Pocket OCF, Sector C, Vasant Kunj.
Nelson Mandela Road.
Delhi - 110070.
Phone no..: +91 - 11 - 26125981 / 82 / 83 / 84 / 85.
Email: info@indianretailschool.com
Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA) offers 3-month weekend certificate courses for any graduates in any discipline. It also offers one-year post-graduate diploma courses in retail management as well.
LIBA, Loyola College
Chennai
Phone No: 28175353
Fax No: 28173183
Email: placement@liba.edu
libaplacements@yahoo.com
Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad offers a 12-month full-time post -graduate certificate programme in retail communication management.
Address
Mudra Institute of Communications
Shela
Ahmedabad -- 380 058
Phone: (02717) 237 946/ 47/ 48/ 49/ 50/ 51
Web site: www.mica-india.net
S P Jain Centre of Management, Dubai, offers a one-year full-time post- graduate diploma in management with a specialization in retail management.
Address
S P Jain Centre of Management
Block 3A, Knowledge Village
PO Box 502345
Dubai, UAE
Phone: (00) 9714 3664041
Web site: www.spjaindubai.org
Welingkar Institute of Management, Centre for Retail Studies, Mumbai offers a variety of programmes in retail.
These include:
Professional Program in Retailing
Diploma in Retail Management
Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management
Address
L N Road
Near Matunga Central Railway Station
Matunga East
Mumbai -- 400 019
Phone: (022) 2417 8300
Web site: www.welingkar.org
K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research, Mumbai offers a Diploma in Retail Management.
Address
K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research Vidyanagar
Vidyavihar
Mumbai -- 400 077
Phone: (022) 2502 7211/ 2502 7210
E-mail: info@simsr.somaiya.edu
Companies that hire
Shopper's Stop
Website: http://www.shoppersstop.com/Login/login_f.aspx?res=800
Reliance Fresh
Apply here: http://www.ril.com/html/careers/applyonline_retail.html
Globus
Web site: http://www.globus.in/v2/index.aspx
Apply here: http://www.globus.in/v2/careers.asp
Pantaloon
Website: http://www.pantaloon.com/
Apply here: http://www.pantaloon.com/resume1.asp
Fabindia
Web site: http://www.fabindia.com/
Apply here: http://www.fabindia.com/careers.asp
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