Gear up for retail boom

Usha Albuquerque

Today one of the most recognisable sign of a growing city is the sight of glitzy shopping plazas, super-markets and swanky malls. Shopping in India has witnessed a revolution with the change in consumer buying behaviour. Shopping is no longer a necessity, but also provides entertainment and fun. Shopping complexes are the new hang-out joints for thousands of young people who may not necessarily want to buy something. Today’s multi-stored malls, huge shopping centers, and sprawling complexes offer food, shopping, and entertainment all under the same roof to a growing middle class with a strong income base, making Retail one of the fastest changing and dynamic industries in the world.

Retailing can be defined as the buying and selling of goods and services. It involves the distribution of products from manufacturers to the consumers with the coordination of business activities from end to end- right from the concept or design stage of a product or offering, to its delivery and post-delivery service to the customer.

The mushrooming retail chains in Indian cities and towns means not only a huge demand for trained retail professionals, but also indicates that retail is not just selling, but also includes a variety of other jobs, including design, visual merchandising, marketing, supply chain management, logistics and so on, with plenty of options for those interested in a new and exciting career.

Here are 5 jobs in retail you may like to consider:

Store/Retail Manager

This professional plans and co-ordinates the operations of retail outlets be it small franchisees like specialty shops, fast food chains, or sections of supermarkets or department stores.

The job profile would involve determining the layout of the merchandise so that it is presented as attractively as possible, monitoring the stock levels, placing orders and managing the supply chains and keeping and analysing records of sales figures and financial transactions.

The store manager is also expected to maintain a high level of customer service by observing customer preferences and ensuring that complaints are quickly resolved.

Depending on the retail chain and products on sale you could start your career as a floor manager handling one department or one line of product before rising to managing a single store, and then a number of stores and so on. Often retail managers work in different areas of a store, obtaining practical experience of each department and gaining selling, marketing and managerial skills.

Skills required: A customer-oriented field which requires good communication, organisational and leadership skills. You must enjoy working with people and have a good product knowledge or interest in marketing areas like fashion, music, computer games, etc. You also need good numerical skills and have the ability to work accurately and neatly.

Visual Merchandiser

The eye-catching display that gets you to walk into a retail store is the responsibility of the Visual Merchandiser. Visual merchandisers (also known as window dressers or display assistants) use their design skills to help promote the image, products and services of the retail businesses. They conceptualise, design and implement window and in-store displays for both online shoppers and retail stores. They plan the store theme, arrange props for displays, arrange display fixtures and lighting, set up the stores before opening, work with floor plans and store requirements and train personnel on the sales floor to create displays. 

The visual merchandiser  works on all kinds of products from clothes and shoes to home decor and furniture. They also have to liaise with other retail professionals, such as buyers, marketing executives and retail merchandisers, to make sure each and every store has the right visual impact.

Skills required: This is a field for those with creative and artistic flair, preferably those with a design background and with aesthetic sense, original ideas and imagination

Buyers and Planners/ Merchandisers

A retail buyer is responsible for planning and selecting a range of products to sell in retail outlets. Buyers study buying trends and the buyer’s needs, and then liaise between the market and the production process, keeping in mind the stores’ policies and financial budgets. Buyers are constantly in touch with wholesalers, manufacturers and suppliers so as to decide on the kinds of products that should to go into stores, and in what quantity. They have to maintain relationship with the existing suppliers while also sourcing new suppliers for future products. They must understand the company’s brand and have an instinct for what will sell.

Planners work with the logistics departments to get products to the right place at the right time. They must carefully understand supply and demand cycles in different markets, liaising with shop personnel to ensure supply meets demand.

Some stores may sell more of a product in one city than in another, and so planners have to ensure that such items do not run out of stock. The planner has to constantly keep in touch with the latest retail developments in India and abroad, and provide feedback and ensure that consignments reach the stores on time.

Skills required: A business or marketing degree with a general commercial awareness, negotiating skills and the ability to network and influence people as well as an entrepreneurial spirit and a willingness to take risks.

Logistics/ Supply chain management

Logistics involves managing goods, information and other resources, from their origin to supply point, in order to fulfill the requirements of the customers, while supply chain covers the entire gamut of activities involving the procurement of raw materials, transportation of the raw as well as the finished products, as well as the storage and final distribution of goods and materials.

The main functions of logistics managers include inventory management, purchasing, transportation, warehousing, consultation and the organising and planning of these activities. This involve coordinating efforts required to ensure structures are in place to monitor the flow of goods and materials. Typical supply chain work activities include monitoring the quality, quantity, cost and efficiency of the movement and storage of goods, coordinating and controlling the information systems and analysing data to monitor performance and plan improvements and demand.

With the use of computers supply chain managers are able to track supplies of raw materials and finished products, to ensure that all deliveries arrive on schedule, keeping the costs of operating a warehouse and fleet of delivery vehicles as low as possible

Skills required: You need excellent project management skills, as well as knowledge of finance and cost accounting to get into this field. Logistics and supply chain management is a good career for those who are good in planning, have strong organising skills and can work well with other people.

Marketing

This could include functions like sales promotion, advertising and public relations. Sales is the main aspect of the retail industry and an important part of store operations. Sales work is mostly in merchandising, which primarily means helping retailers to maximise sales through promotion campaigns, displays or other new techniques.

The duty of the sales staff is to sell the products to the customers, while a retail sales manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of a retail store and has to motivate and organise the employees. Advertising managers direct a firm’s advertising and promotional campaign.

Marketing managers work with advertising and promotion managers to promote the firm’s products and services and require excellent interpersonal and communication skills. They visit stores to observe performance and to help solve problems.

Another area of work within marketing is that of luxury brand management covering product marketing, brand management, sales and retail for companies or labels from the luxury industry. Today there are also special shopping malls handling only luxury branded products.

Skills required: A commerce or economics background with some marketing/ sales training or experience. Moreover, a pleasing personality, excellent communication skills, and good leadership qualities, goes a long way for a successful career.

These and many other services are required in the retail industry, including finance, accounting, HR, as well as new fields in software, which involve customisation of customer relation management software, e-commerce and point of sale terminal customization.

The retail industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the country. Traditional markets are paving way for the development of departmental stores, supermarkets, specialty stores, shopping malls, covering a diverse amalgam of activities despite the more complex challenges from e-commerce and online sales.

With rising incomes and improvement in infrastructure the industry is set for a boost with retail chains like Pantaloons, Reliance India, Food World, Barista, Pantaloons, Shopper’s Stop, Big Bazaar, Cafe Coffee Day, continuing their expansion plans into smaller cities and towns, and the entry of big industrial corporations such as Wal-Mart & Ikea, fashion giants like H & M and Zara and many others waiting to enter this market.

So if you have enjoyed hanging around the new shopping malls, a career in retail can not only ensure exciting shopping experiences, but also allow you to get paid to indulge your fantasies.

— The writer is Director, Career Smart Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi