- Retail jobs fall 25% in a year
- Retail management roles at a record low – 3,500 fewer jobs advertised
- North-South divide highlighted – More than 30 applications per job in Glasgow and Liverpool compared to 10 in Hertfordshire and North London
RetailChoice.com, the UK’s largest specialist retail recruitment website, has today announced the findings of its latest Retail Employment Insight Report which revealed a 25% decline in jobs year-on-year. The analysis of the performance of the UK retail jobs market in the second half of 2012 also found that management roles bore the brunt of the decline with over 3,500 fewer jobs advertised.
There were some positives with visual merchandising seeing year-on-year growth of 38% and e-commerce roles rising by 42% year-on-year. Unfortunately, the fashion sector was badly hit with a 21% decline in jobs compared to the same time last year, equating to approximately 3,750 less jobs.
Retailers require specialists in technology and e-commerce
On average there were 16 applications per role across the sector. Management roles saw a big rise in competition with 50% more applications per position.
Interestingly, e-commerce roles only received an average of 6 applications per job, highlighting the specific skills required to successfully fulfil the position. Advertisements for e-commerce roles requiring specialist expertise rose by over 50% year-on-year, demonstrating the on-going shift towards online retail and the increased demand for retailers to recruit expert staff to fulfil these roles.
“Unsurprisingly, the continued rise in the use of smartphones, tablets and more significantly, the rapid growth of retail ‘apps’ has led to retailers needing more specialists in technology and e-commerce. The latest Retail Employment Insight Report demonstrated the demand for these roles and it seems likely that this trend will continue,” commented Neil Brodie, Commercial Director, RetailChoice.com.
North-South divide highlighted
Looking at jobs per region, Glasgow had the toughest competition with an average of 33 applications per retail job, followed closely by 30 in Liverpool and Merseyside. Job hunters in Hertfordshire and North London had the best odds with an average of 10 applications per role.
In the health & beauty sector, Glasgow and Birmingham had the highest number of applications per role with 35 in Glasgow and 29 in Birmingham, compared to only 13 in London. Birmingham also had one of the highest numbers of applications per job in the home & DIY sector with 25 candidates applying for each role - double the number submitted in London.
In fashion, candidates in Leicestershire had the best odds of getting a job with an average of 11 people applying for each fashion position compared to 27 in Birmingham, 23 in Leeds and a staggering 43 in Berkshire and West London.
Retailers must adapt or die
Neil Brodie concludes: “With the explosion of e-commerce and other forms of multi-channel retailing candidates now need to be capable of offering specialist skills in areas such as technology and design to thrive. In general, there is a need to boost training and skills within the retail industry as a whole to reduce the skills gap which is becoming ever more apparent as the high street continues to suffer.
“With a number of well-known casualties already in 2013, such as Jessops, HMV and Blockbuster, the need to adapt or die has never been more stark.”
To download the full report please visit – www.retailchoice.com/REI
