Special features

How do I get a graduate job in retail?

A graduate career in retail offers a fantastic grounding in business and management early on. Here's the lowdown on everything from job areas and graduate schemes to skills and salaries. (More...)

Retailing here and now: trading the 21st century way

Ian Cheshire, chief executive of B&Q, talks about the big issues in retail now and why this makes it such an exciting sector in which to work. It's clear that creative, commercial and switched-on graduates are essential for retail’s ongoing success. (More...)

How to be a retail entrepreneur: founding a fair-trade fashion company

Safia Minney, founding director of People Tree, talks us through setting up her own ethically-minded business and explains how retail work experience is an integral stepping stone for graduate would-be entrepreneurs. (More...)

Responsible retailing: graduate careers in corporate social responsibility (CSR)

Is the sudden appearance of retailers’ consciences just a fad, or are they here to stay? CSR representatives from Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer reveal the truth behind the hype – and what this means in terms of job openings for graduates. (More...)

From graduate job to branch manager: becoming management material

When Sarah Jackson bagged a place on Waitrose’s graduate scheme without any previous retail experience, she wouldn’t have believed that just six years down the line she’d be managing her own branch of the well known supermarket. (More...)

From graduate job to board member: reaching the top of the retail ranks

High-flier Roger Burnley, Sainsbury’s retail and logistics director, takes us on a whirlwind tour of his retail career. He shares the wealth of business and management experience he’s gained from working with big-name brands including B&Q, ASDA and Matalan, and gives a few top tips for a life in retail. (More...)

From graduate job to globe-trotting retail career: international travels in internal audit

Retail auditor Christopher Gee explains how his retail finance career has taken him all over the globe. It upped his cultural awareness and taught him the importance of putting the right products on the shelves. (More...)

Career learning from leaders in the retail business

Learning from leaders Where can a graduate career in retail lead you? We reveal case studies of retail managers and executives from ASDA, Skillsmart, M&S, Orange, Jaeger, John Lewis, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Sainsbury’s, B&Q and McDonalds, along with their tips for success. Read on to find out what makes the top retail recruiters tick. (More...)

Alternative retail-related graduate careers

If you've got management potential, drive and first-class people skills, it's worth considering the hospitality, leisure and tourism sectors, market research, sales, or a fast-moving consumer goods career instead. (More...)

Postgraduate study in the retail sector

A postgraduate degree could help you enter one of the more specialised areas in the retail industry, focus your career direction or develop your skills once in employment. (More...)