The Wholesale and Retail sector represents the steps along the way in the distribution of goods between producers and consumers of goods. It is the 11th fastest growing sector in the UK over the last 5 years. Some of the careers involved in the sector are visual merchandisers, store managers, supermarket staff, baristas, account executives and more.
FACTS AND FIGURES:
- Buckinghamshire's retail sector provides 22,000 jobs and it's wholesale sector provides 17,000 jobs.
- There are around 4,500 wholesale and retail businesses in Buckinghamshire.
- Buckinghamshire is home to twice as many employees in the wholesale and retail sector compared to its national counterpart.
- Buckinghamshire's wholesale specialisms are wholesale of pharmaceutical goods, machinery and equipment, and computers and software.
- Alongside the national growth of the sector, there was 25% growth in the number of employees in Buckinghamshire's wholesale sector between 2010 and 2016, compared to 2.5% growth in retail employees.
THE WORKFORCE:
Some of the key employers within the local Wholesale and Retail sector are Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, Waitrose, Aldi, The Entertainer, Dreams, GE Medical Systems, Allergan and Mint Velvet.
Why not visit their websites and see if your skills and qualifications match the roles they are looking to hire for? If you are keen to get into this workforce and need to up-skill or study further, see below for what routes you can take into one of these careers.
ROUTES INTO WHOLESALE AND RETAIL ROLES:
Use the list below as a starting point for what you could study in order to work within the Wholesale and Retail sector in Buckinghamshire.
- Bucks College Group offers a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Fashion Retail and Communication, and an Entry Level 3 Certificate in Skills in Retail.
- Most local colleges offers level 2-3 courses in Business, which would be useful for working in the wholesale and retail sector.
- Berkshire College of Agriculture offers level 2 and level 3 Floristry apprenticeships.