Unit 151 Understanding the business of retail

Aims of the course The aims of the course were covered in your induction, but just as a recap, you will be learning the following; To understand the business of retail. To understand customer service in the retail sector. To understand how a retail business maintains health, safety and security on its premises. To understand the retail selling process. To understand how individuals and teams contribute to the effectiveness of a retail business. To understand the control, handling and replenishment of stock in a retail business. To understand the handling of customer payments in a retail business.

Learning Objectives By the end of today, you will: Understand how retail outlets can differ in size and type. Understand the range of retail occupations. Understand the retail supply chain. Understand how customers concerns influence the products and services offered by retailers. Understand the contribution which the retail sector makes to the economy

What is Retail? Retail is the sale of small quantities of goods to end users, not for resale, but for use and consumption by the purchaser. Retailers obtain goods and services that customers want and then sell them to those customers. There are many different ways that the modern customer can shop. How do you shop?

Retail Channels A retail channel is the way a retailer chooses to sell their goods or services to a customer. Stores Online Stores Catalogues Mobile Technology Market TV Shopping Customers use different channels for different reasons as each channel offers different features.

Retail Outlets A retail outlet is another name for a shop. They sell goods and services to customers which the customers can see, touch and feel before buying. How many retail outlets can you name in 30 seconds?

Retail Outlet Size Outlets come in various sizes What type of things would differ in these different size stores?

Jobs in Retail Retail is one of the few industries in which you can still start without any education and advance based on your experience and accomplishments. Sales People Stockroom or Warehouse Staff Visual Merchandisers Specialist Staff Logistics Staff Marketing Staff IT Staff Finance and Admin Staff

Progression Routes What is the best way to progress in retail? On the job training Work-based Qualifications Experience

Career Path Highlight the common skills and qualities that someone would need in order to progress in the retail sector

Job Occupations HR have asked for your help in drawing up job specifications as they are unsure of the skills and attributes that the following jobs require. They have asked you to list at least 6 of each for them. Complete the job specifications below: Sales Assistant Cashier Team Leader Manager

Sales Assistant What skills and qualities would you need?

Cashier What skills and qualities would you need?

Team Leader What skills and qualities would you need?

Manager What skills and qualities would you need?

Skills and Qualifications in Retail Customer Service Customer service is seen as essential. Excellent customer service may be the single factor that makes one retailer stand out from its competitors. Communication Employees must be able to communicate with colleagues and customers. Basic Maths Skills Working in retail involves dealing with numbers and money so basic maths skills are very useful. Job adverts for sales people in retail often mention the need for a basic qualification in maths.

Activity Complete the Skills Checklist

Green Retail Retailers know that customer are much more environmentally aware and that they now take environmental and ethical issues into account. Customers like to know: What a product is made of Where and how a product was made Are the rights of people and animals respected Are growers and producers traded with fairly

Green Retail Customers might boycott a store which didn’t listen to their concerns about the way retail companies treat the planet. They want to know: Whether a product was made from a sustainable source e.g. if it is made of wood, did the company plant another tree to replace the one which was cut down? How food is produced e.g. whether it is organic or whether chemical pesticides which pollute the soil and the rivers have been used

Green Retail Customers might boycott a store which didn’t listen to their concerns about the way retail companies treat the planet. They want to know: Whether a product has been made to use as little electricity/water as possible in order to save the planet’s resources – or how much energy it took to produce it in the first place Whether a lot of plastic packaging has been used and whether it is bio-degradable or whether it will take 1000 years to rot on landfill sites and add to global warming

Green Retail Customers might boycott a store which didn’t listen to their concerns about the way retail companies treat the planet. They want to know: How far a product has been transported to the shop e.g. lorries and planes transporting produce from other countries will use a great deal of petrol and give out harmful emissions which will eventually destroy the planet

Green Retail Other customers have ethical concerns about how people and animals are treated during production. They worry about: Whether child labour was used to produce goods Whether the goods were produced in a ‘sweat shop’, where the workers had very poor working conditions and pay Whether the goods were tested on animals Whether animals were treated humanely before and after slaughter Whether suppliers/farmers/producers were given fair contracts and fair pay

Green Retail The EU Ecolabel logo makes it simple to know that a product or a service is both environmentally friendly and good quality. The entire product life cycle is taken into account from Extraction of raw material Production Packaging Transport Use Recycling

The Supply Chain Raw MaterialManufacturedDistribution RetailerCustomer Supplier

Activity You are now going to look at an online module which will teach you about: The Supply Chain Customers’ concerns and their affect on retail Retail and the economy You need to go to this website: Log in using your Username and Password

Summary Understand how retail outlets can differ in size and type. Understand the range of retail occupations. Understand the retail supply chain. Understand how customers concerns influence the products and services offered by retailers. Understand the contribution which the retail sector makes to the economy