Retail

Graduate jobs in retail fall into five main categories:

Careers in Retail

The retail industry is a large source of job opportunity for graduates. Although some retailers (in particular electrical sellers such as Dixons and Currys) have seen a decline in sales in recent years, supermarkets have continued to boom, offering a growing number of graduate jobs as a consequence. In retail, the key roles for graduates tend to be based at either a company's Head Office (Buying, Merchandising, Marketing, Distribution) or in-store (Management).

Skills Required for Retail

Generally speaking, you will need the following key competencies to be successful in a graduate job in retail: commercial awareness, teamwork, leadership, communication and problem solving. Numeracy skills and attention to detail will also be essential for Buying and Merchandising. All graduate scheme applicants must be able to demonstrate an interest in retail.

Now see - List of Retailers in the UK.

ASDA

Asda is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, toys and general merchandise. It became a subsidiary of the American retail giant Wal-Mart, one of the world’s largest retailer in 1999, and is the second largest chain in the UK after Tesco, having overtaken Sainsbury's in 2003.

Asda is Wal-Mart's largest non-U.S. subsidiary, accounting for almost half of the company's international sales.

Asda's marketing promotions have usually been based solely on price, with Asda promoting itself under the slogan Britain's Lowest Priced Supermarket, 12 Years Running. As a wholly owned division of Wal-Mart, Asda is not required to declare quarterly or half-yearly earnings. It submits full accounts to Companies House each October.

Graduate Recruitment

Asda are a Times Top 100 graduate recruiter. The firm offers a structured training process for graduates, that is well-regarded.
The Asda graduate scheme is certainly better balanced than schemes at retailers such as Lidl or Aldi.

Asda recruits graduates for a number of different positions apart from Retail Management, including IT Solutions Management, Trading, Finance, Ecommerce, Property & Construction, Supply Chain and Distribution.

ASDA Graduate Jobs

ASDA's graduate job schemes typically last for three years. Scheme available include:

  • Retail Management
  • Distribution Management
  • Ecommerce
  • Finance (studying towards CIMA qualification)
  • Marketing
  • Project Management Systems Solutions (PMSS)
  • Property and Construction
  • Trading (buying and merchandising).

Locations

Graduates interested in the Retail Management or Distribution Management programmes must be flexible in terms of location, as they could easily be working anywhere in the country.

If you choose Property and Construction, Marketing, Project Management Systems Solutions, Trading, Ecommerce or Finance, you'll be based at ASDA House, which is in the centre of Leeds.

ASDA Interview Questions

The ASDA graduate scheme interview and assessment process is as follows:

Assessment centre

[Edit] The ASDA assessment centre consists of:
  • Pick a toy
  • Asda Monopoly
  • Group exercise
  • Role plays
  • Presentation
  • Interview

Pick a toy

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The first thing you will have to do at your assessment centre will be to pick a toy to describe your personality and then describe why you picked that toy.

ASDA Monopoly

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You will then have to play an ASDA version of monopoly, which involves mini-games which test your maths skills, verbal reasoning, and creative thinking; your answers will be analysed in front of you, with some good and some bad feedback given, to see your reaction.

Group Exercise

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The group task will test your leadership, logical thinking, and group work.

Role Play

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You will be asked to perform a role play with other members of your group, or current employees.

Presentation

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The presentation is your chance to deliver your thoughts on the research provided to you before the assessment centre itself. It is a good idea to prepare slides, and prepare for this by doing online company research.

Interview

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The ASDA assessment centre interview may be unusual. Candidates may be given a sheet of paper with questions about their motivations and the high and low points in their life.

Aldi

Aldi is a global supermarket chain with over 7,000 shops worldwide. The firm is also one of the world's largest privately owned companies.

Graduate Recruitment

Aldi is a highly aggressive graduate recruiter. The firm have a much higher recruitment marketing spend than other firms because they suffer from a very high burnout rate amongst their graduate hires.

Burnout rate is so high because the general graduate scheme is so demanding, with many recruits reporting working 70 hours or more each week, including working on both Saturday and Sunday, sometimes for months at a time.

Graduates who do last until the end of the Aldi training scheme will gain great experience of retail and be offered a very high salary to continue working for the firm, but for many, the life-cost of working in this capacity for the firm is just too much.

Working Culture

Aldi's graduate area managment trainee positions offer applicants one of the highest salaries of any graduate role in the UK - £40,000 a year immediately after graduation. Successful hires will also be provided with a company car (the infamous Audi A4) and promised rapid promotion, if they do well.

The Aldi graduate scheme, which officially lasts for one year, offers a good start to graduates with an interest in the retail industry, or gaining experience in management positions.

The firm seem towork their graduate trainees hard. Applicants should expect to work 60 - 100 hours each week, spread over six or even seven days a week, throughout the length of the graduate scheme. There is little time for a social life, or even a life outside work during the Aldi graduate scheme.

Reports indicate that the drop out rate of graduate hires at Aldi is quite high. Not everyone is prepared to work as hard as Aldi expect, and many graduates lured in by the very attractive starting salary do leave the company after a few weeks, or months.

Those who stick with the company are promised, and seem to acheive, swift promotion. Graduates have been known to become directors after just five years.

Trainees are expected to spend time working in every job role offered by the company during the graduate scheme. This includes less-skilled roles such as shelf-stacking, working on tills and cleaning, as well as office based roles.

Although the Aldi graduate salary and company car are attractive, reports suggest that Aldi offer very little else in the way of benefits to trainees. Staff kitchens are apparently not even stocked with tea and coffee; staff must buy their own.

The Aldi graduate scheme is tough, and will only suit graduates intent on earning money, gaining experience or achieving rapid promotion in the retail industry/management. Trainees must possess great leadership skills and be able to communicate effectively with employers at all levels. It is also essential for trainees to have a good level of physical fitness, to cope with the excessive amount of work, and have a great deal of geographical flexibilty, as they must relocate as and when the company decide.

Aldi Graduate Jobs

The Aldi graduate scheme is called the Area Manager Graduate Training Programme. This lasts for one year and offers graduates management training, the chance to work in many different roles within the company and the prospect of rapid promotion.

Salary

The Aldi graduate scheme starting salary is one of the highest offered by any graduate employer in the UK at £40,000, with a company car. Trainees can realistically expect to earn in excess of £60,000 after three years at the company.

Geographical flexibility

Graduate trainees at Aldi need to be highly geographically flexible and prepared to spend a large amount of time travelling. Once hired, you may be positioned anywhere within the UK, and may be moved at any time. Trainees will also need to travel extensively within their allocated region, in order to visit the four to six stores that fall within their jurisdiction as area manager.

Work diversity

During the first six months of the Aldi graduate scheme, trainees must spend their time doing each of the less-skilled store jobs that they will eventually manage. For example, trainees will mop floors, work on supermarket check-outs and stack shelves. After this inital six-month period, trainees will officially take on the responsibilities of an area manager.

Aldi Graduate Jobs Interview Questions

Aldi Area Manager Graduate Training Programme Interview Questions

The application and interview process at Aldi is as follows:

Aldi do not pay expenses for anyone attending interviews.

Assessment Centre


The Aldi graduate scheme assessment day consists of:

Aldi usually invite about 12 candidates to attend each assessment day. The day lasts for about three hours and starts with an introductory talk from Aldi's Managing Director.

Presentation

After the introductory talk, candidates will be asked to deliver an individual presentation on something of personal interest. Everyone will have three minutes to prepare their presentation. Each candidate will then be asked to give their presentation in turn, and must talk for at least two minutes on their chosen subject.

Group Exercise

The Aldi Group exercise will almost certainly be about surviving a plane crash. There will be several questions that your group must decide answers to. For example, you may be asked to rank, in order of importance, items you would take with you from a plane that has crash landed. Your job will be to discuss with your team how you should evaluate items, and to come up with a system to rank items in order of necessity. It is essential that you show your leadership ability, by leading the discussion and taking the initiative, either by taking notes, or summing up the discussion at the end of the exercise.

After the exercise there will be a further group discussion about the plane crash scenario.

Aptitude Tests

After the group exercise candidates will be asked to complete verbal and numerical aptitude tests. You will need to rush to complete these, and each test will only last for a few minutes. The standard of the maths and verbal reasoning tests will be GCSE level.

Question and Answer Session

The assessment day will end with a Q&A session during which canidates can ask questions about the interview process, the graduate scheme or the company itself. During this tiem you may also be asked if you have visited an Aldi store. Make sure you do visit a store before the assessment day.

Aldi Assistant Manager Interview Questions

The Aldi Assistant Manager position is not specifically a graduate scheme, but Aldi do accept graduate applicants for this position.

Aldi usually invite up to five candidates to the Assistant Manager interview. To start, candidates will be asked to introduce themsevles. They will then be asked to talk about what they know about the company and the Assistant Manager role.

This is followed by a long question and answer round, during which you should ask pertinent and intelligent questions. If you want to impress, visit a store and talk to a store manager before the interview and find as much as you can about the role you are applying for.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Enterprise Rent-A-Car is a privately held St. Louis, Missouri-based rental car company serving customers in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Ireland, Puerto Rico and the U.K.. They are also the owners of the Vanguard Automotive Group, operator of National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car in North America. The Detroit News reports that Enterprise currently purchases 7 percent of all new automobiles sold in the United States.

The Enterprise brand has a fleet of over 904,000 vehicles, more than 7,000 branches and over 66,000 employees.

Graduate Recruitment

[Edit]

Enterprise Rent-A-Car is a highly aggressive graduate recruiter. The company uses their recruitment budget
to advertise in media as well as to attend careers fairs all over the UK and Ireland.

The general graduate scheme at the firm offers a competitive salary with an excellent benefits package (including private medical for all employees). Enterprise gives the employee an opportunity to learn all aspects of running a business including sales, marketing, customer, management, operations and finance. The role is 95% people facing - including customers, accounts and employees. Their branches are open Monday - Friday from 8 am to 6 pm and open on Saturdays from 9 am to 12 pm. You can expect to work 45 - 50 hours per week.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Interview Questions

The application and assessment process at Enterprise Rent-A-Car is as follows:

  • Online application
  • Recruiter Interview
  • Branch Visit/Interview
  • Assessment Day

Assessment day

The Enterprise Rent-A-Car assessment day consists of:

  • Meet and greet
  • Company video
  • Company presentation (interactive)
  • Group exercise
  • Individual exercise
  • Role play
  • Interview

Enterprise Rent-A-Car's assessment centres take place at the regional offices. The day starts around 9:00am.

Meet and greet

The assessment day starts with an introductory talk from some of the firm's management team about the company. Managers will talk about their own careers to date and their background. They will then describe the agenda for the day.
This is followed by each candidate introducing themselves to the assessors and the other candidates in their assessment group.

Company video

Candidates will be shown the firm's recruitment video which discusses the company's values, expectations and possible career paths. There will be an opportunity for questions at the end of the video.

Company presentation

The final stage of company presentation is a talk from the Enterprise Rent-A-Car recruitment team about the company's history and future goals. You will hear about what a day in the life of an Enterprise Rent-A-Car management trainee involves and discuss opportunities and the prospects of promotion.

Group exercise

Candidates are given an equal role to play in this exercise which is based upon the Enterprise Rent-A-Car foundation. This is a group exercise, designed to look at how candidates can put forward a case, persuade and influence others, work together cooperatively and make a decision. It is designed specifically to assess the following competencies: communication and leadership.

Individual exercise

Half an hour in the life of…………… This exercise gives candidates the opportunity to get a taste of life at Enterprise. The exercise is designed to look at the candidate’s problem solving skills and using their initiative as well as work ethic and flexibility. This exercise will give the candidate an insight into the business.

Lunch

During lunch the candidate will have the opportunity to ask questions to current management trainees and the management team at Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Use this time to ask some relevant questions.

Interview

Candidates will have a final 30 minute skills-based interview with a member of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car management team. This will consist of some competency based questions and will focus on actual examples of behaviour, rather than theoretical questions.

The assessment day then ends. Candidates will be notified within two to three days and given feedback.

Enterprise Rent-a-Car Graduate Jobs

Enterprise Rent-A-Car recruits all year round for their graduate management scheme. The firm aims to recruit 200 trainees for London and the South East and over 550 management trainees for the rest of the UK and Ireland each year.

Internships

Enterprise Rent-A-Car offers various 12-month sandwich placements to students on sandwich courses. In addition, they offer summer placements and work experience throughout the academic year.

LIDL

Lidl (pronounced as [lee-dhll]) is a European discount supermarket chain of German origin that operates 7,000 stores. In Germany, it is Aldi's main competitor. The full name of the company is Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG. It belongs to the holding company Schwarz, which also owns the store chains Handelshof and Kaufland.

Lidl (l-E-dl) has established itself in over 17 countries. It was founded in the 1930s by a member of the Schwarz family; then called Schwarz Lebensmittel-Sortimentsgrosshandlung. In the 1970s, the first Lidl stores of today's incarnation opened.

In the UK Lidl is attempting to quickly increase market share, and has already opened over 500 stores.

Graduate Recruitment

[Edit]

Lidl are a very aggressive graduate recruiter. They are constantly advertising and targeting their jobs to graduates because trainees on their schemes suffer from very high burnout rate. Trainees are known to work 70 hours or more each week, usually over twelve hours every day and commonly work at weekends too.

Many graduate are unable to cope with this very hard work pattern and consequently leave before the end of the two year scheme.

Application Requirements

[Edit]

Lidl are looking for graduates with good communication and management skills.

Lidl's three year graduate schemes offer training and development to trainees and should allow trainees to work in every area of retail and retail management.

LIDL Graduate Jobs

There are three types of graduate management scheme available at Lidl:

  • District Management
  • Graduate Store Management
  • Management Placement

District Management

This scheme involves having responsibility for running a multi-million pound district of up to five stores and leading and managing a team of more than 50 people.

Graduate Store Management

This scheme involves leading a team of up to 25 people within a store-based environment. The scheme lasts between 12-24 months.

48-week Management Placement

This 48 week placement enables candidates to gain experience working in Sales, Logistics, Property and Construction.

Marks & Spencer (M&S)

Marks & Spencer (M&S) is a British retailer, with 760 stores in more than 30 countries around the world.

Graduate Recruitment

The M&S Graduate scheme is a highly respected retail trainee scheme. In 2008, the graduate scheme was awarded "Best Retail Graduate Scheme" by TARGETjobs. Furthermore, Marks & Spencer is also a highly rated member of the Times Top 100 Graduate Employers list.

Marks & Spencer (M&S) Graduate Jobs

Our programme

The M&S graduate programme offers a range of opportunities across our different business areas. If you’re interested in retail management, it will take you to Commercial Manager level in 12 months, while our Head Office programme has roles in a range of areas, from IT and Food Technology, to Merchandising and Logistics. Either way, you’ll be on the right path to a successful career – one that will give you the chance to shape and grow our business

Our principles

Every person that steps through our doors has their own relationship with M&S; a familiarity and trust that goes beyond that of other retailers. And we work hard to earn this trust. It’s not just our pioneering Plan A pledge to help the planet and operate sustainably. It’s about doing the right thing for everyone, every day and in everything we do. It’s how we’ll continue to take the M&S experience forward – and create a company you’ll be proud to be part of.

Our rewards

We expect a lot from our graduates. High standards. Hard work. And a genuine commitment to doing the right thing for customers and colleagues. So it only makes sense you should expect plenty back in return. We're investing more then ever in the rewards we offer. Not just a competitive salary and the essential benefits you'd expect from a leading employer like M&S. But also a range of flexible rewards you can tailor to your individual needs.

Our team

M&S might be made up of thousands of different people, but they all have one thing in common – they believe in winning as a team. So, if you need a little help, someone will roll up their sleeves and lend you a hand. If you’ve got a question, someone will be happy to share their experience. Join the M&S family and you’ll feel valued, supported and respected. It’s good to know.

Our 2011/12 applications are now closed but to find out more, visit www.marksandspencer.co.uk/gradcareers

Marks & Spencer (M&S) Interview Questions

The M&S interview and application process is as follows:

Preparing for the Assessment Centre

As well as researching M&S also investigate the retail industry as a whole. Find out about Marks & Spencer's main competitors and how they are placed within the retail sector. Research trends within the fashion and food markets to help you in the presentation and role play stages of the assessment centre.

Morrisons

Morrison Supermarkets (Morrisons) is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies. Morrisons' market share as of January 2008 is at 11.4%, making it the smallest of the "Big Four" supermarkets, behind Tesco (31.5%), ASDA (16.8%) and Sainsbury's (15.9%), but far ahead of the fifth place Co-operative Group, which has a share of 4.4%.

Founded in 1899 by William Morrison in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, Morrisons was for many years focused in the north of England. With the takeover of Safeway in 2004, the company expanded southwards, and now has a total of 382 superstores across the UK.

The Morrison family currently own around 15.5% of the company.

Morrisons Graduate Jobs


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There are several graduate schemes available at Morrisons. These include:
  • Manufacturing Management
  • Logistics Management
  • Retail Management

Manufacturing Management Scheme

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One of the reasons for Morrisons success – and their claim to be the ‘Food Specialist for Everyone’ – is their Manufacturing function, which covers a broad range of production from fresh bakery to skilfully prepared meat products, across a wide reaching geographical network. This ensures the stores are filled with the great ranges customers have come to expect, with the quality synonymous with the Morrisons brand.

As a Manufacturing graduate you could be involved in many parts of the chain, taking part in challenging efficiency improvement assignments, managing teams, driving quality and creating great new products. Morrisons manufacturing division is a growing business and as Britain’s fifth-largest food manufacturer employs over 5000 colleagues, set to grow further as they expand.

Retail Management Scheme

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Morrisons Retail Management scheme could provide you with a career working for one of the UK’s largest companies, and the fourth largest retailer in the UK. Morrisons stores are multi-million pound businesses in their own right and the heart of the organisation. As a Morrisons Retail graduate you would lead large teams from diverse backgrounds, and deliver great customer service to take responsibility for a major part of the company.

The Retail Leaders Graduate Programme has been developed to produce strong leaders for Morrisons stores. You’ll work in and learn how to manage each of the departments within a Morrisons store, and after just 18 months you will be part of the senior management team. During this time, you’ll be provided with management and leadership training and the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the best in the industry.

Logistics Management Scheme

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Morrisons Logistics teams are responsible for ensuring all products get from the suppliers and manufacturing facilities to the supermarket shelves fresh, safely, on time and economically for the ten million customers who shop at their stores every week. The expanding Logistics function sees graduates being responsible for bringing the supply chain together. It’s a sizeable and important function responsible for transporting products from local and international suppliers, to distribution centres across the UK, then out to the rapidly growing number of stores.

Morrisons Logistics graduates could find themselves enjoying real, hands-on experience within a distribution centre to learn first hand how products get to the stores, or working with transport operations, contracts, planning or international operations in determining and implementing strategies for the most efficient and cost-effective supply chain. The Logistics programme is an intense but highly rewarding scheme that will prepare graduates for a role in an exciting and constantly evolving part of Morrisons’ business.

Tesco

Tesco is a British supermarket chain that runs over 1,000 stores in 11 countries. The firm is the country's largest private sector employer, and is currently expanding, most notably in Central Europe and the Far East. TESCO employ 237,000 people worldwide and generate annual revenues of over £25 Billion in the UK alone. The chain sells food and non-food items, operates a banking arm called Tesco Finance and runs a large online presence, Tesco.com.

Graduate Recruitment

Tesco are a large UK graduate recruiter.

CSR

Each year Tesco donate 1% of their profits to charity. They are involved in various (CSR) activities.

Recycling

Tesco have an internal scheme to recycle more than 80% of paper, cardboard and plastic across our office sites. During 2007 the firm introduced fully-automated recycling machines at some of their stores.

Education

Over 14 years, Tesco's Computers for Schools scheme has given more than £100 million worth of computers and IT equipment to UK schools.

Further Information

Now see, Tesco Interview Questions.

Tesco Graduate Jobs

Graduates

Apart from an interest in retail, Tesco are looking for the following key competencies in graduates: people/communication, leadership and analytical skills. You must also have a minimum of a 2.1 deree (any discipline) and 3 A Levels (excluding General Studies and A/S Levels) grade C or above (240 UCAS points), for most graduate roles.

Graduate Benefits

Benefits for people on the Tesco graduate scheme include:
  • 20 days paid holiday a year (with the potential to increase to 30)
  • Staff Privilege Card (10% off any store purchase over £1)
  • Discounts on Tesco Finance products (e.g. home insurance, life insurance, car insurance)
  • Pension (contributory pension scheme for all employees, from your first working day)
  • Life Assurance
  • Shares in Success (shares given to all long-standing employees)
  • Save As You Earn (share option scheme)

Graduate Programmes

All Tesco graduate programmes start in September, apart from Pharmacy which starts in August. In total there are 17 different programmes available for graduates, such as Store (shop floor/management), Office (e.g. Finance, IT, Law), Distribution (e.g logistics, merchandising and Pharmacy. Graduates are not supposed to apply to more than one scheme a year.

Mobility

All graduate employees need to be mobile during their graduate scheme. You need to be willing to relocate if required, although this is less important for graduates on the Store based scheme and Office scheme. All Tesco office placements are based in the firm's head offices in Hertfordshire. These will be in either Cheshunt or Welwyn Garden City.

Work Permits

Tesco can only accept applications from graduates who are already legally entitled to work in the UK. If you are invited to an assessment centre, you will need to supply your UK or European Economic Area passport, or similar supporting documents.

Training

The Store graduate programme starts with a two-day induction. During this time you will meet with all the other stores graduates so you can start to build up a network of contacts. We invite recent graduates and store managers who were previously on the programme, and operational directors to share their valuable knowledge and experience with you on how to progress within Stores. You will learn about the content of the programme and will have the opportunity to have any questions or queries answered before starting your programme in stores.

Tesco Interview Questions

Over 9,000 people apply for Tesco graduate schemes each year. Approximately 50 people are hired.

Preparing for interviews

[Edit]

Read Industry trade press such as The Grocer to prepare for commercial awareness questions at interview.

Competencies

[Edit] Tesco want to see that applicants are capable of the following key competencies at interview:
  • Winning other people's support
  • Managing decision making
  • Managing performance
  • Managing change
  • Drive
  • Customer focus
  • Personal integrity
  • Team player
  • Developing themselves and others

List of Retailers

The following is a list of retailers in the UK that either operate structured graduate schemes, or regularly employ graduates for their business.

Food

Non-Food

Fashion