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Fashion, Clothing & Footwear sector overview this retail sector sells women s, men s and children s clothes, shoes and accessories. Most stores specialise in one of these, but others combine different elements or offer ranges across all groups, such as a store selling shoes for men, women and children. accessories include items such as underwear; socks and stockings; handbags; gloves; sunglasses; costume jewellery; and hats. Clothing ranges from fashion apparel to leather, sportswear, suiting and uniforms. > australians spend almost $14 billion a year in clothing, footwear and accessory stores. > south australians spend $90 million a month in these stores. > More than 6,300 south australians are employed in the sector, three-quarters of them selling clothing. > there are 636 stores in sa specialising in selling clothing and another 78 specialising in selling footwear. Many stores have a specific focus for example, they may specialise in only one or two brands linked to a specific manufacturer; target a particular age group; only sell designer labels; stock budget-priced brands; combine sportswear and sports shoes; combine underwear and sleepwear; stock larger sizes; sell italian shoes; or only sell sunglasses. employees can match their own passion to a store speciality. 2
START YOUR CAREER AT WORLD S FRIENDLIEST SHOE PEOPLE Spend-less Shoes is a proudly South Australian owned and operated footwear retailer selling the latest fashion looks for less. From our first store opening at Jetty Road Glenelg in 1998 we continue to grow and now operate in excess of 140 stores throughout every mainland state of Australia. Our wonderful team exceeds 650 employees who constantly strive to achieve our vision of becoming The World s Friendliest Shoe people. We welcome you to our stores and hope you enjoy our extensive range of fashion looks for less everyday. WO FRIEN SHO WORLD S FREIN SHOE STOR We ve got T H E L O O K Proudly South Australian Owned 650 employees On-going training and career development Assistance to achieve your career goals www.spendless.com.au At Spend-less Shoes, we firmly believe that our team is our greatest asset. We endeavour to provide an environment where every employees contribution is valued and to never lose sight of the importance of having fun at work. Spend-less Shoes offer ongoing training, a friendly environment, and most important of all, appreciation for our employees to help them achieve their career goals. 3 www.spendless.com.au
Fashion, Clothing & Footwear SA statistical snapshot Characteristics Fashion, Clothing & Footwear Sector REtail Sector Average Total number of businesses 741 961 % of businesses with turnover: < $200K, $200K+ 43%, 57% 48%, 52% Number of employees 5976 5885 Employees in management roles 1445 people = 24% 1149 people = 20% Employees in technical and trade roles 170 people = 3% 577 people =10% Employees in sales roles 3924 people = 66% 2464 people = 42% Employees in support roles 441 people = 7% 1695 people = 28% Average no. of employees per business* 8 6 Ratio of male to female employees 17% male / 83% female 43% male /57% female Age profile breakdown: < 19yrs, 20 39yrs, 40+yrs 17%, 48%, 35% 21%, 42%, 37% * This average is representative of all businesses within this sector. A sector with a large number of micro businesses may distort the average. The statistical data used in this publication has been derived from information provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics which includes: C- Data Online 2006 Census collated by State/Territory (ste) and Industry of Employment (ANZSIC06) (IND06P) & Catalogue no. 8165.0 Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, Jun 2003 to Jun 2007. 4
What Jobs are available? > > Sales assistant > > Assistant manager > > Manager > > Brand manager > > Visual merchandiser > > Retail buyer > > Small business owner Where stores are part of a large chain, there are opportunities to move into specialist roles such as fashion coordinator, advertising or marketing. Where do I start? > > Casual staff are needed in busy periods especially Christmas and change of seasons > > Part-time work is usually available on weekends or late-night trading > > Ask about doing a school-based Traineeship in Retail > > A Certificate II in Retail (no prerequisites) will help 5
Qualities to get a job > > Be well presented > > Friendly, helpful approach > > Good communication skills > > Have a sense of fashion > > Good cash-handling skills > > Enjoy working in a team > > Creative flair for stock display > > Honest and reliable Tasks & working conditions Sales assistants will be expected to develop excellent customer service skills; merchandise stock in a way that is both practical and attractive; and keep displays and the store tidy. Keeping up with changes in fashion trends is important, because customers may seek advice on their selections. Footwear and lingerie staff will learn how to ensure products fit correctly and will develop expertise to advise on choices for comfort or purpose. Staff will be taught merchandising techniques and some staff who show talent will be involved in creating window displays. Stocktaking and preparing products for sale promotions will occur periodically. 6
INDUSTRY SNAP SHOT Name: Michael Bois Age: 29 Place of Work: swarvie saint Role: owner Qualifications: advanced Diploma hr Management, advanced Diploma Management, Current: Bachelor of Management (DBhM) Benefits: retail found me! while studying, i worked in retail at estee lauder and realised that i really enjoyed customer service. i enjoyed my job most when the customer i served was happy. it s a very unique feeling. now as the owner of swarvie saint i m involved in buying, merchandising, bookkeeping, report writing, brand management, marketing and brand succession planning but my primary role is still to serve customers. i love composing outfits that work both aesthetically and emotionally. People come in different shapes and sizes and sometimes the greatest and most enjoyable challenge is creating an outfit that not only looks amazing, but speaks for (and of) the individual wearing it. i would encourage others to work in this industry because of the people! You have the opportunity to meet and work with some amazing individuals. 7
findyour career IN RUNDLE MALL With over 700 retailers in one destination, Rundle Mall is the perfect place to develop your retail or hospitality career. RETAIL CAREERS RS BEGIN AT TAFE SA ANA CUE AND VERONIKA MAINE State Merchandiser Ana started in retail as a casual sales assistant, whilst fi nishing high school and then went on to studying Visual Merchandising at TAFE. Being a visual merchandiser keeps Ana s day interesting I m always travelling around from store to store I am never in one place so that keeps everyday different and new. Whether you want to be a fashion sales assistant, a retail store team leader or a florist, your career in retail begins at TAFE SA. WANT TO KNOW MORE? Contact the retail program on 1800 882 661 www.rundlemall.com www.tafesa.edu.au/retail 8
WORLD S FRIENDLIEST PROUDLY SUPPORTING NATIONAL RETAIL CAREERS SHOE PEOPLE WO FRIEN SHO We ve got T H E L O O K Proudly South Australian Owned 650 employees On-going training and career development Assistance to achieve your career goals WORLD S FREIN SHOE STOR I joined Spend-Less as a casual sales assistant and after completing my degree at university Spend-Less has given me opportunities to travel throughout Australia and overseas as a buyer with the buying team. The opportunity to grow professionally and meet my career goals has been extremely rewarding. Jaimee-Lee Charlton Assistant Overseas Procurement Manager After initially coming on board to cover a maternity leave contract in the property department, I was asked to stay on in a permanent capacity and I have gained an incredible amount of experience in many areas of the business. Spend-less has given me the break I needed for a career in retail and continues to offer me the support I need to achieve my goals. Kristen Walker Property/Marketing Coordinator www.spendless.com.au I started as a Store Manager with Spend-Less Shoes 2 years ago and have since worked my way up to Junior Store Support Manager, managing 9 stores across Queensland. I have been given the opportunity, training and guidance to achieve my goals in a successful retail company. Christine Otto Junior Store Support Manager - Qld 9 www.spendless.com.au
Retail is Everywhere Sectors EXECUTIVE Usually requires the Graduate Certificate or higher qualification in addition to significant industry experience CEO Regional /Area Manager Business Owner State Manager National Manager CEO Regional/Area Manager Business Owner MANAGEMENT Usually requires a level of skill equal to a Diploma and at least 5 years experience Senior Buyer Purchase Manager Merchandise Manager Visual Merchandiser Marketing Manager Display Manager Head Merchandiser Accountant / Financial Manager Web Sales / IT Manager Loss Prevention Manager Product Specialist Lawyer Marketing Manager Promotions Manager Advertising Manager Logistics Manager Supply Chain Manager Warehouse Manager Operations Manager Store Manager HR Manager Operations Manager Training Manager SUPERVISORY Usually a skill level equal to a Certificate III or IV qualification or at least 3 years experience Buyer Assistant Buyer Trainee Buyer Visual Merchandiser Display Designer Shop Fitter Merchandiser Store Maintenance Officer Credit & Loan Officer Loss Prevention Supervisor IT Support Technician Assistant Sales Manager Floor Manager Team Leader Department Manager Distribution Manager Storeperson Despatch Coordinator OHS Supervisor Staff Supervisor Roster Manager Training Manager ENTRY LEVEL Usually a skill level equal to completion of at least Year 10, Certificate I or II qualification Sales Assistant Store Person Re-filler Night Fill Replenishment Housekeeping Apprentice Shop Fitter Clerk Customer Service Cleaner Loss Prevention Officer Sales Assistant Sales Representative Warehouse Attendant Forklift Operator Delivery Driver Some retail jobs involve working across multiple occupations and streams. For example the manager of a small shoe store can be the buyer, visual merchandiser, sales assistant, cleaner and staff supervisor. 10 PROCURE PRESENT SUPPORT SELL DISTRIBUTE MANAGE SA Retail Careers Atlas 2010 > 49
what training is available? Certificate ii in retail Certificate iii in retail Certificate iv in retail Management Diploma of retail Management related sectors other store-based retailing Discount & variety Department stores Diploma of visual Merchandising Certificate iii and iv in Frontline Management Certificate ii, iii, iv, Diploma and advanced Diploma in Customer Contact Certificate iii in Micro Business operations Certificate iv in small Business operations Certificates, Diplomas and advanced Diplomas in other speciality fields such as advertising or marketing. Qualifications can be achieved through a traineeship in retail or through a nationally accredited training course. 11
Thinking about a job in retail? Westfield is passionate about retail and offer great opportunities to follow one of these exciting pathways into the retail sector. Design Marketing Accounting Facilities Management nting Leasing Administration Merchandising Leadership Learning Dynamics Enhancing People Performance At Leadership Learning Dynamics, we are dedicated to: Excellence in learning Shaping the future direction of leadership in retail Developing and inspiring people to be the best they can be Achieving world-class results Building customer service excellence Helping people find meaning in the work they do Developing strategic thinking Building people capability in the nontraditional retail areas of Leadership, Management, Training and Assessment, and Business Administration For more information visit www.retailseed.com.au PH: 0412962424 www.lld.com.au contact@lld.com.au 12
INDUSTRY SNAP SHOT Name: Julie tsaconas Age: 40 Place of Work: spend-less shoes Role: national sales Manager Qualifications: Bachelor of arts Degree and a Diploma of education Benefits: i started in a chocolate shop in 1983. By the time i was 26, i was state Manager for spend-less shoes in Perth. now i am responsible for national retail operations and act as mentor and coach to fifteen store support Managers. You can take on almost any speciality in retail. i have learned about human resources, ohs, counselling and of course numbers, budgets and people, people, people and how to have fun at work! You can really shine in this industry. You can excel in so many fields with onthe-job training and development. Your career can be as large as you want it to be and the opportunities are endless! Estimated salary range for this job role: $81 $100K+ 13
EMPLOYERS Country Road Cue Esprit Jacqui E Just Jeans Jeanswest Judell s Katies Millers Portmans Rockmans Sportsgirl Sussans Suzanne Grae Witchery Ed Harry Fletcher Jones Gaz Man Man to Man Menswear Peter Shearer Betts & Betts Colorado Spend-less Shoes The Shoe Shed Williams the Shoemen CAREER INFORMation www.aatinfo.com.au www.myfuture.edu.au www.jobguide.dest.gov.au To find out more about retail careers visit: www.retailexecutive.com.au 14 Proudly produced by Service Skills SA PH: (08) 8362 6255 www.serviceskillssa.com.au
SECTOR AMBassaDOR COMMERCial Partner RETAIL EXECutive Partners This publication has been produced as an outcome of the Retail Executive Master Plan Project which is being proudly facilitated by Service Skills SA and part funded by the South Australian Government through the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science & Technology. 15
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