Every Way Into Fashion & Retail
Fashion and retail isn't one career — it's dozens of specialisms, each with its own skills, salary shape and route from the studio or the shop floor to the boardroom. Choose the area that fits you and see what a career there actually looks like.
Every area below has its own page — the day-to-day, the typical job titles at each level, the skills that matter, indicative salaries and how the career progresses. Open the group that fits you.
Buying & Merchandising
3 areas
Buying
Deciding what to sell — spotting trends, building ranges and negotiating price.
See the career pathMerchandising
The commercial engine — planning stock, analysing sales and protecting profit.
See the career pathSpace Planning
Data-led decisions on how much space each category earns in store.
See the career path
Design, Technical & Production
7 areas
Design
Researching trends and creating the collections, from concept to final sample.
See the career pathTechnical, Garment Technology & Quality
Fit, construction, specifications and quality standards through to production.
See the career pathProduction
Suppliers, costings, critical path and getting the range made on time.
See the career pathSupply Chain, Logistics & Operations
Moving stock efficiently from supplier to warehouse to store to customer.
See the career pathCompliance
Product safety, ethical trade, testing and regulatory standards across the supply chain.
See the career pathProduct Development
Taking a product from first idea to a costed, production-ready sample.
See the career pathWholesale Sales & Account Management
Selling brands into retailers, presenting collections and growing key accounts.
See the career path
Retail & Customer
3 areas
Retail
Store teams and store leadership — service, sales, stock and operations.
See the career pathVisual Merchandising
Presenting product in store — layouts, windows, mannequins and campaigns.
See the career pathCustomer Service
Supporting customers across phone, email, live chat, social and in store.
See the career path
Digital, Marketing, Sales & PR
3 areas
Ecommerce
Running the website as a commercial channel — trading, content and conversion.
See the career pathDigital Marketing
Social, content, SEO, paid media and CRM to drive traffic and sales.
See the career pathPR
Press coverage, influencer relations, events and brand reputation.
See the career path
Business, People & Leadership
4 areas
Finance
Budgets, reporting, forecasting and commercial finance.
See the career pathHR
Recruitment, employee relations, development and workplace culture.
See the career pathAdministration, Support & Office Management
PA, EA and office management — keeping teams and offices moving.
See the career pathC-Suite
Director and board-level leadership across every function.
See the career path
Specialist Consumer Sectors
10 areas
Fashion
Design, buying, merchandising and retail — shaping trends across the fashion industry.
See the career pathLuxury
Clienteling, buying and brand management across premium and luxury retail.
See the career pathBeauty
Advising, selling, developing and marketing across skincare, makeup and fragrance.
See the career pathHome & Interiors
Buying, design and product for furniture, textiles, lighting and lifestyle ranges.
See the career pathFMCG
Sales, category and brand management across everyday consumer products.
See the career pathFood & Beverage
Product development, buying and brand management across food and drink.
See the career pathHealth & Wellness
Retail, product and brand roles supporting healthier lifestyles.
See the career pathRetail & E-commerce
Buying, merchandising and digital trading across stores and online.
See the career pathTravel & Hospitality
Guest experience, sales and events across hotels and travel.
See the career pathSports & Leisure
Buying, retail and brand roles across sports and active lifestyle.
See the career pathStill weighing it up?
Tell us what you're good at and what you enjoy about the industry, and we'll point you toward the areas — and the live roles — that match.