Considering a career in Retail Management

ifeelabreeze

I worked in a SuperValu for close to 3 years through Covid whilst at college.

Got a Business degree and have since started a job in Supply Chain.. I hate it, 9 months in, I'm doing terribly, I don't like sitting at a desk all day, I really don't see myself lasting here much longer.

So I've been weighing up my options - I'm waiting to hear back on a similar(ish) Supply Chain job, that I applied for because it's significantly better paying.. but now even if I get it, I'm not sure I want it.

Love cars but want to keep that as a hobby, tried the electrical apprenticeship route many moons ago - wasn't cut out for that or working construction in general.

I'm seriously considering retail management.. I enjoyed my time in retail, albeit spent working with the friends I made, but I think I would like retail management..

Ultimate ambition is and always has been self employment, I'd love to start my own business down the line - open a franchise, maybe start a franchise model of my own..

So my question is - where's best to start? I'm guessing it's back to square one - onto the floor.. Should I look at the likes of Lidl or Aldi, Woodies, Tesco - where has a solid chance of promotion and a good reputation for training retail managers?

I think rather than taking a job as a store assistant or similar you might be better off trying one of the supermarkets graduate programs for management.

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121095183#Comment_121095183

+1 on this. The German retailers in particular have quite good programmes. Competitive and long hours between stores and office and travel, but if a retail management career is what ones after? A perfect grounding in the pressures of high volume/low margin retail.

Mrs OBumble

Go for it! Some people will have snobby ideas - but if Covid taught us anything, it was the importance to the community of the food-supply chain and the retail industry.

You've been on the floor: try to get straight into trainee-management or a grad-programme. (That's not what I'd say to someone without the floor background - but you do have it.)

ifeelabreeze

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121095183#Comment_121095183

Only issue is I seem to have missed the boat on management grad programmes for this year!

I think Apple Green is still open, but I haven't come across any others that are, so I'm thinking even if I apply for a grad programme later in the year when they re-open, it'd make more sense to be working in retail in the mean time.

ifeelabreeze

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121095199#Comment_121095199

Seems Lidl and Aldi have closed their intake for the year, I know those two are always seen as top dog(s), is there any one else to consider?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121095544#Comment_121095544

Perhaps. I more meant that would be a better route than climbing the food chain from store assistant.