Careers in Retail

Retailing and Services Provide a Viable Career Option

The retailing and services industry is a fast-paced and dynamic environment. New technologies and increasingly sophisticated methodologies are producing rewarding and viable career opportunities for graduates.

Buyers, planners, managers, and e-commerce specialists are all part of Canada's modern retailing and services industry. In Canada, retailing and services employ more than 1.75 million people, making it one of the country's largest industrial sub-sectors in terms of jobs.

Graduates are well positioned for successful careers in retail sales and service positions. Entry-level managerial positions for graduates of the program are expected to include assistant buyers and store managers for larger store operations, and in the operations, public relations, and promotions areas. Graduates are also well placed to initiate franchise or entrepreneurial ventures in the retailing and services sector.

Retailing and Services Statistics

• Retail sales top $260 billion annually - over 1/4 of Canada's economy
• Retail industry is the main collector of retail sales taxes for both federal and provincial levels of government
• Online B2C sales surpass $1.2 billion
• 1999: average number of recent hires in retail sales occupations was just over 105,000/quarter. This means, on average, some 35,000 positions were filled every month