Careers in retail property deliver stimulating and versatile careers

Modern retailing delivers career choices like few other industries. Its sheer diversity and ever changing landscape delivers an almost constant need for talent across a range of positions within the retail property arena, particularly over the last 5+ years.

The hike in demand has been particularly prevalent within the larger shopping centre environments. Shopping centre owners and developers are regularly chasing the same talent. On Site management teams are growing in both size and skill diversity. Security teams have never been more highly trained. Marketing specialists have become almost the first requirement on the list when shopping centres are looking to “up their game”. Leasing teams have become more and more specialised and regionalised. Asset Managers have become more fluid and creative in their dealings than ever before, so they to be able to spot an opportunity to add investment value and then deliver upon it.

Keep the tenant mix balanced, fresh and vibrant and you will always be offering a new experience to returning shoppers.

Collectively these discipline’s within shopping centres dovetail together to deliver the “Experience”. It needs to be engaging, exciting and stimulating to get people out of their chairs and from behind their desks and into our shopping centres.

Outside of shopping centres, we work with retailers – both established and new – looking to secure physical stores. They invariably look for us to secure a Chartered Surveyor to lead that acquisition programme. Its been notable how many more requirements from previously online and wholesale retailers we have recently been working on; a great endorsement for the high street. We also work with fit out specialists to find the very best designers and contractors to create the modern retailing environment that we have all come to expect.

Its encouraging to see UK Retail looking so healthy.

As an industry it needs a continuous stream of new talent coming into the sector to drive its evolution. Its also worth adding that for individuals looking to get involved within it, if you have language skills and a desire to travel, you will find that your skills will match well in many overseas countries. Opportunities abound!

Julian Long, Managing Director, Foundation Recruitment