Channel 4 style guru Gok Wan today backed retail workers in a Skillsmart Retail magazine promoting careers in the industry.
The 33-year-old presenter of the hit show How to Look Good Naked spoke passionately about the need to respect those who work in shops in an interview with Retail Therapy - a glossy magazine that paints retail in a positive light for 14- to 21-year-olds.
The Apprentice finalist and former retail buyer Claire Young also spoke positively about the industry in the magazine, published today in conjunction with The Independent.
Gok Wan highlights the fact that retail careers are seen as dead-end, but in reality they require a lot of creativity. "Unfortunately, there is still a taboo in this country about working in a shop," he says. "We need to start respecting the industry more than we do now.
"It's changing though: we have a slightly more American set-up now with glamorous, high-profile fashion roles such as buyers and merchandisers. When you're buying for a high-street retailer you have a lot of creative control, because you're deciding whose brands to stock. More and more people are aware of what it is to be a buyer or a merchandiser; the prestige gives people another reason to get involved. "
Wan, who dropped out of drama school to pursue his retail career, said that the sector was a good stepping stone to where he is now, allowing him to proposer even without top academic skills.
"[My] lack of skills left me thinking I was stupid when I'm not: it just wasn't the right arena for me," he says. "I fell into doing hair and make-up and found myself in the fashion industry, working with a stylist. I saw what she did and loved it. Twelve years on, I'm here. Yes, it is hard work - I mean, I work 75 hours a week - but the benefits you get are amazing."
Claire Young, runner-up in this year's series of the hit BBC show The Apprentice, also speaks positively about retail work. The former senior buyer for Superdrug says: "I love retail. I really enjoyed working in it. You see instant results: you can see a decision actually land in store within a couple of weeks and you can see the effect you are having on your consumer. For me, the variation of the role was fantastic.
"I'd be sat at my desk working on the budget summary one minute, and the next I'd be building a range review in the mock shop. You've got to be prepared to get your hands dirty, because you'll be working in store. Basically, you have got to be prepared to do anything."
Retail Therapy magazine is published twice a year by Skillsmart Retail - the Sector Skills Council for retail - in conjunction with The Independent, and is distributed to schools, colleges, careers advisers and training providers across the country.
The magazine is available online at http://www.independentezines.co.uk/retailtherapy
Skillsmart Retail is the Sector Skills Council for retail - the authority for UK retail skills development and promotion. Part-funded by Government and led by retailers, it works with retailers of all sizes to understand their skills issues and develop solutions to improve business performance and productivity through the development of their people. It also promotes retail as a career of choice. Further details about Skillsmart Retail can be found at www.skillsmartretail.com |
