Wanted: Retail visualisers

Fact box Who’s hiring: All leading chains including Pantaloon, Shoppers’ Stop, Spencer’s, Zodiac among others Who’re they hiring: Any graduate (with or without MBA in retail management) with excellent communication skills; 3-8 years experience in retail At what levels: Mostly at the beginner and middle levels. In some cases, at the level of general manager and vice president At what salaries: Rs 2.5-3 lakh p.a. at the beginner level, Rs 4.5-5 lakh p.a for middle level professionals, depending on qualification and experience What are the numbers like: The number can be anywhere between 80,000 and 1 lakh by 2011-12

The retail success story in India has spurred demand for merchandisers. “Retailers are now discovering new and lucrative markets in Tier II & Tier III cities.

This has created a tremendous demand for trained professionals,” says Dr Malavika Desai, CEO, RCG, a leading recruitment firm.

Hence, all retail chains, large format stores and large brands are already on the lookout for retail merchandisers to back up their expansion plans, she adds.

A recent study by Institute of Apparel Management put the size of the world retail market at a possible $60-75 billion (Rs 2,40,000-3,00,000 crore) by 2011-12.

As part of their job, merchandisers are responsible for ensuring that products appear in the right store at the right time and in the right quantities. This involves working with the buying teams to accurately forecast trends, plan stock levels among others.

— Ritwik Mukherjee