Over 50% retail firms plan to onboard freshers in 2024: Report

However, the report highlights a pressing need for skill development, with 83 percent of retailers expressing a desire to close skill gaps in sales/marketing, followed closely by logistics (77 percent) and tech/analytical skills.

More than half of all the retailers (52 percent) are planning to onboard fresh graduates this year, while two out of five (38 percent) seek to recruit experienced professionals, according to a report.

In 2023, the retail industry experienced a notable 8 percent rise in job applications, while demand surged by 18 percent, indicating a robust interest in retail roles, revealed GI Group Holding's latest report ‘The Great Indian Consumption Story’. Interestingly, 86.86 percent of applicants were aged between 18 and 30, signaling a strong inclination among the youth towards careers in retail.

Tier-1 cities emerged as hubs for job seekers, constituting 58.49 percent of the total applicant pool, followed by tier-2 and tier-3 towns. This distribution trend is expected to persist, reflecting ongoing industry dynamics.

“Majority of the jobs in Retail are in frontline sales or customer support functions. Traditionally these jobs are entry points to the organization, where after excelling in these roles an employee can move towards supervisory/team management or general business operations roles. There is a cost factor at play, however it is not the only or even main criterion. It is more about organizational design in the industry,” Sonal Arora, Country Manager at GI Group Holding, told Moneycontrol.

Some of the skills in focus include software development, UX design, search engine optimization, digital marketing, data analytics, content creation, experience design, website design, front-end development, backend development, overall website testing.

Conversely, the logistics sector faced a 13.89 percent decline in active jobs during Q3 FY24, attributed to challenges during peak season fulfillment. However, the onset of 2024 saw a promising 10.24 percent increase in new job postings, with projections of continued growth leading up to this year's peak season.

However, the report highlights a pressing need for skill development, with 83 percent of retailers expressing a desire to close skill gaps in sales/marketing, followed closely by logistics (77 percent) and tech/analytical skills.

Tech adoption emerges as a critical factor in driving growth and efficiency within the retail and e-commerce sectors. Businesses experiencing high growth demonstrate a higher level of tech adoption, emphasizing its role in reducing costs, managing inventory, and enhancing user experience.

The transformative impact of technology extends beyond e-commerce platforms to logistics firms, which are increasingly turning to cloud solutions (54 percent) and AI automation (37 percent) for last-mile deliveries. Leveraging IoT (40 percent) for supply chain management further underscores the industry's commitment to innovation and efficiency.