Retail, Sales & Purchasing

Retail

Employment in the retail sector across Yorkshire and Humberside is prevalent. Compared with the national picture, there is a high proportion of employment in this region within the wholesale and retail trade. The range of retail organisations is diverse and future growth in opportunities is set to continue. This can be seen by the growth of retail parks in addition to city centre shopping. For example, at Parkgate Retail World in Rotherham, a number of major retailers have set up outlets.

In the last decade, £430 million has been invested in Leeds city centre to enhance its shopping and leisure facilities and a further £500 million is proposed. This investment has included major store expansions by HMV, Marks and Spencer, Debenhams, Harvey Nichols and House of Fraser. Huddersfield is second only to Leeds for retail spend in West Yorkshire, while a proposed £95 million development at Wakefield Waterfront, will include provision for retail units to supplement the existing three retail parks in Wakefield.

South Yorkshire is the principal commercial centre for South Yorkshire and is home to Meadowhall, covering 2,000 acres near the M1, with 270 stores, employing 300 full and part-time employees (with more at peak seasons). The plans for a new retail quarter in Sheffield will see £350 million invested to create 65,000 square metres of retail floorspace in the city centre as part of its regeneration programme and will include a new flagship John Lewis store. Further details of this development can be found via the link below. In addition Yorkshire Forward recently announced a major investment and regeneration scheme for Barnsley town centre, planned to start in 2005.

In Hull, £20 million will be invested in substantial regeneration plans to meet increasing demands for new retail and create some 3,100 retail and leisure jobs. These include the St Stephens scheme on Ferensway, a major expansion to Princes Quay, while Quay West a new retail-led, mixed-use quarter will provide the gateway to the City Centre with 50,000 square metres floor area for retail and related leisure. Humber Quays is a new flagship scheme aimed at re-uniting the City Centre with its splendid River Humber waterfront and along with developments at River Hull, East Bank and Blayde's Dock, will also provide new retail space. Further details of this can be found at the link below.

The market towns of the region are also important retail centres, and this has been recognised in the Rural Renaissance Market Towns (RMT) initiative, Yorkshire Forward's ten year plan to support sustainable small towns in Yorkshire and Humber. Further details of this can be found via the link below.

In general, the type and size of employer varies. Head offices of some of the larger graduate recruiters such as Asda and Comet, are located within Yorkshire and Humber. Many other graduate training programmes have store placements in the region although mobility is often required. However there is a greater proportion of people employed in small (1-10) and medium sized (11-49) retail businesses.

Useful links:

Renaissance Market Town Initiative (RMT)

As one of Yorkshire Forward's flagship projects, RMT aims to ensure that the region's 'rural capitals' are places where people want to and are able to live, work, invest and visit.

    * http://www.rmtportal.com/