Visit any place of commerce after Halloween, and chances are retailers have holiday decorations and music going in the hope of inspiring shoppers.
Small wonder, really. The National Retail Federation reports roughly 20 percent of all retail sales made in a calendar year during the six-to-eight weeks of the holiday season. November and December are prime-time for the retail industry, despite shifts in consumer habit.
For example, the peak of the holiday season was once Black Friday, the Friday that follows Thanksgiving. Most Americans have the day off work, making it ideal for holiday shopping. And it remains a cornerstone of this annual boom period in retail.
Despite brick-and-mortar shops becoming less prevalent, Black Friday is still a huge day for retailers – but its popularity has waned somewhat in favor of Cyber Monday.
Cyber Monday marks the unofficial kickoff for retailers peddling their to an ever-growing online shopper base via discounts and specials. For some outlets, it’s a event that begins on Monday.
And, with estimates suggesting the majority of year-round shopping is moving online, Cyber Monday Week for 2017 is expected to reach new heights. Adobe Digital Insights published projections suggesting $6.6 billion spent in the coming year, almost 17% more than in 2016.
The proliferation of online shopping has made Online Sales Manager one of the top jobs in terms of salary growth potential, and one of the best jobs in retail according to the 2017 Jobs Rated report.
Social Media Managers are high demand in retail. Retailers can drive shoppers to their web storefronts through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.
These campaigns can be formulated through the interpretation of data collected through online shopping. Data Scientist is one of the best jobs according to the 2017 Jobs Rated report, in part because of its versatility; so many industries now use data science to improve their practices, and retail is one of the primary examples.
Then, helping to put the analytics into action, Market Research Analysts tie together numbers with evaluations of trends in consumer habits and response to campaigns.
Of course, the backend of the online retail space is equally important. Fulfillment of orders offers an equally diverse range of other job opportunities. Wholesale Sales Representatives and Logisticians are responsible for the business end of major transactions, while Forklift Operators see to the movement of goods.
Whether you shop online or in person this holiday season, remember when you see those decorations and hear those familiar tunes that the industry responsible is a cornerstone of the economy, with a wide-ranging variety of workers behind the scenes.
