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We continue to discuss withEkaterina Petrova, head of the recruitment consultants group, the direction of "Retail and hospitality" of the personnel holding "ANCHOR", trends in the development of the Russian retail market.

The second positive trend of 2017 was the emergence of new types of retail trade and, as a result, new opportunities for job seekers. For example, a well-known chain of electronics and household appliances has opened boutiques of its products in large non-core hypermarkets. And one grocery chain is actively developing the direction of online trading and is working on expanding delivery opportunities. Another well-known company – the leader in its product line – has discovered the sphere of b2b trade. All this is a great opportunity for company employees to move to a new direction and acquire valuable professional skills.

Unfortunately, the forecast for 2018, based on an analysis of the current situation, does not look too optimistic for the candidates. Due to the fact that the entry of large retail chains into the market is not expected in the near future, attractive vacancies for applicants will continue to be in short supply. The situation will not be improved by the high interest of networks in digital technologies and robotics. Already, many companies are starting to introduce robotic cash registers, digital panels, reducing the number of employed sales consultants. The increasing interest of the buyer in online retail, including purchases through social networks, may lead to the fact that even more retail professionals will be forced to look for a new job.

Separately, however, it should be said about fashion retail, since the situation here is different: there are many players in the market who occupy leading positions, while there are also a sufficient number of smaller companies that compete with each other, providing a healthy economic environment in the industry. In the retail sale of clothing, shoes and accessories, there is a "cycle of brands" and the entry of new companies into the Russian market. This allows both the fashion retail market itself and professionals working in this field to develop.

If we talk about retail in general, then perhaps the most important advice for specialists engaged in this field will be not to lose vigilance and constantly keep abreast of the pulse, studying emerging vacancies, preferably not only in their region and even not only in Russia, but also in countries such as Kazakhstan and Belarus. We recommend that employees of companies that may leave the market in the near future take an active position and, without waiting for the closure of the company, respond to attractive vacancies and pass interviews. Be flexible when considering vacancies from the first days of job search; this will give you a chance not to miss an interesting vacancy.

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