A Bright Guide to: Consumer, FMCG and Retail

Money makes the world go round, and nothing spins it faster than the consumer goods sector. Practically everything that’s dear to living a modern life can be attributed to retailers who know the needs of their customers inside out. The clothes we wear, the food we eat, and whatever educates or entertains us all fall under the ‘consumer’ banner, and we mostly scoop them up without a second thought. 

Behind the scenes, however, are people dreaming up marketing initiatives, new product ranges, and ways to get their stock in as many hands as possible. Every item you see on a shop floor has been placed there for a reason, and retail gurus are forever dreaming up incentives for us to buy them. 

Since we all use consumer products in some form or another, there’s a veritable galaxy of career paths to explore, including:

Merchandiser

These are the great forecasters of the industry, deciding what goods are on display in specific periods to maximise the profit of available stock. Read our overview of Buying and Merchandising.

Buyer

Sniffing out innovative suppliers, and negotiating terms of purchase. Also responsible for delivery dates to a store or company warehouse. 

Read what you can expect to earn in the consumer and FMCG sector as a graduate, all the way up to a senior level.

Market Researcher

Before companies choose where to pour their resources, they want to know what their customers are thinking. Researchers devise questionnaires and reports summarising the opinions of a demographic. 

Retail Manager

Leaders of the workforce, motivating retail staff to perform at their best, and coming up with initiatives to boost their store earnings. 

Designer

Every retail site needs a strong design element to attract attention; designers liaise with marketing teams to create striking interiors.  

Learn more about the key graduate roles in consumer and retail. 

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Entry-level consumer & FMCG salaries

• If you’re a student or graduate thinking about retail, you might start as a Sales Assistant serving customers, answering their queries, handling payments and displaying products. Roles in retail are not for the faint-hearted! You’ll be on your feet for long hours, dealing with customers and potentially showing the high turnover of employees the ropes. If you start as a Sales Assistant full or part-time, you can earn between £12,000 - £15,000 a year, but this depends on who you work for, location and how many hours you work.
• In the FMCG sector, finance roles analyse business performance, from tracking sales, budgeting expenses or directing the business based on financial data. For graduates, an entry-level finance salary will range from £19,000 to £21,000 depending on employer and location. It’s always good to remember that roles in London offer higher paid salaries than ones outside of the city.
• If you love a good plan and enjoy strategising new ways to transport goods, logistics and supply chain management is one for you. As a graduate, you might start out as a Junior Supply Chain Planner or Analyst, which can offer a salary starting from £21,000.
• All FMCGs need scientists, engineers and specialists as they're hired to inform companies of how to improve their products. This is where research and development come in. Entry-level jobs in this area can include a Research and Development Support Assistant which offers a salary of £21,000 to £24,000. Junior roles can offer you the opportunity to gain transferable skills and help you decide what specific area you want to research and for what company. If you're looking for an industrial placement in this field, look at our list of Consumer, FMCG and Retail industrial placement deadlines. 
• Buyer roles are perfect for those who are commercially aware and have an interest in e-commerce, marketing or business operations. The average salary of a Junior Buyer is roughly £26,000 depending on who you work for and where you work. Retail merchandisers are another essential part of consumer & FMCG. They aim to maximise profits while forecasting or predicting sales trends that could occur. Junior merchandising roles are well-paid, ranging from £27,000 to £36,000. Learn more with an overview of Buying & Merchandising.
• If you’re the more creative type, a marketing role could be for you. You’ll be driving interest and customers to the business, which means marketing is an essential channel that reaches the ideal target audience or clients. FMCG marketing salaries for entry-level or graduate schemes can earn between £21,000 and £24,000. 
• At large FMCG firms, their technology department is likely one of their biggest. Dealing with everything from designing apps and ensuring they're effective for customers to building websites or software that can track sales and brainstorming new security strategies. A starting graduate starting salary in this area is around £26,000 - £30,000.

Mid-level consumer & FMCG salaries

• Mid-Level and senior finance roles are where the big money lies! A graduate role in the finance department at an FMCG company can set you up to go into managerial roles, including Account Manager and Financial Analyst. Here, you can expect to earn a salary between £24,000 - £35,000 and up to £80,000 for more senior roles at top employers. See our A-Z list of leading graduate employers in consumer and retail.
• Without marketing, companies would struggle to make sales! The many roles available in the marketing area of the consumer and FMCG sector include Social Media Managers, Product Developers and Consumer Market Researchers. Paying mid-level and senior employees a salary from £45,000 - £62,000. For mid-level to senior roles in buying, such as Project Buyer, Operational Buyer and Category Buyer will earn a salary from £30,000 to £40,000. Buying is a highly competitive area but, because most retailers need them, there are a lot of opportunities to go around. Learn more about working in marketing from our Marketing & PR Career Path Guide. 
• Moving to technology, mid-level and senior roles include Technology Service Manager or Head of IT Security. You’ll oversee everything, from building or implementing new security processes to supporting staff and making important business decisions. These managerial and senior roles increase to the £71,000 salary mark, plus benefits!

High-level consumer & FMCG salaries

• Moving up to assistant management positions in retail could see your salary increase from £18,000 to £26,000 and, with more experience, this could guide you into senior roles like Store Manager. Again, depending on where and who you work for, Store Managers can earn around £38,000 - £47,000. Managerial positions manage staff, ensuring all sales targets are met, manage stock and deal with customer complaints. Learn about retail & FMCG skills you need to get into the sector.
• For any role in consumer & FMCG - the bigger the company and experience under your belt, the more you’ll get paid. For merchandising, mid-level and senior merchandising salaries will increase to roughly £65,000, however you’ll have more responsibility and business profits will largely depend on your efforts. Learn about what Merchandisers really do.
• For logistics and supply chain, a mid-level or senior role includes Logistics Coordinator or Warehouse and Logistics Manager, with salaries ranging from £33,000 to £48,000. FMCG operation roles can also fit into this area with an average salary of £32,000, depending on the scale and responsibilities of your operation. Learn more about Operations and Supply Chain and what to expect from this area of retail and FMCG.
• Finally, mid-level to senior roles for research and development include Research and Development Manager or R&D Senior Engineer, with salaries ranging from £45,000 to £71,000 per year. Learn more about R&D from The Research & Development society.

We could go on and on about the variety of firms in this sector, but instead, we have listed a few that you might be interested in...

• Apple 
• ASOS
• Depop 
• Ebay 
• John Lewis Partnership 
• Nestle 
• Ocado 

For more, check out our  A-Z List: Leading Graduate Employers in Consumer & Retail.

• Verbal and written communication: Whether you’re face-to-face with customers showing them a new product or if you’re presenting new logistical ideas to the team, you need strong verbal communication skills. Presenting yourself professionally and clearly is key for this sector, for the sales assistants to the floor managers. 
• Problem-solving: Working in Retail and FMCG is all about thinking on your feet and using your initiative to solve a problem, and fast. Having those problem-solving skills is particularly paramount in areas like technology and finance. Learn more about creative problem solving with this Bright Network Academy module.
• Data analysis: Depending on your role or level, if you work in the finance, technology or the logistics & supply chain areas of retail, you’ll likely need to do some data analysis during your time. You might be analysing consumer research data or numerical data that shows the level of stock purchased. This data analysis will have a mammoth impact on the business and the decision it makes.
• Organisation: Having organisational skills can be transferable to any area of retail. From organising the stock cupboard in-store or preparing new talent interviews for HR. Staying organised can ensure the business meets its goals and that there is no wasted time.
• Teamwork: Retail and FMCG companies would not function without teamwork. It sits on the same level as communication skills. Each business department uses levels of teamwork, especially roles like marketing manager, sales assistant and the HR department. 
• Commercial awareness: Being commercially aware in retail and FMCG can ensure you’re on top of how the industry operates, how the market is moving or how customers are changing habits. Commercial awareness in retail helps managers make decisions and will ultimately help them understand their competitors more. This is particularly important for the financial and logistics and supply chain areas of retail and FMCG. Learn more about developing your commercial awareness or listen to our podcast, Thinking Commercially with commercial awareness guru, Chris Stoakes.
• Creativity: In retail and FMCG, creativity enables businesses to explore new ideas and potentially reach more or new clients. Creativity also helps to uncover what customers need before they need it. Retail marketers and buying departments need to be creative to keep customers engaged and drive them to shop.
• Customer service: When dealing with customers face-to-face or over the phone, you need to be polite and friendly because how you treat customers will impact their perception of the business as a whole. Having good customer service skills represents the business in a good light.

• Start thinking about products objectively 
• Join an entrepreneurial society at university or do something entrepreneurial  
• Do your research and map out potential career routes 
• Focus on growth and don't be afraid to look beyond the big brands 
• Learn how to sell consultatively and empathise with customer needs
• Work experience or internships - take a look at the latest consumer, FMCG and retail internships. 

For more detail, read our 6 Tips for Getting ahead in Consumer and Retail.

• In 2019, there are over 306,655 separate retail outlets in the UK with sales of £394 billion.
• Some British retail giants, such as Marks & Spencer, are increasing their international presence, giving more opportunities for overseas work. 
• The market share of supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons is losing ground to European upstarts Lidl and Aldi. This trend is forecast to continue.
• A 2015 PostNord survey identifies clothing, home electronics and books as best-selling consumer items, primarily due to mail orders from e-commerce retailers. 

Shaping the future of brands we know and love can be a brilliant career move. You’ll have the pressure of making goods rise above the competition, but that makes for a stimulating role that’ll reward energy, creativity and forward-thinking. 

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