How to become a shopkeeper and owners - retail and wholesale
Official title: Shopkeepers and owners - retail and wholesale
Also called: Shopkeeper, Retail jeweller, Drug store owner, Retail shop owner, Florist shop owner, Garden centre owner, General store owner, Butcher's shop owner, Petrol station owner, Filling station owner, Fried fish shopkeeper, Wholesale confectioner
Shopkeepers and proprietors in this unit group co-ordinate, direct and undertake the activities in the running of small, independent retail and wholesale establishments.
Main tasks
- Defines the market position for the business, decides what to sell, forecasts demand and develops the brand image of the business
- Determines staffing, financial, material and other short- and long-term requirements
- Oversees staff training, rotas and the allocation of work
- Provides information about merchandise to staff and customers and ensures customer complaints are appropriately dealt with
- Ensures that adequate reserves of merchandise are held and orders new stock as required
- Maintains financial and other shop records and controls security arrangements for the premises
- Authorises payment for supplies received and decides on vending price and credit terms
- Examines quality of merchandise and ensures that effective use is made of advertising and display facilities
How to become one
There are no formal academic entry requirements. A range of management and leadership courses in retail are available, in addition to NVQs/ SVQs in at levels 2, 3 and 4.
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £36,304 a year
- About 121,100 people work in this job now, and about 115,200 are projected by 2035. (-4.9%)
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Questions people ask
How do I become a shopkeeper and owners - retail and wholesale?
There are no formal academic entry requirements. A range of management and leadership courses in retail are available, in addition to NVQs/ SVQs in at levels 2, 3 and 4.
How much does a shopkeeper and owners - retail and wholesale earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £36,304 a year (Office for National Statistics).
Is a shopkeeper and owners - retail and wholesale a growing career in the UK?
Employment is projected to fall 5% by 2035, from about 121,100 to about 115,200 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a shopkeeper and owners - retail and wholesale?
Not always. 31% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03