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London offers more employment opportunities within the retail sector than any other UK city. With numerous national and international retailers housing their flagship stores and head offices in the nation's capital, roles as junior as sales assistants and window dressers or as senior as store manager, head of buying and director of retail operations can all be found.In more junior roles staff turnover is high as positions are often held by students from any number of colleges and universities in London such as UCL and LSE.
On this basis recruitment agencies are constantly on the lookout for new staff prepared to work on shifts at a low hourly rate. Conversely, competition for the more exclusive senior roles can be high, demanding not only an impressive academic CV but a substantial body of experience.The average salary in retail within London is £37,000 reflecting its importance as a retail centre (the rest of the UK averages roughly £25,000) and the number of top-end stores such as Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges it is home to. These wages also reflect the inflated cost of living, but nonetheless London offers a vibrant retail community through the likes of Oxford Street and the Westfield Centre making it an exciting place to work.