THESE are difficult times for Britain’s retailers. No fewer than eight of the biggest and most respected names on the high street reported a plunge in annual profits last year.

One retailer that may be better placed than most to ride this slump in consumer confidence is the Arcadia Group.

Although the company itself is hardly a household name, it boasts a portfolio of seven of Britain’s best-known and most popular clothing brands, and has been privately owned by the retail entrepreneur Philip Green since 2002.

A relative newcomer to The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers, the Arcadia Group is now one of the 20 largest recruiters of graduates in the UK and offers six different entry programmes for university-leavers this year.

About a quarter of the company’s graduate vacancies are for retail management trainees. The fast-track programme exposes new recruits to every aspect of retailing, from customer service and brand promotions, to staff development and meeting targets, as preparation for a store management role within 12 months.

Just under half of Arcadia Group’s total graduate intake are recruited to work in either buying or merchandising. Together, these London-based head office departments are responsible for selecting, sourcing and promoting the right fashion ranges in each of the company’s stores. In both areas, graduates begin as administrative assistants and are supported with a programme of development workshops on specialist, personal and business skills. Most of the remaining vacancies are in distribution, the function which ensures that the correct stock reaches stores on time and in the right quantities.

There are a limited number of graduate positions in finance and human resources.

What does it do? Arcadia Group is the retail company behind high-street favourites such as Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge, Wallis, Evans and TopShop. With more than 2,000 outlets across the country, it is the UK’s largest clothing retailer.


What does the group employ graduates for? The company expects to hire up to 200 graduates this year to work in buying, distribution, finance, human resources, merchandising and retail management. Applications for some functions have already closed.

Where are the graduate jobs? Nationwide.



What is the group paying this year? Salaries vary according to job function, up to £21,000.



What’s the competition like? The Arcadia Group received more than 6,000 applications for the 175 vacancies it advertised last year.

Martin Birchall is editor of The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers

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