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Roundsperson

  • Hours

    40-48 per week

  • Starting salary

    £21,000 + per year

As a roundsperson you would deliver and sell goods and services to homes and businesses, usually from a van. This may be on a self-employed basis, or on a franchise, working for a company and paying a percentage of the earnings to them. If you have good people skills and would like a driving job, this could be ideal for you.

In this job you would also need to be organised and manage your time well. You would need good number skills and a knowledge of the local area you work in.

You don't need any specific qualifications to get into this job. However, a driving licence would be very useful.



The work

As a roundsperson, your work could include:

  • delivering milk and other dairy products to homes and businesses
  • providing a lunchtime sandwich service to shops and offices
  • selling ice-cream or fast food
  • running a mobile shop, selling goods ranging from foodstuffs to books and cleaning products.

Your work would also involve collecting stock from wholesalers, handling cash and keeping accurate payment and stock records.


Hours

You would typically work between 40 and 48 hours a week at times that suit your customers, which can include very early starts (dairy rounds) or evenings, weekends and seasonal hours (ice cream sales). Part-time work may be available.

You would spend most of your time on the road, making deliveries or in the case of a mobile canteen, for example, setting up on your roadside pitch for the day.


Income

The average salary for a full-time roundsperson is around £21,000.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.


Entry requirements

You do not need formal qualifications to become a roundsperson, but you must have basic maths skills and the confidence to handle cash accurately. You may also need a full driving licence.

You may find it useful to take a short business start-up course run by a local college, adult education centre or enterprise organisation. You can also get business start-up advice and training from the Business Link network.

You may have an advantage if you have work experience involving driving, retail or sales. If you are a school-leaver, you could start out as a roundsperson's assistant.


Training and development

As a roundsperson on a franchise, for example on a milk round, you will be given specific training about the products you are selling. You may also shadow a more experienced roundsperson when you start the job.

If you are selling fast food, you will need a licence to trade from your local environmental health department. You will also need a food hygiene or food safety certificate, such as those awarded by the CIEH (Chartered Institute of Environmental Health) and RSPH (Royal Society for Public Health). See their websites and the Sector Skills Council Improve website for details.

You could go on to take an NVQ in a subject such as Customer Service or Sales at levels 2 and 3.

Some franchising companies provide training on products, new technology, computing and running a small business. You could also take courses at local colleges, covering areas such as selling techniques, book-keeping and other skills needed to run a business.


Skills and knowledge

To be a roundsperson you should have:

  • a pleasant and friendly manner
  • good customer care skills
  • general business skills
  • the ability to organise and manage your time
  • self-motivation to achieve targets
  • good maths skills and the ability to keep accurate payment records
  • knowledge of the local area
  • good driving skills
  • a willingness to work flexible and unsocial hours.

More information

Skillsmart Retail (Opens new window)
Fourth Floor
93 Newman Street
London
W1T 3EZ
Tel: 0800 093 5001
www.skillsmartretail.com

Improve Ltd (Opens new window)
Providence House
2 Innovation Close
York
YO10 5ZF
Tel: 0845 644 0448
www.improveltd.co.uk

British Franchise Association (Opens new window)
A2 Danebrook Court
Oxford Office Village
Langford Lane
Oxford
OX5 1LQ
Tel: 01865 379892
www.thebfa.org


Opportunities

You are most likely to find work with wholesale distributors, manufacturing firms, service companies and dairies. Vacancies will often be advertised in the local press, through Jobcentre Plus and Directgov (Jobseekers page).

You may have more job opportunities in rural areas.

If you plan to take on a franchise, you will usually need to put some of your own money into the business.

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (Opens in a new window) there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.


Related industry information

Industry summary

Retail activity can be expressed as the sale of goods for personal or household use or consumption, traditionally via shops or markets. However, the boundaries have changed somewhat in recent years due to the significant growth in online retailing and the development of alternative formats such as farmers’ markets and travel retailing.

The UK retail industry covers the following activity:

  • Retail sales in non-specialised stores (such as supermarkets and department stores)
  • Retail sales in specialised stores (such as butchers, greengrocers and fishmongers)
  • Retail sales of pharmaceutical goods (such as chemists and pharmacies)
  • Retail sales of new goods in specialised stores (such as stores selling textiles, clothing, books, electrical household appliances, furniture and lighting)
  • Retail sales of second-hand goods
  • Retail sales not in store (e.g. catalogue and mail order sales, online and via stalls and markets)

Within retail, there are an estimated 295,000 businesses selling a wide range of products, employing from one person to thousands of people, all who have a number of functions.

The retail industry is represented by Skillsmart Retail Sector Skills Council.

Key facts:

  • UK retail accounts for £321 billion turnover and one‐third of all consumers spending.
  • It is the largest private sector employer and employs around 2.9 million people or 1 in 10 of the working population.
  • 13% of people employed within retail do not have an NVQ qualification, 22% have a NVQ level 2 qualification and 34% have a NVQ level 3 or higher qualification.
  • Much of the employment and turnover in retail is accounted for by a few dominant retailers, who operate both nationally and internationally.
  • Just 10 retailers employ around a third of all those who work in retail.
  • There are a substantial number of smaller retailers who operate locally or in niche markets.
  • New emerging markets and job opportunities to support the online retailing are needed.
  • The current economic climate is affecting all areas of retail business, but online retailers and value/discount stores are showing signs of growth.
  • Between 2007 and 2017, 214,000 new retail jobs are expected to be created in UK, while a further 1.2 million jobs will need to be filled as a result of people leaving the sector.

Jobs in the industry are divided into areas: Store operations, Human resources/training, Finance and administration, Buying, Merchandising, Customer contact centres, PR and Marketing, Logistics, and Information Technology.

Job roles range from: Director of operations, Store manager, Assistant department manager, Sales assistant, Shelf filler, Recruitment officer, Financial analyst, Procurement manager, Merchandiser, Buyer, Contact centre operators, Marketeer, Information analyst, Van driver, Warehouse / distribution manager, Information systems managers.


National and regional data

Retail employment and activity are evenly distributed across the UK, with the largest number of employees is located in:

  • South East
  • London
  • East of England
  • North West

The largest number of employers is located in: London; the South East; and the North West. There are distinct clusters of major centres of retail in London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Leicester and Derby.

The highest percentage growth in employment over the next five years is expected in the North East, whilst significant declines are forecast in the South East, London and the North West.

Retail can play an important role in the regeneration of towns and cities throughout the UK. It provides a catalyst for change, as retailers seek to enhance their offer to the consumer and modernise the spaces within which they trade.

East Midlands – There are 189,408 people employed in the industry, in around 19,634 retail establishments. 63% of the workforce is female. 43% of the workforce work full‐time. The greatest perceived skills shortage is with customer handling and verbal communication skills.

East of England – There are 274,350 people employed in the industry, in around 25,258 retail establishments. 60% of the workforce is female. 42% of the workforce work full‐time. The greatest perceived skills shortage is with customer handling, problem solving and management skills.

London – There are 376,523 people employed in the industry, in around 39,414 retail establishments. 55% of the workforce is female. 50% of the workforce work full‐time. The greatest perceived skills shortage is with management, customer handling and problem solving skills.

North East – There are 106,513 people employed in the industry, in around 10,569 retail establishments. 65% of the workforce is female. 41% of the workforce work full‐time.

North West – There are 318,406 people employed in the industry, in around 32,814 retail establishments. 62% of the workforce is female. 45% of the workforce work full‐time. The greatest perceived skills shortage is with technical, practical or job specific skills, team working and management skills.

South East – There are 398,069 people employed in the industry, in around 38,926 retail establishments. 59% of the workforce is female. 44% of the workforce work full‐time. The greatest perceived skills shortage is with customer handling, technical, practical or job specific and team working skills.

South West – There are 254,668 people employed in the industry, in around 26,398 retail establishments. 62% of the workforce is female. 42% of the workforce work full‐time. The greatest perceived skills shortage is with customer handling, technical, practical or job specific and management skills.

West Midlands – There are 237,529 people employed in the industry, in around 25,352 retail establishments. 62% of the workforce is female. 43% of the workforce work full‐time. The greatest perceived skills shortage is with team working and customer handling skills.

Yorkshire and the Humber – There are 236,430 people employed in the industry, in around 24,251 retail establishments. 62% of the workforce is female. 44% of the workforce work full‐time. The greatest perceived skills shortage is with management skills.

Northern Ireland – There are 74,491 people employed in the industry, in around 9,805 retail establishments. 58% of the workforce is female. 54% of the workforce work full‐time. The greatest perceived skills shortage is with customer handling, written communication and management skills.

Scotland – There are 245,960 people employed in the industry, in around 23,978 retail establishments. 62% of the workforce is female. 44% of the workforce work full‐time. The greatest perceived skills shortage is with customer handling, written communication and management skills.

Wales – There are 133,459 people employed in the industry, in around 13,765 retail establishments. 63% of the workforce is female. 42% of the workforce work full‐time. The greatest perceived skills shortage is with customer handling, written communication and management skills.

[N.B. Data derived from Annual Business Inquiry, 2008, Labour Force Survey (annualised), 2009, and NESS, 2009.]


Career paths


Further sources


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