1. Todd Davis College Recruiter Elder-Beerman Stores Inc.

2. The Industry There are more than 1.5 Million retail establishments accounting for 3 Trillion dollars in annual sales They employ over 20 Million people and will increase to 24 million by 2005 This includes department stores, specialty stores, and online retailers

3. Why choose retail? Entrepreneurship “It’s like having your own business without all the risk” Responsibility Within 3 years you can be responsible for Millions of $ in volume Challenging Every day you are presented with a challenge Opportunity You can have many different positions in retail

4. What kinds of positions are available? Buying (Buyer/Assistant Buyer) Responsible for: Financial Plans Promotional strategies Negotiating with vendors Merchandising Strategies Selecting Product Planning (Analyst or Planner) Responsible for: Unit plans Store plans Placement of Merchandise Merchandising

5. What kinds of positions are available? Store Manager/Area Sales Manager Responsible for: Driving sales Developing a selling team Location operations Implementing Merchant plans Selling Credit Accounts Store Management

6. What kinds of positions are available? Human Resources Training and Development Recruiting Information Systems Tracking Networking Advertising and Sales Promotion Design Copywriting Special Events

7. What are the characteristics of people in retail? Entrepreneurial Leadership qualities Managerial skills Good Communicators Multitasking ability Conflict resolution skills Calculated risk taker

8. Summary Retail is an industry that rewards and promotes performance The opportunities are endless You can move up quickly Every career in retail is what you make of it, you are in control of your own destiny