Retail is vital to a wide range of industries, from electronics and machinery to fashion, cosmetics and food. As skills and knowledge are transferable from one to the other, you can specialise in a particular industry, work across a number of different industries or even diversify into related fields, such as marketing, making it a dynamic and exciting industry for job seekers. The retail sector employs almost 16 million workers in many different types of positions.

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has been the peak industry body representing Australia’s $258 billion retail sector which employs over 1.2 million people. The ARA Retail Institute is the leading national body providing for the education, consulting and professional development needs of the retail industry including: Retail Buying, Financials, Visual Merchandising, Marketing, Operations, and Sales and Service Strategy. The ARA Retail Institute houses a suite of both accredited and non-accredited training solutions. The ARA Retail Institute is committed to providing retailers with the skills and knowledge to develop the performance of their business and the talent that resides within. ARA Retail Institute programs and consulting sessions are designed and facilitated by industry leading specialists to ensure they are practical, current and relevant to the needs of the industry we represent.