As eCommerce Grows, eRetail Jobs Follow Suit

Sales aren’t the only aspect of the retail industry that are migrating online: retail jobs are making the transition, too.

In fact, as eRetail commerce continues to outpace its physical counterpart and gain a larger share of total retail sales, online retail employment opportunities are poised to see a massive jump in the next five years as well.

We take a look at this Baynote (http://www.baynote.com/infographic/retail-jobs-go-digital/) infographic, which cites stats from Forrester, the Natinoal Retail Federation and more, and outlines the digital shift in the retail-working world. When can we expect to see over half-a-million eRetail jobs in the U.S. alone?

Online Retail Growth: The Next Five Years

According to Forrester research, eCommerce is slated to grow at a rapid pace over the next five years. The industry already saw a 13 percent growth between 2012 and 2013, jumping form $231 billion to $262 billion in 2013. That number is projected to grow to $291 billion in 2014, and to continue a steady ascent in the three following years, eventually hitting $370 billion in 2017. At that point, online retail sales will make up 10 percent of all retail sales.

Jobs That Benefit Most

According to the infographic, those working in the fulfillment and customer service industries figure to see the biggest boost thanks to the eCommerce shift. Each profession is expected to add over 40,000 jobs in the U.S. over the next five years. Technology positions related to eCommerce are expected to see a boost of 23,600 jobs, while “creative” rolls should see a jump of nearly 16,000 jobs. Marketing and merchandising will see five-figure growth as well, while customer experience and analytic roles will se more modest growth of around 4,000.

More Eye-Catching Stats

If you had trouble digesting the numbers above, let’s put it a simpler way: by 2017, online retail jobs figure to jump by 161,681 positions, surpassing the 500,000 mark. And while retail sales growth is actually projected to slow a bit in 2013 (3.4 percent this year as opposed to 4.2 percent in 2012), online retail sales are expected to jump 12 percent this year.

To see more figures and findings, check out the complete Baynote infographic below.