Retail career opportunities
Explore just some of the careers available in New Zealand retail
Many companies — like these — hire, train and promote from within. Pick a retailer to see the business, the pathways inside it, and a link straight to their own jobs page.
Mitre 10
New Zealand owned, locally operated, and built on people who started on the floor.
Mitre 10 is a co-operative: every store is owned and run by local operators, which is why the person who serves you in Timaru may well have grown up in Timaru. There are more than 80 stores nationwide, from small-town hardware shops to MEGA stores the size of a rugby field.
In store
The most common path, and the one most store managers came up.
- Retail assistant6–18 monthsStart here
Serving customers, stocking shelves, learning a department inside out.
- Department 2IC1–2 years
Second in charge of a department — ordering, rosters, and covering the manager.
- Department manager2–4 years
Running a whole department: stock, margin, layout and a team of your own.
- Store manager
Accountable for the whole store — the numbers, the people and the community.
- Owner-operator
Buying into the co-operative and running your own Mitre 10 store.
Trade and yard
For people who would rather be outside than on a checkout.
- Trade or yard assistantStart here
Loading timber, picking orders, driving the forklift once you are ticketed.
- Trade sales representative
Looking after builder accounts and quoting whole jobs.
- Trade manager
Running the trade side of the store and its key customer relationships.
- Operations manager
Logistics, stock flow and health and safety across the site.
The Warehouse
The Red Shed. Big stores, big teams, and a promotion ladder people actually climb.
The Warehouse opened its first store in Takapuna in 1982 and is now one of the biggest employers of young New Zealanders anywhere in the country. Around 90 Red Sheds sell everything from school shoes to garden hoses.
In store
- Team member6–12 monthsStart here
Checkouts, replenishment, click and collect, helping customers find things.
- Team leader1–2 years
Running a shift and a small team, opening and closing the store.
- Department manager2–3 years
Owning a category: sales, stock, promotions and your team’s development.
- Store manager
Running a multi-million dollar store and a team of a hundred or more.
- Area or regional manager
Supporting a group of stores and the managers who run them.
Distribution and support office
Not every retail career happens on a shop floor.
- Distribution centre team memberStart here
Picking, packing and despatching stock for stores and online orders.
- DC team leader
Running a shift, hitting despatch targets, keeping people safe.
- Operations or inventory analyst
Moving into planning, buying support or supply chain in the support office.
- Category or operations manager
Deciding what the stores sell, or how the network runs.
Hunting & Fishing New Zealand
Get paid to know your gear. Specialist retail for people who live outdoors.
Hunting & Fishing New Zealand is a network of specialist outdoor stores, most of them owner-operated by people who hunt and fish themselves. Around 40 stores stock firearms, rods, packs, boots and everything in between.
In store
- Sales assistant6–12 monthsStart here
Serving customers, learning the range, keeping the shop floor sharp.
- Category specialist1–3 years
Becoming the go-to person for firearms, fishing or apparel — including licensing.
- Assistant store manager
Rosters, stock ordering, and running the store when the manager is away.
- Store manager
Running the store, the buying and the local relationships.
- Owner-operator
Taking on your own store within the network.
Number One Shoes
Small teams, fast promotion. Where a first job can become a store of your own.
Number One Shoes has been fitting New Zealanders for school, work and weekends for decades, with stores in most main centres and plenty of provincial towns.
In store
- Sales assistant6–12 monthsStart here
Fitting shoes, running the till, keeping the stockroom under control.
- Keyholder / 2IC6–18 months
Trusted with the keys, the banking and the shift when the manager is out.
- Store manager2–4 years
Your own store: the targets, the roster, the team and the shrinkage.
- Cluster or area manager
Looking after several stores and coaching their managers.
Woolworths New Zealand
Supermarkets never stop, which is why there is always a next role.
Woolworths New Zealand runs around 190 supermarkets plus distribution centres, an online fulfilment operation and a support office. It is one of the largest private employers in the country.
In store
- Customer service or grocery assistant6–12 monthsStart here
Checkouts, shelf filling, online order picking, helping customers.
- Team leader / 2IC1–2 years
Running a section of the store and the people in it.
- Department manager2–4 years
Owning produce, bakery, butchery, deli or grocery — including waste and margin.
- Store manager
Running a supermarket: hundreds of staff, thousands of customers a day.
Supply chain and online
- Distribution centre team memberStart here
Picking and despatching stock for stores across the region.
- Online personal shopperStart here
Picking and packing customer orders to a tight clock.
- Shift or site team leader
Leading a shift, hitting despatch windows, keeping people safe.
- Supply chain or eCommerce manager
Running a site, a network or the online operation itself.
Four Square
The local shop. Where you can end up owning the business you started in.
Four Square is the neighbourhood grocery brand of the Foodstuffs co-operative, with stores in small towns, suburbs and holiday spots right across New Zealand. Most are run by a local owner-operator, and many have been in the same family for years.
In store
A small-store ladder, which means each rung teaches you more of the business.
- Store assistant6–12 monthsStart here
Till, shelves, deliveries, chiller checks — a bit of everything.
- Duty manager1–2 years
Running shifts, cashing up, and holding a Manager’s Certificate for alcohol sales.
- Assistant store manager2–3 years
Ordering, rostering and margin — the commercial side of the shop.
- Store manager
Running the store day to day on the owner’s behalf.
- Owner-operator
Buying into Foodstuffs and running your own Four Square.