A part-time cashier job might be okay for you while you're still in school, but you may have a hard time seeing yourself doing it after you graduate. Lucky for you there's a lot more to retail than just making change. We looked behind the counters of some popular student employers to see just what retail merchandising is all about.

How do you define a career in retail merchandising? It depends on the scale of the store, explains Paul McElhone, executive director of the University of Alberta's School of Retailing. Merchandising usually means the positioning and display of products in such a way that consumers are encouraged to buy them. For example, signage could be viewed as merchandising. So if you own or work at a small independent store chances are you are doing the merchandising. But if you work at a larger company with more stores, chances are there are staff who are dedicated to merchandising. For a large company you might even have a team of buyers and different merchandisers for different departments within the larger retail framework.

Even suppliers get into the act, says McElhone, providing their own merchandising and display aids. Any way you slice it, merchandising aims to maximize the desirability of a given product. It's psychology, says McElhone. But a good merchandiser never loses sight of the fact that the work he or she does translates into sales.

IKEA

There's more to IKEA than furniture ÔÇô like lifelong and possibly international careers. IKEA is also ranked among the top 100 companies for remuneration in Canada, according to Maclean's magazine. Many of our leaders around the globe started out as part-time workers, while still in college or university, says Jennifer Hagen, human resources manager for IKEA Canada. We really believe in cultivating talent from within.

Merchandising at IKEA is  a partnership between three main functions  visual merchandising and communications, interior design and logistics, says Hagen. But sales associates also have a role to play in merchandising, as we need to make sure we continue to communicate our range to our customers in an inspiring way.

As for new grads interested in careers at IKEA, the company has training programs to help them expedite their learning. And for those who haven't yet graduated there are educational subsidies, as well as scholarships available in partnership with the Retail Council of Canada. Students from all educational disciplines can work at IKEA. Recruiters visit campuses near locations across Canada. And they recruit online as well, says Hagen.

Walmart

Big box store. Big savings. But did you know that Walmart also has great big jobs for those who stick around after they graduate?

The opportunities here are endless, says Karen Dixon, campus relations manager for Walmart Canada. Dixon says Walmart recruits on campus and offers a variety of career paths with applicable management training programs, for new grads and employees. The great thing about Walmart is that there are no fixed career paths, says Dixon. You can become a buyer or an HR manager. There are people in our head office who have become managers within our stores. Cross training is open to all our associates. And you can have someone start working at an hourly level and work their way up to being a store manager or working in our corporate office.

Retail merchandising at Walmart entails having the right product, at the right time, for the right price, when it comes to deciding what the store buys, says Dixon. We are looking for individuals who enjoy retail and who have a passion for learning about products.

And as far as salaries go, becoming a store manager at Walmart can be very lucrative, Dixon says. Managers make salaries but also percentages and bonuses. There is a profit sharing plan. And all employees have health benefits and can opt to contribute to an RRSP plan or purchase stocks. Check out their career page for more info.

Starbucks

You might not think of Starbucks as a retail location as you're ordering your double-shot skinny latte. But take a closer look and you'll see merchandising plays an important role in the look and feel of Starbucks ÔÇô just get a load of those eye-catching displays of food, beverages and cds at the counter, never mind the assorted games and gadgetry on the shelves nearby.

Managers play an important role in merchandising locally, and many come from the ranks of entry-level employees who were once working their way through school as barristas, says Kirsti Stubbs, strategic sourcing recruiter for Starbucks Canada. What the store looks like overall, including what sits on the shelves, comes from the company's head office in Seattle, says Stubbs.

There are plenty opportunities for international career advancement with Starbucks, adds Stubbs. And we definitely believe in training, she says. Every single person who comes to work here gets training. Staff have a performance development plan that they revisit with their supervisor every three to six months. Staff receive competitive pay, full benefits and a suite of other perks, including education subsidies. Check them out here. 

For more information on careers and educational programs in retail visit the Retail Council of Canada.

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