eCommerce Talent & Skills Snapshot 2021 – SW

Here, an eCommerce sector talent and skills overview, specifically for the South West, based on ADLIB internal data and knowledge.

We’re publishing Technology, Data, Engineering, Science, Sustainability, eCommerce, Marketing and Design sector-specific Talent & Skills Snapshots over the next few weeks to share and provide sector knowledge specific to the Bristol and Bath regions.

Sector overview

With customers increasingly prioritising online shopping over in-store, the need for retail businesses to expand their eCommerce offering is essential to ensure they remain competitive and relevant. Bristol & Bath have a thriving eCommerce industry made up of start-ups, established SMEs and a number of large, multi-channel retailers, all of whom require digital specialists to manage and optimise their websites.

Talent overview

Many local retailers have been investing more into their transactional websites than bricks & mortar stores over the last few years, often facilitating re-training and upskilling of Generalist Marketers and Retail Merchandisers to cater for this demand. Coupled with relocators being attracted to the digital-first approach of these businesses, this has led to a noticeable growth in eCommerce talent in the region. Remote-working options are also increasingly being offered to open up the talent pool even further.

Skills in demand

As the online retail sector becomes more saturated, businesses are keenly aware of the impact a highly targeted digital acquisition strategy and personalised user journey are in attracting and retaining relevant customers. As a result, Performance Marketers and Online Merchandising Specialists, who have strong analytical and reporting skills, are particularly sought after. Similarly, those who have experience delivering eCommerce strategies across marketplaces such as Amazon and ebay are often hired over those that lack these skills, due to the significance these platforms now play in most online trading plans.