Many businesspersons use the retail sector to establish their base and then invade other business sectors. It becomes a blessing in disguise for investors when they try to invest in the retail industry when it is actually expanding. The United Kingdom’s retail industry is all set to expand in size by as much as 15% in the next five years. It is estimated that it will reach a staggering value of 312 billion pounds in the coming years. It employs a mammoth 3 million people, which accounts for overall 11% of the entire UK workforce.

The retail sector accounts for 8% of the total GDP of the United Kingdom. The intensity of the retail sector in UK is such that as of 2007, sales in the UK retail markets accounted for 265 million pounds, which were larger than economies of Portugal and Denmark. The retail sector in the United Kingdom has developed in almost all the allied sectors such as electrical, clothing and footwear, health and beauty, homeware, furniture and floor coverings, DIY and Gardening and e-retail. The main area in which there is tremendous growth in the retail sector is the Northern Ireland.

Out of all the retail sectors such as clothing, footwear and others, the main retail sectors worth investing in are the electrical sector, food, grocery, health and beauty, which are expected to grow faster as compared to other retail sectors in the United Kingdom. Electrical sector is expected to grow by 24.1% and will easily overtake the entire industry’s growth of 15%. The main goods worth investing in will be brown goods as they are expected to grow by 30.1% over 2011 with major developments taking place in the software and gaming fields. The PlayStation 3 will provide the major chunk towards the growth of the sub-sector and will account for a mammoth 73.4% growth in the next five years. There is also tremendous potential in the electronic segment in the next five years.

The food and grocery segment of the retail industry in the UK provides huge opportunities for grocers. It is estimated that grocers’ sales will be up by 26% until the year 2012. The health and beauty market has a potential to grow by 26.9% until 2012 with skincare accounting for the major portion of growth. The health and beauty market holds some optimistic traits even in these times of economic uncertainty. With a growing prospect of 15% and the existence of plenty of well-established sub-sectors, the retail industry of the United Kingdom has loads of potentials, which are yet to be explored.

Many graduates leave university with a diploma in hand but little direction on which profession to enter. While students get a specific set of tools for their particular discipline, many graduates realize that they need to make these tools fit into a particular profession in creative ways. It is helpful for graduates to know which fields are steadily raising in the United Kingdom before they begin filling out applications.

Developers, engineers and designers in the information technology field have been at the forefront of one of Britain’s hottest fields. Every company needs an IT infrastructure and every consumer needs a computer in order to get their work done on a daily basis. Graduates with knowledge of computers, the Internet and the complex relationships involved in data streaming can forge strong careers well into the future.

The steadiest field for UK graduates is in banking and finances. This career path is highly competitive as thousands upon thousands of graduates leave university each year with banking and finance degrees. While some graduates may shy away from this field because of the competition, savvy professionals should enter banking and finance positions because the competition indicates a vibrant future for participants.

Young professionals who want to mix their creativity, drive and technical acumen into one field should consider new media positions. New media positions encompass websites, blogs, CD-ROMs and other technological devices that help make information mobile. This field is growing rapidly in parallel with information technology fields but allow graduates to spread their creative wings instead of focusing on the mechanical aspects of technology.

A final field that UK graduates need to consider in terms of future prospects lies within green or environmentally friendly industries. Green construction firms, recycling plants and green education organizations require skilled graduates who are committed to a cleaner world. Young engineers, designers and educators who enter this field need to be prepared for growing pains in their new jobs as most green industries are still in their infancy.