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Retail entrepreneur

Also called retailer, shop keeper, entrepreneur

Retail entrepreneurs organise business processes and concepts in his/her personally owned business.

Will there be jobs?Average prospects31 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Sales workersWhat does it pay?Below averageFrom about €800 (Bulgaria) to €4,500 (Ireland) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Sales workersWhat do I need to study?Upper secondary or vocational6 in 10 finished upper secondary or vocational training.Sales workersWill AI change it?ModeratelyLevel 4 of 6. AI could take on part of some tasks, but none fully.Shopkeepers · ILO

What you'd do

Shopkeepers · ILO
  • Determining product mix, stock and price levels for goods to be sold
  • Purchasing and ordering goods for sale from markets, wholesalers and other suppliers
  • Budgeting and maintaining records of stock levels and financial transactions
  • Determining prices and displaying goods for sale
  • Selling goods to customers and advising them on product use
  • Examining returned goods and deciding on appropriate action
  • Taking inventory of goods in stock
Organise product displayProvide customer follow-up servicesGuarantee customer satisfactionControl of expensesNegotiate sales contracts+ 18 more essential skills

Will there be jobs?

Average prospects

A typical number of jobs will need filling by 2035.

People working as sales workers in the EU
15.79m15.71m16.15m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
173,000 new jobs 4,772,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Sales workers31
All jobs29
Right now
1 of 27 countries report a shortage of shopkeepers, 6 a surplus.
Shopkeepers · EURES

What does it pay?

Below average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €800 a month (Bulgaria) to €4,500 (Ireland), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among service and sales workers in the EU, women earn 3% less per hour than men. Service and sales workers · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Upper secondary or vocational

Upper secondary or vocational training in law is the usual route.

Highest qualification of sales workers (EU, 2025)
Degree 16%Vocational 42%General secondary 19%Basic schooling 22%
Fields that teach it
Law · Computer use
Vocational route, EU
Fewer than 1 in 10 trainees in this field

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Moderately

AI could take on part of some tasks, but none fully.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.43 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 7 tasks
Budgeting and maintaining records of stock levels and financial transactions0.59
Purchasing and ordering goods for sale from markets, wholesalers and other suppliers0.49
Selling goods to customers and advising them on product use0.45
Determining product mix, stock and price levels for goods to be sold0.45
Determining prices and displaying goods for sale0.39
Taking inventory of goods in stock0.35
Examining returned goods and deciding on appropriate action0.29

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for shopkeepers. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).