Students' views of retail employment – key findings from Generation Ys

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to highlight some preliminary findings regarding students' perceptions of retail employment. It concentrates on those students who belong to Generation Y, those born between 1977 and 1994. Design/methodology/approach – The research instrument consisted of a questionnaire survey administered to business studies students at two Scottish universities – Glasgow Caledonian University and Stirling University. This paper reports on responses to 340 of these questionnaires – those students who already have some experience of retail employment, mainly as their part‐time employment experiences while studying for their degree. Findings – Retail employment experience is common with the majority of students. Their expectations for future retail employment after graduation is to enjoy their work, while they are also concerned with fairness, equality and tolerance from their future employment. Practical implications – The results are of benefit to retail employers' as preliminary indications of how they can attract potential graduate entrants into the sector. They provide some areas that retail companies should be addressing in their recruitment literature. These factors include future career opportunities including opportunities for self development, training and development, as well as pay and job security. Other factors that are also important to highlight are responsibility and challenging work opportunities and the maintenance of a good work‐life balance. Originality/value – This is an under‐researched topic in the area of retail employment and Generation Y.