Retail Talent Landscape q1 2025

Retail’s Talent Tightrope

As Q1 2025 wraps up, recruitment across Ireland’s retail landscape—especially in fashion, non-food, grocery, and pharmacy—remains active but more complex. While job vacancies continue steadily, both candidate engagement and employer strategies have shifted in response to economic pressures and evolving workforce expectations.

Fashion & Non-Food Retail: Leadership & Agility in Focus

According to Aislinn Lea, Director of Fashion & Non-Food Retail Recruitment, the market has been exceptionally buoyant, with new roles added daily. However, she notes a shift toward more deliberate and thoughtful hiring, where employers are placing greater emphasis on leadership ability, change management experience, and authentic passion for retail.

The exit of several fast fashion and high street brands has forced remaining retailers to redefine their bricks-and-mortar presence, focusing on enhancing customer journeys, creating meaningful in-store engagement, and reinforcing the unique identity of each brand.

Duty Managers remain the hardest roles to fill in non-food retail. “Many employers are now looking to hospitality talent pools, leveraging their strengths in customer service, sales performance, and KPI management,” Aislinn explains. Speed in recruitment remains critical: businesses with streamlined interview and offer processes are securing talent ahead of slower-moving competitors.

Head Office & Buying: A Cautious Candidate Market

Aoife Clarke, Senior Recruitment Consultant for Head Office & Buying, describes a slow-moving market where candidates are showing increased hesitation, often withdrawing late in the process. Active job seekers are focused on securing the most competitive offers, while passive candidates attend interviews without genuine intent to move, unless all requirements are met. When combined with slow timelines, below-market offers, and inflexible expectations, this often results in unsuccessful hires.

At the same time, employer offers often fall short of market expectations, further widening the gap between demand and supply. As Aoife notes, “Recruitment cycles are now longer and more complex, and success hinges on strong relationships, clear communication, and employer flexibility.

Pharmacy: Stabilisation Amid Structural Shortages

Barbara Kelly, Senior Recruitment Consultant for Pharmacy, describes a more stable but constrained environment. Rates for Supervising Pharmacists have levelled out, and there’s been minimal movement due to the high salaries already locked in during recent shortages. Relief and support roles remain scarce, while locum rates are holding steady.

One standout challenge remains the shortage of qualified pharmacy technicians, which has pushed up pay slightly. Encouragingly, Barbara notes an uptick in technician roles being filled by non-EU pharmacists who’ve gained local experience.

Grocery: Investment in Fresh Food Talent & Work-Life Balance

Nikki Murran, Director of Grocery Retail Recruitment, highlights a continued investment in fresh food talent, especially in butchers, bakers, deli staff, and retail chefs. Supermarkets are responding to increased consumer demand for health-conscious, convenient, and online options by shifting manpower to these key departments.

There’s also a noticeable move toward better work-life balance offerings. “Many retailers are now providing improved shift patterns and 39-hour contracts to attract and retain staff,” says Nikki. Trainee managers are in demand, with higher salaries justified by expectations for stronger leadership potential.

While talent shortages and candidate hesitancy remain central themes in Q1, retailers that adapt quickly, offer competitive packages, and streamline hiring processes are best positioned to succeed in an evolving employment landscape.

Pharmacy

Excel Recruitment launch specialist pharmacy recruitment division

Excel Recruitment are delighted to announce the opening of our new specialised Pharmacy recruitment division.

Excel Recruitment have successfully recruited Pharmacy Retail Managers and OTC sales staff for over 17 years, working with major pharmacy brands and local, community pharmacies nationwide. Our expert Pharmacy division will specialise in recruiting locum, contract and permanent pharmacy professionals across Ireland including Managing Pharmacists, Supervisory Pharmacists, Support Pharmacists, Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians.

At the helm of our Pharmacy recruitment division is Barbara Kelly, a hugely experienced and dedicated specialist recruiter. Barbara has over 10 years’ experience directly recruiting Pharmacists and Pharmacist Technicians on a locum, permanent and contract basis. Her knowledge and experience of the industry is unparalleled and her proven successful track record recruiting Pharmacists speaks for itself. Barbara understands like few others other the particular demands and challenges of recruiting within the Pharmacy industry in Ireland and is uniquely qualified to understand and meet her client’s needs.

CEO Barry Whelan says “The move to a defined specialist division will allow our Pharmacy team to concentrate specifically on pharmacy recruitment with greater focus and improved search and selection capabilities for permanent roles along with providing contract and locum personnel solutions. We are very excited to have Barbara Kelly, a hugely talented and insightful recruiter join the Excel Recruitment team. Barbara’s own approach to recruitment aligns directly with Excel’s business values of honesty, loyalty, not being greedy and building long-term, stable relationships.”

If you have any Pharmacy recruitment requirements or are a Pharmacy professional considering a new job, get in touch with Barbara today at barbara@excelrecruitment.com or call 01-8148747

Ireland’s first drive-thru Pharmacy opens

Mulligan’s Pharmacy Group have opened Ireland’s first drive – thru pharmacy. The 3,000 sq, ft, store in Ardkeen, Co. Waterford is the first of its kind and will be open to customers 7 days a week. Customers can avail of a service where they can pick up their prescription at a suitable time frame when called or texted in advance. They will be able to collect their items at the drive thru kiosk giving them a significantly reduced waiting time.

12 jobs have been created at the store across distribution, retail and qualified pharmacy roles. It brings Mulligans total workforce in Ireland to 160 across Waterford, Kilkenny and South Tipp. With the pharmacy owned patency running since 1957.

Director of Mulligan pharmacies is Ronan Mulligan. He said ‘’This is a family run business operating since 1957 and we have over the years strived to innovate and be ahead of the trends offering our loyal customers more than just a typical pharmacy proposition’’. He furthered ‘’We fully expect this concept to be revolutionary for what might be viewed as a very traditional industry in Ireland’’.

Source: http://utv.ie/News/2015/04/29/Irelands-first-drive-thru-pharmacy-opens-in-Waterford-36363