Whether it’s tasting mince pies all year long or untangling Christmas lights, we’ve uncovered some of the most unusual jobs in retail. 

Musical director, John Lewis

There can’t be many roles in retail that involve teaching others to hit the high note and conducting an orchestra, but as musical director of John Lewis, it’s part of the job description for Manvinder Rattan.

Rattan is responsible for leading the John Lewis choir

Manvinder Rattan

Rattan is responsible for leading the John Lewis choir

Rattan joined John Lewis as a graduate on its trainee scheme. He took on the role on a voluntary basis in 1995, while manager of the menswear department at the retailer’s Watford store. “Then there was only one choir in existence in the John Lewis Partnership,” says Rattan.

“By 2006, the quantity and quality of music-making in the Partnership had grown to such an extent that I was offered a part-time role as musical director.”

John Lewis Partnership’s 18 choirs, which almost 400 employees participate in, perform at customer in-store events and larger gigs at Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral.

Rattan clearly gains a lot of job satisfaction from his role as he helps people discover their singing voice. “I regularly lead singing workshops around the Partnership for people who believe they cannot sing. They are always proved wrong and the most heart-warming thing is seeing the realisation on their face of what they have achieved.” 

Mince pie developer, The Co-op

Every year retailers’ mince pies are put to the test by nearly every national paper. Which has the best pastry? The tastiest mincemeat? At the Co-op, the huge responsibility lies in the hands – or mouth – of Laura Gilbert. 

“We try to eat every mince pie we can get our hands on in the market”

Laura Gilbert, The Co-op

“We try to eat every mince pie we can get our hands on in the market,” says Gilbert. “It can be a bit overwhelming because that is a lot of mince pies. I have trained my palate to cope with the large amounts of food that I eat but I am only human and there is a limit to how many mince pies I can eat in one sitting.”

However, when Christmas rolls round and she’s indulging in a mince pie outside of work, Gilbert says she can’t relax and just enjoy it.

“I analyse the pastry, the moisture of the fruit filling, the amount of fruit, how citrusy and zesty the product is. I am not sure my friends and family are ready for such a detailed analysis when they ask me how I like the mince pie they served me, but they are well used to it now.”

Christmas tree lights untangler, Tesco

Anya Mugridge arguably took on the most frustrating holiday job last year when she became Tesco’s first dedicated Christmas tree lights untangler at the chain’s Wrexham store. Hired after impressing staff with her ability to untangle three metres of Christmas lights in under a minute and a half in her job interview, Mugridge was brought in to relieve residents of Wrexham with their messed-up lights.

At the time, Mugridge said: “Christmas is my favourite time of the year and at home it’s always me that gets to put up the lights, so I’ve definitely got the right experience for the job. Untangling Christmas tree lights can be frustrating but I find listening to music and having a cuppa gets me into the right frame of mind.”

Resident dog model, Pets At Home

Watch out Kate Moss, there’s another superstar taking the lead. Over at Pets at Home, a 23-month-old Red Toy Poodle called Peggy holds the title of resident model. Withstanding aching legs and demanding poses, Peggy has clocked up a huge number of photo shoots during her working life, including her most recent one for Pets at Home’s new app.

Peggy Pets at Home

Peggy Pets at Home

Peggy has been a dog model for Pets at Home since she was two months old

Her owner, Pets at Home category marketing manager Helen Welsby, told Retail Week that Peggy has joined her in the office every day since she was scouted out by the fashion team when she was two months old. “Since then, she has become an integral part of modelling the garments that make the cut,” says Welsby. “She is a right diva and if she doesn’t approve then she will turn her nose up at it.”

She even has her own Instagram account where she treats her 1,400-plus fans to behind the scenes footage and a sneak peek into the life of a doggy model.

Chocolate coating manager, Holland & Barrett

As chocolate coating manager, Craig Smith is known as Willy Wonka at Holland & Barrett. Smith ensures products such as brazil nuts and dried fruit are perfectly covered in chocolate.

“I manage a team of four people and I tend to coat the new products or difficult products like seeds myself,” says Smith, who has held the role for 22 years. “There are three stages to the process, as products need to be coated in chocolate, then polished and then coated again to give it resistance and shelf life.”

“Lots of people don’t understand how it works and how pouring chocolate doesn’t end up in a huge mess. But it’s all about the moisture in the air and keeping it at the right temperature”

Craig Smith, Holland & Barrett

Still, working with chocolate everyday isn’t always a smooth ride. “We had a flood once when the tanker was pumping the chocolate into the factory. It was like a fountain of chocolate and there were four tonnes of it. We had to leave it to set before cleaning it up.” 

Smith says people laugh when he tells them what he does for a living. “There aren’t many who do what we do. Lots of people don’t understand how it works and how pouring chocolate doesn’t end up in a huge mess. But it’s all about the moisture in the air and keeping it at the right temperature.” 

Percy Pig product developer, Marks & Spencer

As the brains behind one of the nation’s favourite sweets, Percy Pig developer Sarah Loxton faces the daunting task of managing customers’ high expectations. “I’m guardian to Percy Pig. He’s grown in demand over the years – customers have an emotional attachment to him. He has an incredible adult following.”

“It’s the most fun area of food. I’ve got the best job – it’s not too serious, everyone loves sweets and people love Percy Pig”

Sarah Loxton, Marks & Spencer

As part of her role, which involves tasting new products and visiting factories, Loxton is always looking for new ways to develop the brand. In the past she has created a bag featuring Percy Pig and Penny Pig, and Globetrotting Percy, which saw two new ‘friends’ added to a bag.

“It’s about continuing the story for a lot of people,” says Loxton, who clearly loves her job. “It’s the most fun area of food. I’ve got the best job – it’s not too serious, everyone loves sweets and people love Percy Pig.”

President of Play, Toys R Us

Could this be the ultimate dream job? Toys R Us is on the hunt for a child aged between nine and 13 to take up the role of president of play. Responsibilities for the year-long US-based role include playing with the hottest new toys and games, sharing the latest toy trends through online and promotional videos and attending events across the country.

“All children should have the opportunity to play – and who better to remind our country of this, and to experience the uninhibited joy that toys bring, than a president of play?” says Toys R Us chairman and chief executive Dave Brandon. Question is, just where do you go after having that on your CV?

Sex toy buyer, Ann Summers

The buying function is an essential part of any retailer’s operation, but the nature of Karleen Howden’s job sets her apart from most of her peers.

Howden has worked in the sex toy industry for 10 years and joined Ann Summers a year and a half ago.

Ann Summers

Ann Summers

Karleen Howden testing out some of Ann Summers products in head office

In order to ensure the highest quality of products, Howden liaises with Ann Summers’ ‘pleasure panel’ – an independent team of more than 100 women who test the retailer’s new products throughout the development.

“We want to be innovative and appeal to as many people as possible but that does mean you see some pretty bizarre things sometimes”

Karleen Howden, Ann Summers

Howden insists this “vigorous, vigorous testing process” is what makes the retailer’s products stand out from its rivals. “We’d expect a 97% approval rating from the pleasure panel to put a new product in our stores,” she says.

Howden adds that an essential part of her job is catering to how Ann Summers’ different customers shop, from a male customer buying a gift for his partner to a first-time female shopper who needs advice and guidance.  

There’s never a dull day in the office for Howden, whether she’s researching and sourcing new products or sifting through product suggestions that enthusiastic clientele send to Ann Summers’ head office. “We get all sorts of random products that show up at head office. We like to cater for everyone but obviously that opens the door to all sorts of people with all sorts of interests” say Howden.

“We want to be innovative and appeal to as many people as possible but that does mean you see some pretty bizarre things sometimes.”

However, Howden insists that the varied nature of her job is precisely what makes it so enjoyable. “I love this job because no two days are the same – it’s a very eye-opening working environment,” says Howden.