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Summer Retail Assistants

A woman at a cashier desk hands a customer a red bag of her purchases

A retail assistant with a customer. ©

About the role

Based in the Royal Collection Trust shops at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, we sell a wide range of merchandise, from guardsman pyjamas and cuddly corgis to commemorative china and jewellery inspired by pieces worn by members of the Royal Family.

Whether we are processing customers' orders, replenishing the shop or helping someone to choose the perfect reminder of their day, we provide a warm welcome and a first-class experience for visitors from all over the world.

As part of a highly motivated team, we must be able to strike the perfect balance between sales and service, contributing to the achievement of sales targets while taking every opportunity to maximise customer satisfaction. We take pride in ensuring standards of presentation in the shops are maintained even at the busiest times. Clear, confident communication skills and a polite and friendly manner are essential.

A person stacking shelves in the shop

Ashvin in our shop. ©

Ashvin’s Experience

After my sister had an amazing experience working at Buckingham Palace Summer Opening a few years ago, I was excited to apply the summer before I started university. I’m currently studying Biomedical Science and I look forward to returning to Buckingham Palace Summer Opening each year.

In my current role, I mostly handle incoming deliveries and prepare stock to go onto the shop floor. There’s a huge variety of merchandise to organise. I’ve also engaged with customers and helped them to select the most ideal souvenirs as a memory of their time visit.

We sell so many amazing different products, from Buckingham Palace honey to Union Jack wool blankets. I’ve been equipped with practical skills, valuable experiences, and a newfound appreciation for the intricacies of retail operations, from inventory management to customer service. This job has really helped grow my confidence.

The training I received when I joined was so in depth and extremely beneficial. In those first few weeks before we opened the shop, we were able to get to know each other while getting to grips with the role. As this was my first job, I was anxious in the beginning, but the training and support allowed me to gain all the skills I would need. Now I can say that I’ve become a real asset to the team, and I’m so proud that I’m relied upon and trusted with a variety of different tasks and responsibilities.

This role has given me the opportunity to develop myself professionally, but I’ve also made long-lasting friendships and memories from getting to work with such a great team. I remain in contact with the many friends I made during my time in the shop; they really are some of the best people I have ever met.

If you’re thinking about applying, just go for it! Being a part of Buckingham Palace Summer Opening is an incredible opportunity that you don’t want to miss out on. From being in the Palace to learning and developing new skills and meeting a variety of customers from all over the world, it’s a wonderful place to work.

Latest vacancies

Visit our Current vacancies page to view Royal Collection Trust's latest opportunities in London, Windsor and Edinburgh, including summer jobs and internships.