My experience with retail has been the following:
I didn't work when I was under 18. Retail positions hire under-18s all the time, because they can pay you less legally. But I didn't start looking into Retail until I was in my 20s, and I had no experience, meaning no easy in for other jobs.
And then, since turning 20, I've handed in resumes for Retail fairly consistently, and didn't get a single job out of it.
Then I found out I could study Retail at TAFE, so I thought, "Yes! Maybe this will get me a job at last!" And I only just finished Cert II last week.
Technically you shouldn't need qualifications or experience, but with the job shortage, it's so hard to get a job without those things. I'll admit I haven't applied for too many positions with supermarkets or department stores, which would probably have been easier to get into, but the fact is I just couldn't get a Retail job with my work history.
So I used to work labouring, until I started having back troubles, and then I did 6 months in telemarketing, until I got fired (I wasn't very good at the hard sell...). I've done data entry with Work For The Dole, but applying for real paying data entry positions, nobody's been interested.
But Retail is what I really want to do. I figure once I've got my foot in the door, it will offer a lifetime career. Probably not with the same company my entire life, but a year's experience in one shop and Certificates in Retail through TAFE should mean I can have my pick of jobs...