Flexi-jobs & student jobs in retail

Retail has been a flexi-job sector since 2018, three years after hospitality. Shops plan their extra staff around the sales of January and July, the Sunday openings and the end-of-year period, and use both flexi-jobbers and students for that. On AnyShift those till and shop floor shifts appear per city, and whoever is available responds with a tap.

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Antwerp Ghent Leuven Hasselt

A Saturday in the sales

How a sales Saturday in a shop goes

A Saturday during the sales is one of the busiest days in a clothing shop. Your shift runs from a quarter past nine to half past six. Click on a moment to see what you do.

Shop assistant folds jumpers on a table in an empty clothing shop — 09:15Setting up till and floor

Shop assistant hangs clothes with red discount tags back on a rail — 09:15Setting up till and floor

You come in through the staff entrance and hang your coat in the back room. The manager counts the till drawer with you and tells you which zone is yours. Then you refold the tables at the front one more time.
The first customers head straight for the rails with red tags. You put sizes back, look for another colour in the stockroom and point people to the fitting rooms. You don't have to work out the discount, the till does that.
Around lunchtime there is a queue at the fitting rooms. You count how many items someone takes in, hand out a number and put whatever is left behind back where it belongs. That way the next customer finds their size.
In the afternoon you help at the till. You scan, take off the security tags and fold the clothes into a bag. If someone brings something back, you call a regular colleague who handles the return.
At six the door closes. You walk the rails one last time, straighten the tables and take the empty hangers to the back. The till is counted together and at half past six you can go home.

Common roles: Cashier (busy saturdays), Sales assistant (sales season), Shelf stacker (early and after closing), Stockroom assistant (monday and thursday), Fitting room assistant (saturdays).

Which shop jobs can you do?

What does a shop assistant do?

You help customers find what they need, restock the shelves and keep the shop floor tidy. On busy days you help out at the till or the fitting rooms.

No experience needed, just be customer-friendly

What does a cashier do?

You scan products, take card or cash payments and close your till at the end of the shift. Returns and loyalty cards are part of the job too.

You learn the till system on your first shift

What does a sales assistant in a clothing store do?

You advise on sizes and style, hang clothes back from the fitting rooms and fold the tables. During the sales everything revolves around the tills and the fitting rooms.

An interest in fashion helps

What does a bakery sales assistant do?

You serve customers at the counter, slice bread and pack cakes and pastries. The busiest moments are Saturday and Sunday morning.

Early riser, no other experience needed

Why work in retail?

Retail is not seasonal work: shops need extra hands every week. For students and people with a job, that is a steady source of shifts.

Shop assistant hangs coats back on a rail in a clothing shop

Pick your kind of shop

Fashion, shoes, electronics or DIY: every shop asks for something different. After a few shifts you know where you like working best.

Shop worker sticks discount labels on rails in a busy fashion store

Work all year round

Together with hospitality, retail is the biggest sector for student jobs and flexi-jobs. Shops run every week, with extra rush during the sales and in December.

Sales assistant shows a customer two pairs of shoes in a shoe shop

You learn to help customers

You explain, search along and stay calm when it gets busy. That looks good on your CV, also outside retail.

Shop worker arranges a window display while people walk down the shopping street

Shopping streets in every city

The Meir in Antwerp, the Veldstraat in Ghent, the Bondgenotenlaan in Leuven. After your shift you are right in the city centre.

What do you earn as a shop assistant?

We deliberately leave out amounts here: they differ per type of shop and change with every indexation. Here is how your pay is set.

Which joint committee?

That depends on the shop. An independent shop usually falls under JC 201, a food shop under JC 202 and a large chain under JC 311 or 312. Each committee has its own pay scale.

As a student worker

You get at least the pay scale of that committee. For young student workers the minimum can be lower, depending on your age.

As a flexi-jobber

You get at least the pay scale of the joint committee, plus flexi holiday pay. A shop can pay more.

Where you see the amount

The hourly wage is shown with every shift in the app. If you work on a shopping Sunday, a premium or extra rest often applies depending on the committee.

Student hourly wage by age

Student worker or flexi-jobber in a shop?

	Student worker	Flexi-jobber
For whom?	For students, from 16, or from 15 after the first two years of secondary school.	For people who already work at least 4/5 for another employer, or who are retired.
How much?	Up to 650 hours per calendar year at reduced contributions.	As much as you like. Tax-free up to 18,440 euros a year, no limit for retirees.
Deductions	You pay a 2.71 percent solidarity contribution.	No social contributions for you.
Evening and Sunday	Under 18 you do not work after 8 pm in principle. Shopping Sundays are fine.	Evenings and shopping Sundays without extra restrictions.
In retail since	Always.	2018, three years after hospitality.

All the rules for 2026Rules checked on 7 October 2026.

Retail close to home

How to start

Step 1
Apply
Pick a shift in the app and tap apply.
Step 2
Get accepted
The business picks you and your contract is ready.
Step 3
Clock in
Arrive on time and clock in through the app.
Step 4
Work your shift
You work and break when it's allowed.
Step 5
Get paid
Clock out, your pay follows within days.

Something more specific?

Then have a look at supermarkets, with their own shifts and roles.

Supermarket

Shelves, self-checkout and fresh food in a supermarket, often early or on Saturdays.

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For shifters

A student job in a shop on the Saturdays you choose

Fashion, shoes, electronics or DIY
At the till, fitting rooms or shelves
Plan your shifts around your exams

Download the app

For businesses

Extra hands in the shop for the sales or December?

Post a shift with hours, shop and task
Till, fitting rooms or restocking shelves
Contract and declaration handled per shift

Register your business

Frequently asked questions

From what age can you work in a shop?

As a student you can start working in a shop at 16, or at 15 once you have finished the first two years of secondary school. If you are under 18, you generally don't work after 8 pm, so a late shopping evening until 9 pm is not an option. A Saturday or Sunday shift is fine. A flexi-job is only possible if you work at least four fifths elsewhere or are retired.

How much do you earn as a shop assistant?

That depends on the shop's joint committee: an independent shop, a food store and a large chain each have their own pay scale. As a young student your minimum can be lower than an adult's. As a flexi-jobber you get at least the pay scale of the joint committee. In the app you see the hourly wage for every shift, and the pay scales per committee are on minimumlonen.be.

Can I do a flexi-job in a shop?

Yes, retail has been one of the sectors where the flexi-job scheme applies since 2018. You do need a job of at least 80 percent elsewhere or be retired, and that is checked three quarters in advance. Students work in shops on a student contract, not on a flexi-job contract.

When do shops look for the most extra staff?

The biggest peaks fall in the sales of January and July, in the run-up to Saint Nicholas and Christmas, and around the start of the school year in September. Many chains plan extra till and sales shifts for that on Saturdays and on shopping Sundays. A new shop opening or a large stocktake also brings more shifts for a while.

Do I need experience to work in retail?

For most shop shifts a customer-friendly attitude and punctuality are enough. Those who have already worked with a till or a scanner get priority at some shops, but newcomers usually learn to stack shelves and unpack deliveries on the first day. State in your profile which type of shop you have worked in, from supermarket to fashion store.

How quickly can I start with shop shifts?

After completing your profile you can immediately respond to open shop shifts in your area. Shops often plan their weekend staffing a week ahead, but in case of illness or unexpected crowds shifts also appear for the next day. Keep your availability up to date and you will see the shifts that fit your diary.

Which rules apply to shopping Sundays and late-night shopping?

Shops may only open on a limited number of Sundays a year, unless they are in a tourist centre or fall under an exception. On shopping Sundays and during late-night shopping evenings in December, shops therefore look specifically for extra staff for till and sales. A Sunday shift is usually marked separately, so you know it is an exceptional opening day.