New CAPS Subjects: Wholesale and retail

Wholesale and Retail is one of the 13 new subjects. It equips students with the foundational knowledge of the wholesale and retail industry for work or study

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Last Updated : July 15, 2022

This subject equips students in Grade 8 to 9 with the foundation for learning in the area of wholesale and retail. Retailers sell goods directly to the end-user, usually in small quantities. On the other hand, wholesalers sell goods to the retail industry, which in turn sell the goods to the end-user. Here is the full list of the New CAPS subjects:

  1. Agricultural Studies 
  2. Ancillary Health Care
  3. Art and Design 
  4. Civil Technology 
  5. Consumer Studies
  6. Digital Technology 
  7. Early Childhood Development 
  8. Electrical Technology 
  9. Personal Care
  10. Hospitality Studies 
  11. Maintenance and Upholstery 
  12. Mechanical Technology 
  13. Wholesale and Retail

What Are The Aims Of The Subject?

The new subjects are known as Elective Occupational Subjects. You can choose to study a maximum of two. They prepare students for the workplace or for further training. Wholesale and Retail aims to equip students with the knowledge to be able to do the following:

  • Explain the role of players and stakeholders in the industry 
  • Analyse an Income Statement 
  • identify the requirements of outlets in terms of their service levels and product offering according to their target market 
  • Receive stock and explain requirements for the dispatch of stock 
  • Explain the concept and methods of merchandising products on shelves 
  • Outline the importance of displaying prices and methods of ticketing displays 
  • Explain why businesses run promotions 
  • How to display promotional items 
  • How to reach targeted markets 
  • Explain how to record sales, accept and record payment cash up and deposit takings
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What Topics Will I Study In Wholesale And Retail?

Here are the topics that you will study: 

  • The Wholesale and Retail industry 
    • The supply chain
    • Role players in the industry
    • Jobs and progression within the industry
  • Profit 
  • Target markets 
  • Customer service
    • The importance of customer service
    • service standards
  • Stock
    • Stock counts
    • Receiving and dispatching 
  • Merchandising 
    • Filling shelves and displaying
    • Pricing stock correctly 
    • Ticketing stock correctly
  • Promotions
    • Reasons for promotions
    • How to reach target markets
    • Displaying promotional items 
  • Recording sales
    • Accepting payments
    • Cashing up
    • Point of Sale (PoS)

What Will I Learn In Wholesale And Retail?

Here is what you will learn in Grade 8 and 9:

TOPICGRADE 8 – CONTENTGRADE 9 – CONTENT
The Wholesale and Retail industry 
  • The concept and role of Wholesaling and Retailing
  • The different categories of retailers in the industry 
  • Show the supply chain and the flow of stock, cash and information through the supply chain 
  • The different jobs/positions in the industry and show progression within a large supermarket 
  • Wholesale and Retail internal and external support functions
  • Stakeholders of a wholesale or retail outlet 
  • Functions of a Distribution Centre 
  • Legislation applicable to the Wholesale and Retail industry
Profit 
  • What profit is and why it is important 
  • Calculating the retained income of a wholesale or retail business 
  • What shrinkage is 
  • How shrinkage affects the profits of a business
  • Identifying causes of shrinkage
  • Measures used by industry to prevent internal theft and shoplifting 
  • Departments within a store that fall into the different concepts of profit versus volume 
  • Analysing an Income Statement
  • Entries needing improvement in order to improve the net profit
Target markets 
  • How customer profiles affect a business’s product range. 
  • Identifying stores aimed at the different customer profiles
This topic is only studied in Grade 8
Customer service
  • Identifying the different levels of service provided by South African retailers
  • How internet shopping will affect customer service requirements
  • Customer shopping patterns and how this impacts on service requirements
  • Staff scheduling
  • Factors to be taken into account when scheduling staff
Stock
  • Impact of stock levels on customers
  • Perpetual inventory for a wholesale or retail business purpose of stock counts 
  • How businesses receive deliveries 
  • Checking in a delivery and completing the paperwork 
  • Recording stock for dispatch in a wholesale or retail outlet
Merchandising 
  • Why merchandising is important in the retail industry 
  • Merchandising techniques
  • Different fixtures and fittings for merchandising 
  • Pricing methods
 
PromotionsThis topic is only studied in Grade 9
  • Why businesses run promotions
  • How different target markets are reached
  • How promotional displays and ticketing differ depending on the target market of the store and the size of the business
Recording sales
  • Methods for recording sales in informal and formal stores computerised and 
  • Non-computerised stores PoS (Point of Sale) equipment and parts
  • Role of the Cashier in the store 
  • Different forms of payment accepted in the industry 
  • Cash up a PoS (Point of Sale) till
  • Calculating the accuracy of the Cashier 
  • The process used for banking the takings of a wholesale and retail outlet
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What Are The Career Opportunities In Wholesale And Retail?

Entry-level career opportunities include the following:

  • Till packer  
  • Shelf filler  
  • Merchandiser  
  • Cashier
  • Stocker
  • Logistics
  • Sales Assistant

How Am I Assessed?

Assessments across the two years. Year 1 (Grade 8) will focus on a broad overview of the subject, with a basic understanding and mastery of some basic skills and knowledge required in the subject. Year 2 (Grade 9) will focus on more advanced skills and knowledge. Assessments will consist of school-based assessments and end-of-year assessments as follows:

 SCHOOL-BASED ASSESSMENTSEND OF YEAR ASSESSMENTS
YEAR 125%75%
YEAR 250%50%

What Is CAPS?

CAPS stands for National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement. It is a comprehensive and concise policy document introduced by the Department of Basic Education for all the subjects listed in the National Curriculum Statement for Grades R – 12.  CAPS gives detailed guidance for teachers on what they should teach and how to assess.

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What Are Matric Subjects?

Matric subjects are subjects that you study when you are in grade. Normally, you choose these subjects when you are in Grade 10. Here are the other subjects that you can study in Matric:

Languages

Non-Languages 

What Subjects Are Needed For Matric

There are Matric subjects that are compulsory and there are some that are elective. From the compulsory subjects, you can choose four (4). There are also elective subjects. From the elective subjects, you can choose three (3).

Compulsory Subjects

  • English Home Language
  • English First Additional Language
  • Afrikaans Huistaal
  • Afrikaans Eerste Additionele Taal
  • Sesotho Home Language
  • Siswati Home Language
  • Setswana Home Language
  • isiZulu Home Language
  • isiXhosa Home Language
  • isiNdebele Home Language
  • Sepedi Home Language
  • Xitsonga Home Language
  • Tshivenda Home Language
  • Mathematics
  • Mathematical Literacy
  • Life Orientation 

Elective Subjects

  • Economics 
  • Physical Sciences
  • Life Sciences 
  • Agricultural Sciences 
  • Business Studies 
  • Accounting 
  • History 
  • Geography 
  • Religious Studies

Author: Collin Wilbesi
Editor: Sive Ncanywa
Date: July 15, 2022