Demand for IT professionals within the retail sector has risen by 46% over the last six months, according technology staffing specialist ReThink Recruitment.

The firm says IT professionals with experience of multi-channel and e-commerce IT platforms who try to move jobs are being persuaded to stay with their current employers with counter offers of between 15-20% increases of their current pay with project managers and business analysts particularly prized.

ReThink attributes the resurgence in demand to retailers investing in or replacing their core e-commerce platforms as well as upgrading their core merchandising and supply Chain systems to become “multi-channel”.