Will AI replace Elementary sales occupations n.e.c.?

Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 33 official task statements scored for Elementary sales occupations n.e.c. (United Kingdom, SOC 9249), 5% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 16 out of 100 (range 13–22, band: minimal). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.

Which tasks in “Elementary sales occupations n.e.c.” can AI already do?

The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Review orders to determine product types and quantities required to meet demand” (75/100, high); “Update customer records and perform administrative tasks to ensure data accuracy” (75/100, high); “Maintain a detailed log of all outgoing orders in the order management system” (56/100, partial). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.

Which tasks in “Elementary sales occupations n.e.c.” stay human?

About 89% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Remove litter from public areas” (0/100, minimal); “Retrieve trolleys from the car park and transfer to trolley bays” (0/100, minimal); “Price and shelve incoming goods in a retail setting” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.

What should someone working in “Elementary sales occupations n.e.c.” do about AI?

Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 5% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 89% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.

How is the AI exposure score for Elementary sales occupations n.e.c. calculated?

Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 33 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

UK dataswitch to US

Elementary sales occupations n.e.c.

picking items for orders, disposing of damaged or defective items and attaching price tags to goods as per price list. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

AI changes the edges of this job, not the middle: picking items for orders is work software can't reach.

Your move: what a elementary sales occupations n.e.c. can actually do about this ↓

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 5%
changing shape: 6%
staying human: 89%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

Whole-job exposure score 16 out of 100 (13–22 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, across 33 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.

How we know this

What is measured: Every published task statement for elementary sales occupations n.e.c. is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-05. Read the full method.

What shifts is reviewing orders to determine product types and quantities required to meet demand: the paper around the work, not the work.

Your week, as this page understands it

Job holders in this unit group perform a variety of elementary sales related occupations not elsewhere classified in minor group 924: Elementary sales occupations. The job title says “elementary sales occupations n.e.c.”. The real job is the part underneath: picking items for orders. That is the thing someone has to be right about.

The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But elementary sales occupations n.e.c. is not one task. It is 33 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is picking items for orders, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 5%
changing shape: 6%
staying human: 89%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

How we know this

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-05. Read the full method.

Your job, task by task

These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.

19 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
ASHE suppresses or does not publish a median for this unit group. We leave it empty rather than interpolating one from sibling groups, which would be a fabricated number.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Shifting to AI

2 tasks

Tasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.

Reviewing orders to determine product types and quantities required to meet demand
This is reading one thing and writing another: orders in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 70 · 9249/01
Source: “Review orders to determine product types and quantities required to meet demand.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Working out what to order from order histories and demand figures is a calculation software already does well from data on file.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Updating customer records and performing administrative tasks to ensure data accuracy
This is reading one thing and writing another: customer records in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 50 · 9249/01
Source: “Update customer records and perform administrative tasks to ensure data accuracy.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Keeping customer records tidy and accurate is exactly what software is best at, apart from the odd bit of paper filing.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.

Changing shape

2 tasks

Tasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.

Maintaining a detailed log of all outgoing orders in the order management system
The software now makes the first pass at a detailed log of all outgoing orders, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 70 · 9249/01
Source: “Maintain a detailed log of all outgoing orders in the order management system.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 56 out of 100 (49–63 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Logging outgoing orders is screen work that order systems already record automatically.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Assisting customers with enquiries or service needs
The software now makes the first pass at customers, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 70 · 9249/02
Source: “Assist customers with enquiries or service needs.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 48 out of 100 (41–55 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Much customer help can be automated, though some of it means dealing with people at the venue.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.

Staying human

29 tasks

Tasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.

Picking items for orders
This work happens in the physical world: items, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 95 · 9249/01
Source: “Pick items for orders.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Picking items means walking the aisles and lifting stock off the shelves.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Retrieving trolleys from the car park and transferring to trolley bays
This work happens in the physical world: trolleys, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 95 · 9249/02
Source: “Retrieve trolleys from the car park and transfer to trolley bays.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Collecting trolleys from the car park is physical outdoor work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Packing retail products into containers for customer orders
This work happens in the physical world: retail products, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 90 · 9249/01
Source: “Pack retail products into containers for customer orders.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Packing products into boxes is physical work with your hands.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Using hand scanners to track and manage stock
This work happens in the physical world: hand scanners, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 85 · 9249/01
Source: “Use hand scanners to track and manage stock.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 14 out of 100 (7–21 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: The stock data is handled by the system, but somebody still walks the aisles scanning items.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Packing and unpacking items to be stocked on shelves in stockrooms
This work happens in the physical world: items, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 85 · 9249/01
Source: “Pack and unpack items to be stocked on shelves in stockrooms, warehouses, or storage yards.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Packing and unpacking stock is manual handling.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Placing quality-approved items in a trolley for packing
This work happens in the physical world: quality-approved items, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 85 · 9249/01
Source: “Place quality-approved items in a trolley for packing.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Putting items into a trolley is physical picking work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

Show the other 23 tasks

Completing order receipts for customer purchases
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: order receipts, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 75 · 9249/01
Source: “Complete order receipts for customer purchases.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 39 out of 100 (32–46 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: The till system produces the receipt, though someone is at the counter with the customer.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Comparing goods invoices to items actually received to ensure that shipments
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: goods invoices, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 55 · 9249/01
Source: “Compare goods invoices to items actually received to ensure that shipments are correct.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 38 out of 100 (31–45 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Matching an invoice against a delivery is a check software does well, once someone has looked at what arrived.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Recording data manually or on computer for retail operations
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: data, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 55 · 9249/01
Source: “Record data manually or on computer for retail operations.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 38 out of 100 (31–45 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Recording data is simple clerical work, though it is done on the shop floor as things are seen.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Recording material and equipment usage in the stock system
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: material, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 50 · 9249/01
Source: “Record material and equipment usage in the stock system.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 38 out of 100 (31–45 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Entering usage into the stock system is routine data work, done while handling the stock.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Recording numbers of units
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: numbers of units, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 9249/02
Source: “Record numbers of units handled or moved, using daily production sheets or work tickets.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 38 out of 100 (31–45 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Counting sheets and work tickets are simple records that scanning systems already capture.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Determining proper storage methods and identification based on turnover
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: proper storage methods, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 55 · 9249/01
Source: “Determine proper storage methods and identification based on turnover, environmental factors, and facilities.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 34 out of 100 (27–41 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Storage decisions follow known rules, but they depend on the particular stockroom and what moves fastest.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Choosing suitable replacements where items have sold out
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: suitable replacements, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 9249/01
Source: “Choose suitable replacements where items have sold out.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 32 out of 100 (25–39 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Shop systems already suggest sensible swaps, though the picker checks what is actually on the shelf.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Examining merchandise to identify items
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: merchandise, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 65 · 9249/01
Source: “Examine merchandise to identify items to be reordered or replenished.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 14 out of 100 (7–21 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Reorder levels can be calculated, but looking over the merchandise means being there.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Taking stock of supplies and equipment to ensure availability for retail operations
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: stock of supplies, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 9249/01
Source: “Take stock of supplies and equipment to ensure availability for retail operations.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 14 out of 100 (7–21 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Stock counts need someone in the aisles, though totalling and reporting is easy for software.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Counting and recording quantities of received materials in inventory management system
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: quantities of received materials, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 50 · 9249/01
Source: “Count and record quantities of received materials in inventory management system.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 14 out of 100 (7–21 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: The counting happens in the stockroom, but recording it into the system is straightforward.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Disposing of damaged or defective items
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: damaged, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 9249/01
Source: “Dispose of damaged or defective items.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 10 out of 100 (3–17 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Removing damaged stock means handling it, though the wastage record is simple.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Assisting customers with purchases and inquiries in a retail environment
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: customers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 50 · 9249/01
Source: “Assist customers with purchases and inquiries in a retail environment.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 10 out of 100 (3–17 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Answers are easy to supply, but the help itself is given face to face in the shop.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Inspecting items for quality compliance before dispatch
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: items, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 9249/01
Source: “Inspect items for quality compliance before dispatch.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (1–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Checking items for faults means looking at and handling them before they go out.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Transporting packages to customers' vehicles
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: packages, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 9249/01
Source: “Transport packages to customers' vehicles.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Carrying packages out to a customer's vehicle is physical help.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Organising merchandise displays to ensure efficient order fulfilment
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: merchandise displays, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 75 · 9249/01
Source: “Organise merchandise displays to ensure efficient order fulfilment.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Arranging stock on shelves and displays is hands-on work in the shop.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Storing items in an orderly and accessible manner in warehouses
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: items, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 75 · 9249/01
Source: “Store items in an orderly and accessible manner in warehouses, tool rooms, stores, or other areas.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Storing stock tidily is physical work in the stockroom.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Unloading and opening received sales floor merchandise
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: received sales floor merchandise, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 70 · 9249/01
Source: “Unload and open received sales floor merchandise.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Unloading and opening deliveries is physical work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Cleaning and maintaining supplies, tools, equipment and storage areas to ensure compliance with safety regulations
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: supplies, tools, equipment and storage areas, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 65 · 9249/01
Source: “Clean and maintain supplies, tools, equipment, and storage areas to ensure compliance with safety regulations.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Cleaning equipment and storage areas is physical work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Retrieving parts from the storeroom or warehouse
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: parts, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 65 · 9249/01
Source: “Retrieve parts from the storeroom or warehouse.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Fetching parts from the storeroom means walking and carrying.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Attaching price tags to goods as per price list
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: price tags, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 9249/01
Source: “Attach price tags to goods as per price list.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Attaching tags to goods is done by hand.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Operating voice-activated picking machines for stock management
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: voice-activated picking machines, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 9249/01
Source: “Operate voice-activated picking machines for stock management.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Voice picking still needs a person moving around the warehouse collecting stock.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Pricing and shelving incoming goods in a retail setting
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: goods, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 60 · 9249/01
Source: “Price and shelve incoming goods in a retail setting.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Pricing and putting stock on shelves is physical work in the store.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Removing litter from public areas
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: litter, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 80 · 9249/02
Source: “Remove litter from public areas.” (UK task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Picking up litter is physical work in the place where the litter is.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay: No median pay figure is published for this exact group, so there is none here. We would rather show you the gap than a number borrowed from somewhere else.The ONS doesn't publish a reliable pay figure for this exact job (too few people in its survey sample), so none is shown here.
People doing this job: 43,500in the UK, 2026.nomis-aps · Apr 2025-Mar 2026 (latest APS 12-month period)This headcount comes from a survey, not a census, so treat it as a good estimate rather than an exact count.

What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.

Why this is shifting

The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: customer records in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: reviewing orders to determine product types and quantities required to meet demand and updating customer records and performing administrative tasks to ensure data accuracy. What it cannot do is be there in the room, and that is still where items get done. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.

Your move

Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend

Start with what does not change: picking items for orders is the middle of this job, and the evidence on this page says it stays with a person.

So, given all that: 5% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 6% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 89% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 33 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.

So the thing worth your attention is not the job going away. It is the layer around it. Reviewing orders to determine product types and quantities required to meet demand is the part turning into software, and being the person who understands that layer is worth money.

This week: one thing

Ask the one question. Find whoever is bringing new software into your workplace (the manager, the office, whoever runs the system) and ask them what it is meant to do to customer records, and what it is not meant to touch. Ten minutes, this week, before anyone decides it for you.

What you end up holding: a straight answer about what is actually being rolled out, and when
How long it takes: ten minutes

If there’s nobody obvious to ask, or you’d rather not ask your manager: Put the same question to your union rep, your shift lead or the person who has been there longest, in person, over a break. Same ten minutes, same answer, and you will usually get a straighter one. Write down what they say. The note is the artifact, and it tells you whether items are in scope or not. Nothing to log into, no licence needed.

Over the next 90 days

Get inside the tool rollout rather than waiting for it. Over the next ninety days, ask to be in the group that tests, checks or signs off whatever new system arrives near maintaining a detailed log of all outgoing orders in the order management system. It is usually an unglamorous seat that nobody fights for, and it is the one that decides how the software is used on your job rather than to it.

Over the next 12 months

On this evidence I would not retrain out of this job, and I will say that plainly rather than hedge it. The task list here is dominated by work that stays with a person. What I would do with a year is get formally recognised for the layer around it (the systems, the compliance, the planning), so you are the one who understands the software instead of the one it is done to. Before you pay for anything, spend an hour with National Careers Service. It is free and government-funded, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.

The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them

I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.

I checked the 12 nearest UK occupations to elementary sales occupations n.e.c. (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was shelf fillers. This release publishes no median pay for that job, so I cannot show you what the move costs or pays. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 16/100 here, with only 5% of the task list in the top band, and “pick items for orders” is not work that hands over cleanly. None of them beats deepening what you already have.

How that was checked: this job was compared against all 412 UK occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.

3 moves I checked and rejected

These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.

Shelf fillers
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour because one of your tasks is on their list in the same words: “pack and unpack items to be stocked on shelves in stockrooms, warehouses, or storage yards”. Across the whole of both lists that adds up to about 38% of the work in that job the software is not taking.
Why I am not recommending it: This release publishes no median pay for that job, so I cannot show you what the move costs or pays. I do not recommend a move I cannot price.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Sales and retail assistants
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour because one of your tasks is on their list in the same words: “assist customers with purchases and inquiries in a retail environment”. Across the whole of both lists that adds up to about 12% of the work in that job the software is not taking.
Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 12% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on. This release publishes no median pay for that job, so I cannot show you what the move costs or pays. I do not recommend a move I cannot price.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Vehicle and parts salespersons and advisers
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour because one of your tasks is on their list in the same words: “retrieve parts from the storeroom or warehouse”. Across the whole of both lists that adds up to about 11% of the work in that job the software is not taking.
Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 11% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on. This release publishes no median pay for that job, so I cannot show you what the move costs or pays. I do not recommend a move I cannot price.
Look at that job’s page anyway →

What I’d stop worrying about

A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.

The headline number you read somewhere
The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 5% of its task weight, across 33 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.
The headlines about your trade disappearing
They are usually about the technology, not the timetable. Changes to work like picking items for orders arrive through rules, insurance and money, slowly and visibly. This page tracks the task evidence and will move when it moves.
Retraining out of a job that is holding up
On this evidence I would not spend money leaving. Spend it on the layer around the job instead: the tools, the paperwork, the planning. That is where the change actually is.
The “obvious” next job everyone suggests
I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.

You are reading the United Kingdom figures

The United States splits this work across more than one official group, of which Stockers and Order Fillers is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.

Switch to the United States page →partial match

In US official statistics this job is counted as Stockers and Order Fillers. Pay and employment stay on this page’s own group; the task list and the scores do not cross over.

Your route through this

Where to go next, and what it costs

Free, and complete

The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.

In England:
National Careers Service
A free hour with a government-funded careers adviser is worth more than another evening of reading. In England that's the National Careers Service.
Free, government-funded
- Discover your skills and careers (the skills assessment)
In England:
National Careers Service - Find a course
Search what's actually running near you before you spend anything.
Free to search; individual courses vary
In England:
Free courses for jobs (Level 3 qualifications)
A free Level 3 qualification you already qualify for beats a paid course you don't need.
Free for eligible adults
In England:
Skills Bootcamps
Free, up to 16 weeks, and you get a job interview at the end. In England these are Skills Bootcamps - search what's running near you.
Free for eligible adults in England
- Skills Bootcamps - what they are and who can do them (DfE, Skills for Careers)
- Skills Bootcamps - JobHelp (DWP)
In Scotland:
My World of Work (Skills Development Scotland)
In Scotland it's My World of Work, from Skills Development Scotland.
Free, publicly funded
- Skills Development Scotland
In Wales:
Careers Wales
In Wales it's Careers Wales.
Free, Welsh Government-funded
In Northern Ireland:
Careers Service Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland it's the Careers Service on nidirect.
Free, Department for the Economy-funded

No Space for this job, but one for what is happening to it

Nothing Collab365 runs is built for elementary sales occupations n.e.c., and we are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.

There is one that is not about a job title at all. The AI Authority is about being the person who directs these tools at work rather than the person they get compared to. That is worth saying here, because 5% of the work on this page is already inside what they can do.

Try The AI Authority free →

7 days free, no card needed. Explore up to 2 Spaces before you choose a plan: you pick a plan later, not now.

The AI Authority is a general community about working with AI, not a course for elementary sales occupations n.e.c.. You do not need it to act on anything here: the moves above cost nothing and stand on their own. The data on this page is the same either way.

Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for elementary sales occupations n.e.c. launches. Nothing else.

That did not look like an email address, so nothing was saved. Have another go below.

We could not save that. The fault is ours, not yours, and your address was not stored. Please try again later.

No Space for elementary sales occupations n.e.c. yet. Should there be one?

Collab365 Spaces is built by the same people as this site. We find the problems that AI and automation are creating inside one kind of work, then solve them as short courses, briefings and Blueprints. Each Space is the community too, so the research and the people doing your job are in the same place.

What a Space actually is, in full

Collab365 launches new communities where the need is real. If one for elementary sales occupations n.e.c. existed, with researched problems, courses and people in the same boat, would you want in?

Your email

We use your email address for one thing: to tell you if a Space for elementary sales occupations n.e.c. launches. We never sell it, never use it for unrelated marketing, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Our privacy policy has the full version.

This unlocks nothing. Every figure, every row and every step on this page is already yours, whether you fill this in or not.

No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.

Questions people ask about this job

Will AI replace Elementary sales occupations n.e.c.?: Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 33 official task statements scored for Elementary sales occupations n.e.c. (United Kingdom, SOC 9249), 5% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 16 out of 100 (range 13–22, band: minimal). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
Which tasks in “Elementary sales occupations n.e.c.” can AI already do?: The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Review orders to determine product types and quantities required to meet demand” (75/100, high); “Update customer records and perform administrative tasks to ensure data accuracy” (75/100, high); “Maintain a detailed log of all outgoing orders in the order management system” (56/100, partial). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
Which tasks in “Elementary sales occupations n.e.c.” stay human?: About 89% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Remove litter from public areas” (0/100, minimal); “Retrieve trolleys from the car park and transfer to trolley bays” (0/100, minimal); “Price and shelve incoming goods in a retail setting” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
What should someone working in “Elementary sales occupations n.e.c.” do about AI?: Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 5% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 89% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
How is the AI exposure score for Elementary sales occupations n.e.c. calculated?: Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 33 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

Where these numbers come from

About the data on this page

The ONS doesn't publish a reliable pay figure for this exact job (too few people in its survey sample), so none is shown here.
This headcount comes from a survey, not a census, so treat it as a good estimate rather than an exact count.
The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
19 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
ASHE suppresses or does not publish a median for this unit group. We leave it empty rather than interpolating one from sibling groups, which would be a fabricated number.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Task statements: gaisi-indexProcessing: catalogue-bridge → ssc-relatedness-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
Task weights: gaisi-index (relatedness)
Scores: Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-05.
Pay and employment: no pay figure published for this groupnomis-aps (Apr 2025-Mar 2026 (latest APS 12-month period))

Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.

The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.

The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.

How we score a job Download this release Look up another job

Using these figures?

Cite this

Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.

Plain text

Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).

BibTeX

@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
  title        = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
  author       = {{Collab365}},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
  note         = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}

Permalink

https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1

Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.