Each retailer probably has their own views on whether they would rather take on someone with experience or not. They may prefer someone new to retail so that they can train them in the way that they want things done, but they may prefer someone experienced. A larger company may be better in terms of promotion opportunities though. It may be best just looking to see what local retailers are looking to recruit and applying for those, rather than deciding on who you would like to work for and waiting for an opportunity to appear.