Retail Store Management Training
More than half of senior retail executives surveyed by Deloitte and the National Retail Federation in 2009 believe that their training and professional development opportunities "attract and retain high-potential employees." Retailers provide separate training programs for store and corporate managerial positions as well as continuing education for skill-specific competency.
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Store Management Training
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Department store chains have formal, in-house training geared toward unskilled graduates and experienced sales associates. These fast-track programs typically run 10 to 12 weeks and expose trainees to key aspects of store operation such as visual merchandising, staff supervision and coaching, retail math (for example, gross margin and sell-through calculation), customer service, company policies, reports, information technology systems and terminology. Formats include classroom and/or online instruction, mentoring and in-store rotations whereby trainees work in selling and non-selling areas of the store to understand their synergy. Upon completion, trainees step into assistant store management or department management positions before getting a store assignment.
Corporate Management Training
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Major retailers offer executive training programs for buying, planning, finance, product development, human resources and merchandising management. They represent the first step in established career paths leading to senior executive positions in each functional area. Like its store management counterpart, corporate management training combines virtual and classroom instruction with hands-on activities. The opportunity to spend time in each aspect of a specialty rounds out the nine-month to two-year curriculum.
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Continuing Education
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Retailers recognize the importance of ongoing, professional development for job satisfaction and performance. Some such companies have entered into partnerships with leading institutions such as Cornell and Harvard Business School to develop web-based courses on topics such as change management, supervisory skills, team-building, decision making and diversity.
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References
- National Retail Federation: The Retail Talent Marketplace: An Executive Perspective on Growing People From Within
- Sears Holdings Corporation: Kmart Retail Management Trainee
- Macy's: Executive Development Programs
- Career Overview: Retail Marketing Careers, Jobs and Training Information
- Walmart Corporate: Stores Training & Development
Resources
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