Store based training has become more practical & cost effective as store portfolios have grown more dispersed and store demographics and assortment grading more diverse In modern retail, high speed consumer & product dynamics have made formal, classroom based training cumbersome and quickly outdated, whilst ongoing informal training has become more efficient and relevant. In this diverse, dynamic market – “education & informal training” has become more effective and successful than“rigid instruction & compliance!”

1. insights that ignite: blue touch-papers
from VM-unleashed! Ltd
why store-based training:
blue touch-paper no.8
another blue-touch paper
from VM-unleashed! Ltd

2. insights that ignite: blue touch-papers
from VM-unleashed! Ltd
why store-based training:
blue touch-paper no.8
Training has always been important
for retailers. It just got More-So!!
- To ensure the store is visually attractive
- To ensure that individual products and
product groups are located correctly for
maximum sales
- To ensure a visual consistency across
stores for a strong brand image
- To ensure daily/weekly tasks are performed
- To communicate product attributes, building
awareness and expertise
- To train best practice customer service
skills, communication and interaction
Why is store-based training so important now?
• Store portfolios of many retail chains have grown
geographically across borders in search of new
customers and additional sales.
• Store teams have become more remote, with visits to
head office more logistically difficult, infrequent and
expensive
• Regional field teams have also become more remote
with the link to central resources becoming more
difficult to maintain.
• The physical size and shape of stores has become
more diverse, making VM guidelines less relevant, and
forcing store personnel to stand and think on their own.
• Assortment grading complexity has created a wider
variety of store clusters requiring more store product
awareness.
• The wider cultural mix means staff mind-sets and skill
sets are more challenging, and training must be more
individual and customised accordingly.
• More franchisees and partners with different values &
attitudes makes central training more difficult and less
appropriate.
Why is “a little information, more-often” better?
• The dynamic retail environment generates the need
for more support, more guidance, more often.
• Formal training is still essential as a basic building
block of skills, but this needs to be continually
refreshed with ongoing training
• Informal Training can be delivered in “bite-size”
segments, easy to digest
• Informal training can be delivered specific to current
issues with assortment or promotions.
• Informal training can be both proactive or reactive
• Informal training can respond spontaneously to
changing store situations and calls for help giving
relevant up to the minute guidance
• Informal training is an excellent way to grow fruitful
relationship with new retail partners, giving the
opportunity to train, monitor and help
• In all situations ongoing training develops a better
relationship & team culture.
• Ongoing training is more cost-efficient in situations
where staff turnover is high.
Widening store geographies, diverse environments & increased retail dynamics
The Balance between Education &
Compliance;
Whilst a combination of training and
instruction works for many retailers the
correct balance should be determined by the
retail strategy & the customer proposition
Brand
equity
Price
Point
Store
location
Customer
demographics
Assortment
grading
Service
Strategy
Staff
turnover
Assortment
dynamic
Diversity
of product
Store
shape
Store
portfolio
Regional National International
Uniform Mix Irregular
Similar Different Very different
Minimal Some Substantial
Self-service Some service Total service
Low Mixture High
Low Medium High
Low Mix High
Impulse Combination Destination
Low Important High
Low Medium High
Sales
Promotions
Retail
calendar
Prevalent Important Rare
Primitive Evolved Advanced
Instruction
& compliance
Training
& education
Retail Strategy
& proposition

3. insights that ignite: blue touch-papers
from VM-unleashed! Ltd
why store-based training:
blue touch-paper no.8
VM-unleashed unlocks the multi-channel profit potential of retailers by
integrating the buying, visual merchandising and selling functions, for
traditional stores and on-line channels.
which product?
how much of it?
how to segment and group it?
how to display and communicate it?
how to promote and sell it!
...and how to make it happen in your company?
Space planning & allocation
maximising sales/profit productivity per sqm., space density and store
capacities – store grading, square metre to linear metre conversion,
store & web space allocation, fixture capacity and design flexibility.
Assortment structure display
Segmenting the assortment for customer ease-of-shop, balancing
product story types, defining construction of options within stories,
planning the flow of goods to construct and fragment stories.
Store layout & web architecture
Segmentation, architecture and intuitive navigation, sightlines and
focal point planning, best seller merchandising, “contact points” to
stimulate impulse purchasing, cross-merchandising.
Visual Merchandising
Commercial display with optimum option and unit densities, creative
display for maximum rates of sales, integration of actual and planned
best sellers, image makers, high & low margin product.
Retail Calendar, Events & Promotions
sales promotion strategies and calendars, price & promotional
communication, stimulating the assortment, controlling store & web
space, time and graphic communication, dynamic promotional
layering, window strategy & display, store & website promotional
journey, e-newsletter delivery.
VM tools & processes, team structure & training
developing guidelines & manuals, space plans & zoning, developing
store regimes and routines, instilling a culture of visual merchandising
“from boardroom to stockroom!”, improving visual merchandising skills
in-store, developing & delivering training programmes.
…for more information please call Tim Radley
+44 (0)7967 609849.
delivering your store selling fundamentals
- making the most of what retailers have
VM-unleashed is a retail
specialist consultancy working
with clients throughout Europe
on training & implementation.
Tim Radley is the founder and
Managing Director and has
been working with best practice
European retailers for over 20
years including:-.
All Saints, Camper, Boots,
Carrefour, Primark, Otto
Versand, Cortefiel, Oviesse,
Coin, Springfield, Motivi,
Adidas, Sonae, Alessi, Aena,
Marks & Spencer, KappAhl,
Imaginarium, Porcelanosa,
Clarks, Aldeasa, Pepe Jeans,
Trucco, Sony, Koton, Oltre,
GasNatural, Orange…

4. VM-unleashed Ltd!
11 Moat Farm
Royal Tunbridge Wells
Kent TN2 5XG
UK
Tim Radley
Managing Director
tim.radley@vm-unleashed.com
07967 609849
www.vm-unleashed.com
pinpointing & delivering ROI opportunities in physical & online stores
from VM-unleashed! Ltd