E-Learning…Not just for National Retailers Any More

A mentor, friend, and a wise man once told me “There is nothing hard about retail. It is just hard work!” That old axiom still remains true, but after almost 30 years in the retailing business I have learned that retailers face some distinct – and hard – challenges! The biggest challenge has, and continues to be, managing and developing your people. Just consider the challenges to creating an effective training program!

• Large and constantly changing product lines
• High employee turnover
• Low budgets for training
• Management the has to focus on selling, inventory, loss prevention, store display and other priorities

That is where e-learning comes in. Studies by companies such as Bersin Associates have shown that e-learning and learning management systems are effective ways for training retail team members.

Some of the benefits of implementing an e-learning solution include:

• Maintaining consistent and high quality training interactions across all locations
• Ability to monitor training through automated reporting dashboards
• Leveraging existing infrastructure in the stores including computers and internet connectivity
• Elimination of costs associated with classrooms and travel schedules
• Students learn at their own pace – as fast or as slow as they need

But while these benefits might be considered to be all the reason a retailer needs to implement an e-learning program, the real test is in terms of measurable return-on-investment. National retailers such as Pep Boys, Home Depot, and McDonalds have seen measurable impacts on their stores’ bottom line as a result of implementing e-learning programs. For example, at Pep Boys within one year of introducing their e-learning program.

• Employee retention rates exceeded target by over 300%%
• 78% of sales representatives surveyed said they received the tools they needed to be successful
• Through improved productivity and reduced employee turnover, Pep Boy’s investment paid for itself within the first 12 months!

Now, independent and smaller retail chains can take advantage of e-learning systems as well. Retail Training Services offers high quality e-learning training content that is based on the combined experience of a team that has worked in the retail business for decades. Training programs can be purchased on a pay-as-you-go basis or retailers can have a custom system designed for delivering comprehensive sales and management training programs for under $100 per employee per year. For more information contact Retail Training Services at www.retailertrainingservices.com.