Training retail employees — facing the new reality of retail with engaged associates

The modern consumer is buying experiences and not just products. Driving consumer loyalty and repeat purchases is not just dependent on prioritizing quality, value, and convenience, but also on the overall shopping experience.

Retaining consumer loyalty is more important than ever before

A recent Adobe survey on driving consumer loyalty during digital disruption highlights some of these trends. According to the survey:

• 76% of loyal shoppers trust their preferred brand and want it to succeed.
• 53% of loyal shoppers spend within a category with their preferred brand.
• 88% of retail executives recognize that poor omnichannel execution impacts loyalty.

The study also reveals that in-store shopping experiences impact consumer loyalty and lifetime value.

• 81% of consumers expect a seamless shopping experience across channels.
• 86% state that “physical brand experience” has a high or very high impact on their loyalty.
• 81% of loyal shoppers churned due to lack of a seamless digital and in-store experience.

Staff turnover is plaguing productivity

Retail firms are grappling with low morale, high staff turnover, and tough economic conditions. A few studies on retail firms — like the Mercer Study, Korn Ferry Study, and eMarketer study — reveal some surprising stats:

• The peak retail turnover rate in September 2023 was 95%, compared to 75% in 2020.
• The average voluntary turnover for retail in 2023 was 33%.
• 53% of retailers said staffing and wage issues were their top concerns.

One strategy that encourages staff retention, improves productivity, and drives sustained growth is personalized skilling and upskilling across all staff members. Using meaningful, engaging, and accessible retail training tools with retail employees positively impacts customer satisfaction and drives operational success for retail brands.

Retail training impacts shopping experience

According to the 2023 Retail Customer Experience Survey, over 40% of shoppers reported that their post-COVID shopping experiences were less enjoyable. Further, 64% of shoppers attributed “poorly trained or prepared staff” as one of the drivers of their deteriorating customer experience (CX).

Though training for retail employees will positively impact shopping experiences, most modern retail training programs face a few challenges:

• Training programs do not scale to store employees.
• Lack of relevance impacts training quality.
• Training approaches are too traditional, deskbound, and non-personalized.

Skill development and relevant training can not only improve store employee productivity, but it can also increase staff retention.

According to Forbes, “Employees want a career, not a job. Retailers need to provide that opportunity.”

Source: International Franchise Association

What are the typical training needs of a retail business?

Any brick-and-mortar customer experience begins the moment someone enters a store. Signage, layout and design, merchandise, checkout, and customer service all need to be aligned to ensure the quality and consistency customers prefer. Delivering unforgettable consumer experiences in modern brick-and-mortar locations is every employee’s responsibility, not just those working behind the counter.

This means every employee — store associates, customer service associates, managers, franchise operators, and gig workers — can benefit from comprehensive retail training solutions that meet their diverse needs. This includes such topics as sales techniques, product knowledge, customer service, compliance, specialized training, stocking, and more. According to a 2024 study commissioned by Opus, retail service industry leaders are already using or are likely to use the following retail training methodologies:

• Continuous learning (92%)
• Microtraining (87%)
• Hands-on training (89%)

Promoting continuous learning in retail training

Retail employees should be encouraged to learn continuously to maximize their productivity and performance over time. Such training should be personalized to retail store employee needs and aligned with their skill sets, growth aspirations, and tenure. The training journey illustrated below is a sample of continuous learning for retail store associates. You should create similar journeys for your other retail personas, such as customer service or franchise operations, to identify retail training needs that are better aligned to their journey.

• A retail store associate’s journey starts with onboarding, helping them understand company and brand values, their responsibilities, and business goals.
• This is followed up with training retail employees on core skills — for example, sales skills like building customer rapport, loss prevention, handling customer objections, uncovering needs, and upselling.
• Next, associates need training on the products and services they are going to be selling.
• Finally, associates need specialized learnings that are relevant to them individually.

Best practices for training retail employees at scale

Training store associates and managers, gig workers, cashiers, and franchise operators helps improve in-store customer experience, productivity, and employee turnover. Delivering meaningful content seamlessly across the staff maximizes the ROI from the training. Below are some best practices for training retail employees at scale.

1. Use eLearning and learning management systems (LMS)

eLearning or digital learning is a highly effective mechanism to train retail employees. Adopting eLearning methods not only helps provide training at scale but also saves on training-related travel time and cost. eLearning delivered by LMSs helps organizations streamline delivery with consistent instructions, management, and compliance tracking.

While functionality and features do vary from system to system, a best-in-class LMS can meet the unique and dynamic needs of retail employers in several specific ways:

• Guided learning paths: Tailor retail training experiences to each employee’s existing job needs and role within the organization.
• Social learning and collaboration: An LMS can facilitate peer-to-peer learning and mentorship, acting as a platform for retail employees to share insights and learn from each other.
• Recognition and certification: Certifications or digital badges based on completed courses and learning paths encourage retention, while aiding skill development.
• Managing compliance and feedback: An LMS provides insights into the learning progression and performance outcomes to drive continuous improvement and data-driven feedback.

2. Develop a branded learning academy

A branded learning academy can help deliver consistent, connected, and compliant retail training experiences for store associates and managers, gig workers, cashiers, and franchise operators.

A purpose-built learning academy integrated with the organization’s mainstream enablement ecosystem can greatly improve retail workforce productivity, drive continuous engagement and retention, and help drive business growth.

3. Personalize the training life cycle

A personalized training life cycle aligned with skill set needs, growth aspirations, and timelines within the company can help improve the productivity of retail employees and encourage retention.

Your retail training content should be tailored based on:

• Job role: For example, sales and product training for store associates or customer service training for service associates.
• Growth aspirations: For example, associates should be recommended for managerial training as they progress within the organization.
• Skill set: For example, associates can be recommended for cross-functional training, such as supply chain or merchandising, if they are interested in learning about those functions.

Ensure you can overdeliver for your customers

As retail leaders work to navigate the dynamic landscape of customer experience (CX), the pivotal role of comprehensive training cannot be overstated. With advanced learning management solutions like Adobe Learning Manager, businesses can keep their store associates engaged and empowered to deliver the shopping experiences modern shoppers expect.

These retail training programs not only cater to the engagement and retention needs of diverse and layered workforces — from onboarding to specialized compliance — but also significantly contribute to delivering unforgettable customer experiences. By integrating innovative training methods, such as blended learning for intricate operational knowledge and microlearning for retail employees, companies are setting new benchmarks in employee engagement and customer satisfaction.

For a deeper dive, schedule a demo with Adobe Learning Manager today.

Sandeep Singh is a senior product marketing manager at Adobe. Singh manages product marketing and go-to-market strategies for the Digital Learning, Advertising, and Publishing group. With more than 15 years of experience working with digital products, Singh likes solving problems and helping drive growth for businesses.

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