Overcoming retail training challenges can feel impossible with unstable schedules and high turnover. Learn expert tips to make training effective and worth the effort.
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Unpredictable schedules and high turnover make retail training a real challenge. Many employees juggle shifts, stay on their feet, and lack access to traditional tools. No surprise, 83% of customers feel more knowledgeable than sales staff, according to a 2017 survey.
Outdated methods leave teams disengaged and unprepared, impacting performance and customer experiences. Keep reading to explore why retail training matters, what’s not working, and how overcoming retail training challenges is possible with practical, effective solutions.
A well-trained retail workforce matters for many reasons:
Good training keeps employees around longer. Retail turnover reaches 60%, costing businesses around $19 billion each year to replace staff.
One big reason for turnover is poor training—two in three employees leave because they don’t gain new skills or improve their performance.
Businesses with strong training programs report 53% lower turnover rates, showing how effective training builds loyalty and saves money.
Retail staff spend the most time with customers, shaping their experiences and driving sales. Positive interactions build loyalty and keep customers coming back.
According to studies, 73% of shoppers value their experience when choosing where to shop, and over 30% avoid a brand after one bad encounter.
Training ensures employees gain the skills to deliver excellent customer service and leave a lasting impression.
Offering training makes employees feel valued and motivated. In a LinkedIn survey, 19% of workers said training inspires them to do their best.
IBM research shows that trained employees perform 10% better, thanks to the skills and confidence they gain. This leads to a happier, more productive workforce ready to excel.
Employee training programs have always been essential, but they’re not perfect. Here’s a breakdown of common challenges both retail employees and trainers face and how to overcome them.
Retail employees often have packed schedules. Balancing a busy workday, adjusting to hybrid work setups, and managing their personal lives can make it tough to find time for training.
Scheduling regular training sessions might feel impossible, and asking employees to complete training during their free time could lead to resistance.
Microlearning—short, focused lessons like videos, infographics, and quizzes—helps employees fit training into their schedules. Just a few minutes each day is easier to plan for than long training blocks. Plus, it works well with how our brains process and remember information.
Mobile eLearning takes it a step further by letting employees access training on their phones. They can learn on the go, fitting training into moments between tasks.
You can also use visuals, like clever graphics, to communicate several ideas at once. These save time and break up the monotony of reading text. Keep assessments short, so employees can quickly get feedback on their progress.
If training content is too technical, employees may lose interest. This is especially a problem for non-native speakers who may struggle with jargon and acronyms. And, not everyone learns the same way—some prefer videos, while others may prefer reading.
Using simple, plain language helps make content accessible to everyone. It also saves time—employees understand it faster without having to reread or decode complex terms.
To accommodate different learning styles, mix up your content. Include videos, quizzes, infographics, and written materials. Consider running a survey to find out which formats work best for your team.
Also, provide user-friendly learning tools, and don’t forget to open up communication channels, such as discussion forums, to make it easy for employees to ask questions.
Sometimes, employees don’t see how training, like cybersecurity or harassment prevention, fits into their daily work. This isn’t because they don’t care, but because the content may feel outdated or too generic.
Scenario-based learning can engage learners. Use short animated videos or hands-on quizzes to show how the content applies to their roles.
Clearly state what employees will gain from the training. Break it into essential and nice-to-have skills.
Make the essential skills mandatory, but consider using gamification—like points and badges—for the rest. This motivates employees to engage with all parts of the training. Also, use "just-in-time" training for quick skill updates when needed.
Retail training struggles with engagement, with only 31% of employees feeling engaged because traditional methods like in-person training or long, unengaging online sessions lead to poor knowledge retention.
Without continuous, bite-sized learning, employees forget key information quickly. Retailers should adopt short, engaging content that fits with how employees consume information—digitally and in small bursts, at the point of need.
Gamified learning platforms help create a sense of teamwork.
Points, leaderboards, and badges make training feel less like a chore and more like a fun challenge, while creating opportunities for employees to interact, such as discussion forums or live online sessions, builds a sense of community.
With more people working remotely or in hybrid roles, training can be a challenge. Misunderstandings happen, and cultural differences can lead to inconsistent training experiences.
Leverage tools like video calls, webinars, and communication channels to help remote teams stay connected. These tools help build trust and understanding, making training more effective. It’s also essential to set clear goals for each training session.
Make sure employees understand what’s expected and how their training benefits them in their daily work.
As companies realize how crucial learning and development (L&D) teams can be, the pressure grows. A survey showed that many HR managers plan to upskill (59%) and reskill (55%) employees in 2022, with 85% believing training drives company growth.
But the challenge doesn’t always come from employees—it also hits L&D teams. If the team is small or spread thin, and managers already have a full workload, finding the time to create training programs becomes difficult.
When it comes to universal skills like communication or leadership, there’s plenty of quality content out there. For industry-specific topics, you may need to create custom content.
But using a library of ready-made courses for soft skills, sales, project management, and HR topics will let you focus your limited time on creating personalized content for your company’s specific needs.
Sometimes, you need a specific expert to deliver a presentation or assist with content creation, especially for industry-specific or time-sensitive subjects. But what if you can’t find the right SME in time? This can completely throw off the training process.
Look at the talent already in your company. Some employees may have hidden expertise that could be helpful. Ask around—team managers likely know if someone has the skills you need. You can also create learner personas to find out who has the knowledge to contribute and offer incentives.
Training programs cost money, no matter how you slice it. And with concerns about an upcoming recession, many companies are facing tight budgets.
Even with online training cutting costs like venue hire and travel expenses, you still need equipment, employee training software for retail, and time from the people involved.
Training doesn’t have to drain your budget. Look for an LMS that fits your company’s needs without paying for unnecessary features.
For example, learning management that lets you drag and drop content will or provides AI features will save time. Also, if you have a multilingual workforce, choose a platform that supports multiple languages, like Coursebox AI.
Start with a free or low-cost LMS with flexible and transparent pricing, so you can test it out before making a bigger commitment.
In industries like retail, high employee turnover is a constant problem. With a turnover rate of around 60% in retail, companies often face the costly and time-consuming task of hiring and training new employees. This means valuable knowledge and experience walk out the door with every employee who leaves.
LMS platforms for corporate training help streamline onboarding and provide ongoing training, making employees feel valued.
Inventory management can be a tough nut to crack. Many retail companies struggle to keep stock levels balanced, risking either stockouts or overstocking, which can disrupt the supply chain.
Using LMS platforms to teach employees the importance of accurate inventory management can help. It reduces errors and improves overall supply chain efficiency, which leads to smoother operations.
With more data being collected than ever, retail companies face challenges in safeguarding customer information. Data breaches and cyber-attacks are rising threats that need immediate attention.
Corporate eLearning solutions can help educate employees on best practices for data security, privacy regulations, and compliance. Ongoing training ensures that employees stay informed about the latest security threats and how to handle customer data safely.
Communication breakdowns can lead to confusion, mistakes, and frustrated employees. Retail companies often struggle with ensuring messages get across clearly and that employees understand what’s expected of them.
Train employees in active listening, virtual communication, and other soft skills through LMS. This not only fosters better collaboration but also reduces misunderstandings and promotes a more connected, efficient workplace.
Irregular sales can make it difficult to forecast demand and plan inventory. Retailers face frustrations when their sales strategies don’t produce consistent results.
Many LMS platforms include robust reporting and analytics tools. Use them to train employees in analyzing sales data and market trends, which can help adjust inventory levels, and marketing strategies, and drive business growth.
Introducing new products always comes with a learning curve. Employees need to understand the benefits and features of new products to help customers effectively.
Product knowledge training ensures employees understand the key features and benefits of new products. This builds confidence, improves customer interactions, and boosts sales.
Retail work requires more than just product knowledge. Professionals need strong communication, empathy, and persuasion skills to connect with customers and close sales. The challenge? Balancing all these skills in a single, effective training program.
Choose one of the best mobile LMSs for learning on the go to provide targeted content for each skill.
For product knowledge, create short, easy-to-understand infographics and follow up with quick quizzes to test understanding. For soft skills, explore and apply microlearning examples that showcase real-world situations, such as handling customer complaints or reading body language.
Nowadays, customers expect instant access to product information, whether they’re shopping online or in-store. The challenge? Providing immediate, detailed product recommendations and solutions to customers, even when your team can’t memorize every feature or comparison.
Equip your retail team with mobile learning apps that give them instant access to product information. This allows them to quickly pull up specs, compare items, or get personalized recommendations on the spot.
Customers won’t mind waiting a few seconds for an informed answer, especially when they know the employee has the tools to give them the best solution.
By using technology, your team can work more efficiently, and customers leave happier, increasing the chances they'll return.
There’s no one-size-fits-all fix for the challenges in retail training, but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck. By applying our expert tips and choosing the right LMS, you can make training more flexible and effective, helping your team stay engaged and on track.
Tools like Coursebox AI let you deliver short, focused training on the go, making it easier to fit learning into a busy day. Book a demo and start transforming your team’s training experience.
