Manchester, N.H.—CCA Global University has developed an innovative and comprehensive training program exclusively designed to accelerate the onboarding process for its Retail 2.0 initiative. This new program, tailored for more than 1,000 stores across Flooring America, Flooring Canada and Carpet One Floor & Home retailers, marks one of the largest rollouts in the history of the home improvement retail industry.
Retail 2.0 is billed as a monumental transformation in the floor-purchasing journey for consumers, encompassing a complete overhaul of the proprietary selling system, the introduction of a wide range of digital assets and a massive redesign of showroom floor plans. The team at CCA Global University faced the unique challenge of developing a succinct and effective training process for the expansive new system.
The solution? A three-pronged outreach approach, combining digital, virtual and hands-on training techniques. “Retail 2.0 represents a monumental update in the retail industry.,” said Nicole Harding, vice president of CCA Global University. “This project revolutionizes product assortment. It was crucial that the training for Retail 2.0 be innovative and memorable. Additionally, we needed an efficient way to deliver this training to thousands of stores within a short period of time. To address this challenge, Tim James, manager of learning projects, created a series of video content for a ‘train the trainer’ program, meticulously guiding retailers through every aspect of the training process—including timelines, suggested training locations and more.”
The training program consists of three key components:
- Training Kit: Six weeks prior to their Retail 2.0 installation, stores receive a comprehensive training kit to equip store managers with all the necessary tools to conduct interactive training meetings with their sales teams. “The intention behind the first component is not only to inform and educate the sales team about the upcoming changes but also to generate enthusiasm and buy-in,” Harding said. “These elements are crucial to a retailer’s success.”
- Online Training: The program includes a robust online training course hosted on the Online University platform aligning with the physical setup of Retail 2.0 within the store. This approach ensures employees are refreshed on the material just before they put it into practice.
- Ongoing Digital Support: The program offers a suite of ongoing training tools, which sales team members are encouraged to utilize post-installation. To access the most up-to-date online training materials, most of these tools feature scannable QR codes.
According to the group, early feedback on the training program has been overwhelmingly positive. “We continue to find ways to improve and build upon what we have,” Harding said. “Ensuring sales professionals in our stores seamlessly adapt to this major transition and leverage the excitement of the new shopping experience is of utmost importance to us.”