Upskilling To Remain Competitive In The Retail Industry

It’s no secret that the retail industry is going through a big shift – one that started prior to the pandemic.

Changing consumer buying habits and new technologies are revolutionising the retail space. Consumers are increasingly price-conscious and are seeking value for money more than ever before. There’s also growing demand for sustainable and ethically sourced products, which means people are shopping with more intention.

For traditional brick-and-mortar stores, not only do they have to navigate these changes, but they also need to find a way to attract people back to stores– a challenging feat as high streets across the nation shrink.

To tackle these challenges, and keep consumers happy, there needs to be a clear focus on staff upskilling. But in the midst of all of this, there’s also an ongoing skills shortage and a battle to attract and retain retail workers.

Why Is Upskilling So Important?

Ensuring retail employees are equipped to adapt to these changes is vital. Something which Poundland has recently acted on.

The popular variety store chain, Poundland, recognises their employees need to possess a wide range of technical skills to remain competitive. They need to be able to provide exceptional customer service, understand emerging trends and be agile enough to adapt to changing consumer preferences.

Upskilling can help retailers, like Poundland, to differentiate themselves, by equipping their employees with the latest knowledge and skills. This not only helps with attracting new people to the business, but it also makes sure those within the business stay and support company growth.

As Dean Barker-Rogers, Leadership Development Manager at Poundland, explains: “It’s a win-win situation. Upskilling not only benefits the business, but it also helps to keep up staff morale, knowledge and purpose.”

Flexibility is Key

Dean explains how all staff at Poundland have the opportunity to upskill, with some of its employees being onboarded onto the Level 7 Senior Leadership Apprenticeship plus MBA, offered by Arden University.

Dean explains: “My top advice for other retailers is to make sure you are partnering with a credible institution."

"For us, that was Arden University – they are well respected in the industry for the courses they offer – especially for senior leadership."

“Arden University is not only an established provider with experienced coaches, but their blended and flexible approach to learning suits our fast-paced environment.”

Flexible learning is key in the retail space. It allows employees to manage their studies in line with other life commitments. As Stacey Hayes-Allen, Director of Corporate Partnerships at Arden University, says: “Learning as an adult has been shown to help learners maintain a greater sense of purpose, improving overall happiness and therefore, enhancing, engagement and retention. This means that offering personal development opportunities remains a key factor in helping employee wellbeing."

“But managing a job, education and home-life commitments can be challenging. Which is why flexible learning is so important. Being able to work through your studies at a pace that suits you will ensure a better chance of success.”

Employee Impact

Speaking to Dillon Heffernan, who has recently completed the Level 7 Senior Leadership Apprenticeship, and is now Head of Business Optimisation and Change at Poundland, he explains how his whole career has been in retail operations, and he embarked on his degree apprenticeship as his role began to change.

“The synergies of learning and my role collided at the same time – almost perfectly,” says Dillon.

“I’ve gone strength to strength – academically and in my career. And graduating with this degree and an MBA is a personal milestone for me."

“When you get into your routine and realise that no one's going to earmark this time for you, you learn your own time management skills, which also helps you to develop professionally. And those hours I give myself to study and personally improve, naturally gives back to the business, too.”

Another employee, Georgie, who has been a Store Manager with Poundland for nine years and has worked in retail for most of her adult life, is studying for a Level 6 Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship in Business Management at Arden University. She had already noticed developments in herself as she progressed through her studies.

On a Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (Business Management), employees gain knowledge and skills in important cross-functional business and management disciplines, while they continue to work in their current role. This helps them to build and develop the abilities required to be a successful manager.

Georgie said: “I really enjoy being in a store; that fast-paced environment; coupled with the interaction on the shop floor with the customers, with my staff and with my team."

“As a store manager, I think you get very tied into your store. You don't actually realise why decisions are made. This course has given me a greater understanding of why we do things the way we do."

“Previously I would have just done what I was asked to do – but now, I understand that we have different sources of revenue. For me before it was always just money in the till.”

As Dean adds: “Learning and development is contagious. We’ve noticed that when other employees see the benefits, more want to get on board."

“We’re eager to continue offering this as a benefit for our employees – not just for the betterment of Poundland as a business, but for the development of our people and staff.”

As Stacey concludes: “Degree apprenticeship programmes, delivered through a flexible partner, can play an important role in ensuring employees have access to bespoke learning and development for their roles and industry."

“This means employees will not only find themselves learning new things, developing their core skills, and finding solutions to the ongoing changes in consumer behaviour, but they’ll also find themselves continually applying their knowledge directly to your organisation.”