Retail Leadership, Customer Experience and Training Blogs

“We live and breathe customer service”, “Our customers are at the heart of all we do”...  Most retail brands parrot the same buzzwords about being customer-centric 🙄 (Honestly, how did they ALL end up with the same empty statements on their websites? Was there a secret meeting I missed or something?!) The reality in their stores couldn’t be farther from it, though. What about YOUR branches? Are your customers actually king… or are your teams treating them like peasants? I ho

Does Q4 fill you with dread or excitement? So much is at stake - every store chasing to achieve the target, product rolling in thick and fast, temporary staff being hired & trained. Meanwhile Senior leadership are finding final opportunities to save cash and maximise margins. Personally, I love the hustle and bustle of Q4. As we gear up for the whirlwind of Q4 in the retail world, we understand the importance of keeping your teams motivated, energised, and burnout-free. This

Retail staff turnover has long been a daunting challenge for the industry. It's not uncommon to find handmade signs slapped onto the shop front doors saying 'back in 20 minutes' because the solo worker needed to pop out for some food! One of the busiest periods is the lunch hour - so how crazy is this?! How many sales were missed during this period? £50? £500? Maybe more...now multiply that over 5 days for a period of say 6 months. Painful and totally avoidable. It's also no

Ah, the dreaded retail interview! It's like stepping into a battlefield, armed with your resume and an unsteady smile, ready to conquer the army. So many questions whirling around your mind, like... Are they going to value my experience Will they see my potential Are they going to actually like me Will they want me to expand and give examples Well dear friend, we at The International Retail Academy are ready to help sharpen the tools in your toolkit Fear not, fellow warri

When was the last time you experienced customer service that really made you feel something? As in...you felt inspired, educated, intrigued, cared about? Let me guess, errrr ages ago, maybe never? The customer service crisis has been around for ages and it's only getting worse. But why? Well, it all starts with people doesn't it. recruiting the right people who simply love to serve and learn about guests-clients-customers. If the people recruited into your retail business h

UNSUBSCRIBE! Bore off, I am not interested in you shoving products down my throat - seriously, it's getting boring now and instead of nurturing me you're actually agitating me. So, I'm taking back control and unsubscribing. Put that into your demographic, tiering buckets and smoke it! Ok, so this maaaaay seem a little harsh but COME ON can brands please be a little bit smarter when it comes to landing in my inbox? Email marketing has long been a practice for retailers to co

Do you work in retail? I don’t mean only on ‘the shopfloor’ by the way! You could be the COO, a District Manager, a Merchandiser, a Product Owner or part of the Finance team. Whatever function you are in this awesome industry: So please, pay attention to the only thing that matters: Your customers! You don’t need me to come in all sassy shouting about how the customer really does pay your salary – I’m sure you’ve heard it all before, right?! So why is it then, that retail br

Yes, retail is struggling. Yes, surviving on the high street is more challenging than ever. And yes, our industry has indeed got a higher turnover rate than most. However, if you aren’t putting your staff’s mindset at the core of your retail brand’s culture and strategy, you don’t get to complain . Too harsh? Hear me out. The current situation for most retail brands I’ve worked in retail for over 20 years and bumped into the same problems over and over again. Now, don’t get

You've heard of scripts (ugh) and positive body language, but have you been focusing on curiosity in sales? Most retail stores overlook it … and then complain that not enough people visit their branches! Instead, gain an advantage over the average competitor by teaching THIS to your staff. Not-so-curious retail sales assistants: the problem with the current situation Way too many retail stores are still relying on scripts , and customers can tell. Seriously. It’s so obvious

Let’s face it: everyone knows that retail turnover is high—much higher than most industries. But what does that mean for your stores going forward? Should you try and fight a doomed battle or just save money on staff training, knowing they’re probably going to leave soon? Heads-up: you might not like the answer (but, if you want your stores to succeed, it’s not a good enough reason to ignore it). The retail industry and staff turnover: a troubled relationship Let’s start by

Still evaluating your store’s success based on Average Transaction Value and the usual hard KPIs in retail? I’m afraid that’s as anachronistic as focusing all your social media efforts on MySpace during the age of Instagram and TikTok! If you want your stores to succeed during the phygital revolution ⁠ — and of course, you do ⁠— you need to change your focus. This includes prioritising the retail KPIs that take this new normal into consideration . Let me show you why (and how

Spend most their time behind the scenes, working on admin? That’s bad news! Store managers are necessary, but you MUST change your approach.

When trying to figure out how to make more sales in retail, most businesses overcomplicate it . Stealing a strategy that doesn’t align with their brand just because it seems to have worked for a competitor. Automatically jumping on the latest and most expensive AR technology or a random new craze. Getting their staff to memorise scripts that sound as fake as a £10 Balenciaga bag. Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying you shouldn’t look into new tactics and opportunities. Ho

Supply chain chaos, bestsellers unavailable in-stores, low staff morale, shabby shop-fits all paired with lack lustre leadership points to one depressing future - retail is dying. In fact, retail has only been surviving on a knife edge for many years. Back in the 90's, 00's and even 2010's brands were scaling fast. Speed to open up as many retail sites as possible was the goal. Physical presence was king! Footfall was booming! Open in Europe! Open in The Middle East! Open in

Let me guess; whenever your CV earns you an interview, you start researching the company and ironing your shirt, maybe polishing your shoes but… have you also considered your energy and confidence in interviews ? While it’s often the last thing job seekers think about— if they focus on it at all—it can actually make or break your interview right from the start. Is confidence important in an interview? Yes, confidence in interviews is extremely important: in fact, 39% of candi

From smart mirrors to in-store tablets, a phygital retail model could bring the wow factor back into some brick-and-mortar locations. Is it always positive, though, or does it come with a few challenges? And most importantly: is a phygital strategy the right investment for your brand? Let’s find out. What does phygital mean in retail? A combination of ‘physical’ and ‘digital’, phigital retail is an omni-channel strategy that consists of implementing e-commerce or AR and VR tr

There are so many misconceptions around this industry that I can’t blame you for wondering ‘is retail a career, or is it just an entry-level option for your university days?’ Maybe you were actually intrigued by the idea of entering or growing within this bustling sector, but you’ve heard so many bad things about it that you’re now put off. Well, let’s find out if it’s just about stacking shelves and working weekends or if there’s more to retail’s career progression. Is retai

When it comes to mid-tier and luxury brands, a team of entry-level sales associates is no longer the future of retail . Not any more than a passive, desk-relegated secretary is the future of successful CEOs, unlike proactive Executive Assistants. So, what approach and professional figures should you consider for your retail stores? To stand out and succeed in retail, you must first… unretail . (Bear with me!) Is retail a dying industry? Retail as we know it can often be consi

The cost of losing an employee is expensive. Retail is plagued by one of the highest staff turnover rates at well over 60%. If you didn't know, a turnover rate of around 15% is considered to be pretty decent. But retail is above 60%. This is chaos. Just as a team gets settled with the new Assistant Manager, the FTE leaves, then another one goes...the morale of the team is in constant turmoil. Studies show that the cost of losing an employee depends upon their position. An ent