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Apprenticeship training course

Retail leadership (integrated degree) (level 6)

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Information about Retail leadership (integrated degree) (level 6)

Acting as a brand ambassador who will lead, motivate and develop a team of retail-based employees, to deliver sales and profit targets.

Knowledge, skills and behaviours
View knowledge, skills and behaviours

Knowledge

  • Retail landscape - current and Future: The key aspects of the retail sector including stakeholder location and its relevance to UK and Global economies.
  • Retail landscape - current and Future: Key economic and political drivers, changes that affect the retail landscape and the impact of government legislation on the cost of retail operations.
  • Retail landscape - current and Future: The overall retail landscape and concepts such as market share, and socio-economic trends, in a way that enables the development of a strategic plan for business growth
  • Retail product life cycle: How product ranges are built and balanced between existing products, new products and seasonality.
  • Retail product life cycle: How buying decisions are made by customers (Push v Pull).
  • Retail product life cycle: The attraction of products and brands (e.g. own label vs branded).
  • Retail product life cycle: The role played by pricing, merchandising, store layout, and online factors (eg website design) in improving business.
  • Retail innovation and the digital challenge: Strategic marketing plans, digital responses, and store propositions, as part of the omni-channel model.
  • Retail innovation and the digital challenge: On-line only and / or store only operations and the impact of new purchasing methods. ‘Bricks and Clicks’.
  • Retail innovation and the digital challenge: How new AI / digital and IT developments impact on the future of retailing, eg running a delivery / click and collect offer, and the impact of new / diverse revenue streams.
  • Retail Marketing and the customer: The importance of ‘The Brand’, and how brand reputation is protected, enhanced or destroyed.
  • Retail Marketing and the customer: Through the use of analytics, the purchasing, buying and loyalty behaviours of existing and potential customer groups, including the communities and customer profiles that are served, and pricing strategies
  • Retail Marketing and the customer: How to identify the customer’s current and future needs and purchasing trends, including ethical and sustainable retailing.
  • Retail Marketing and the customer: The role of contact centres, advertising, promotions and the use of social media (eg social media platforms).
  • Retail Supply Chains: How to evaluate suppliers within a global and UK context.
  • Retail Supply Chains: Relationship between cost efficiency and customer experience, including future delivery methods, eg drones / AI
  • Retail Supply Chains: The need to have in place a ‘just in time’ approach to supply.
  • Retail Finance, Data and Management Information (MI): The key financial levers that affect the overall performance and profit of the business.
  • Retail Finance, Data and Management Information (MI): How to analyse, interpret and use data.
  • Retail Finance, Data and Management Information (MI): The role that management information and ‘Big Data’ plays in supporting growth, and its use in a personalised approach to the retail customer.
  • Impact of change in Retail on our people: How to deliver productivity for retail through different models.
  • Impact of change in Retail on our people: The impact that 24/7 retailing has on the sector’s employees.
  • Impact of change in Retail on our people: The importance of recruiting, inducting and developing an effective team to drive the performance of the business across omni-channel streams.
  • Impact of change in Retail on our people: The impact of having a talent pipeline across the business.
  • Impact of change in Retail on our people: The concept of having a ‘personal brand’ and leadership approach within the context of the overall organisational brand and values.
  • Impact of change in Retail on our people: The importance of GDPR legislation and how it will impact on the current and future use of customer data

Skills

  • Retail Landscape - current and future: Construct the key plans for the business, and demonstrate creatively, clarity of thinking and decision making in delivering them both in-store and online.
  • Retail Landscape - current and future: Analyse and evaluate key economic and political trends, and how they impact upon the retail landscape, including technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Retail Landscape - current and future: Consider the impact of different business models and propositions, including the move to on-line retailing
  • Retail product life cycle: Construct customer profiles to ensure buying and merchandising impact is maximised, including the impact of on-line retailing
  • Retail product life cycle: Implement the link between product quality and customer satisfaction.
  • Retail product life cycle: Influence the design of an appropriate store / website layout based on current and customer buying patterns
  • Retail innovation and the digital challenge: Critically evaluate the most effective methods of digital delivery, and how they will impact on the product range.
  • Retail innovation and the digital challenge: Evaluate the impact digital channels play and identify the likely impact of changes in digital / AI behaviour by customers.
  • Retail innovation and the digital challenge: Critically evaluate the impact of new technology on the customer journey and experience
  • Retail Marketing and the customer: Create an environment in which the brand and brand values underpin both colleague and customer understanding (internal and external).
  • Retail Marketing and the customer: Consistently apply the retail brand ethos and values.
  • Retail Marketing and the customer: Using critical research, construct a customer engagement / pricing strategy
  • Retail Marketing and the customer: By using data, analyse and predict the customer’s current and future needs and purchasing trends, including how the customer journey is impacted
  • Retail Supply Chain: Appraise the effectiveness of the overall supply strategy and approach of the business, which is ethical, sustainable and profitable.
  • Retail Supply Chain: Anticipate future requirements for new products.
  • Retail Supply Chain: Critically review the role of logistics, warehousing and transport operation within the retail business.
  • Retail Finance, Data and Management Information (MI): Review performance of against key financial and performance data and ratios.
  • Retail Finance, Data and Management Information (MI): Use consumer trend data, and sales MI to predict the reaction of customers, and respond accordingly.
  • Retail Finance, Data and Management Information (MI): Articulate the key business decisions (eg pricing strategy), and how they link with overall performance.
  • Impact of change in Retail on our people: Recognise the impact that the changing nature of retail has on people strategies, eg recruitment, L&D, employee engagement and talent management.
  • Impact of change in Retail on our people: Allocate appropriate levels of resource to different methods of operation.
  • Impact of change in Retail on our people: Build teams, and empower and manage others to improve business performance.
  • Impact of change in Retail on our people: Utilise emotional and social intelligence to build and develop relationships both internally and externally.
  • Impact of change in Retail on our people: Demonstrate effective problem solving and time management skills, and an expert written and verbal communication style

Behaviours

  • A inspirational Leader: Inspire those around them. Be resilient and willing to lead from the front to drive and implement change.
  • Challenge and Innovate: Innovative and willing to experiment. Challenges the status quo and makes ‘difficult’ decisions. Is conscious of impact of own style
  • Passion for retail sector: Be passionate and energised by the Retail Sector. Be an ambassador for the retail sector. Be customer centric.
Apprenticeship category (sector)
Sales, marketing and procurement
Qualification level
6
Equal to degree
Course duration
48 months
Maximum funding
£22,000
Maximum government funding for
apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
Job titles include
  • Area Manager
  • Store Manager
  • Departmental Manager (large stores)
  • Senior On-line Customer Manager
  • Senior Digital Manager
  • Commercial Managers

View more information about Retail leadership (integrated degree) (level 6) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.