12 Merchandising training programs for retail

SC Training (formerly EdApp)’s Visual Merchandising (for Fashion Retail) course is all about learning how to strategically display your merchandise as a retailer to entice customers to make a purchase.

It starts by discussing the value of visual merchandising and how the interior and exterior design of your retail store build this image. As the way products are displayed in your store plays a crucial role, you’ll find a lesson on the different types of merchandising displays and how to choose the right one accordingly. Learners will also discover tried and tested techniques, such as the rule of threes, the use of lighting to set the mood, and age group considerations.

Because of the hectic nature of the retail industry, retail employees are always on the go and on their feet. As such, it may be difficult to find the time to complete their training. Since SC Training is a mobile-first solution, employees have the freedom and flexibility to accomplish and revisit training content whenever needed right from their smartphones.

With SC Training's notifications feature, your employees will also be reminded to stay on top of their lessons, so they’ll never miss out on any important updates and information.

Knowing what your customer wants is an important aspect of your merchandising strategy as it helps you determine how to display your products. In SC Training’s Understanding Customer Motivations course, learners will uncover how understanding customer psychology can help draw customers into their store to make a purchase.

This merchandising course online identifies the factors affecting customer psychology and determines why we buy what we buy. Learners will also be able to describe the different customer profiles and recognize them while on the sales floor, along with the conscious and subconscious factors that draw them into a store. Lastly, this course will tackle the different marketing strategies and techniques when it comes to customer retention.

This course by SC Training is fully editable and customizable, so you can showcase your branding and add store-specific information with its easy-to-use authoring tool. You can even transform PowerPoint slides into beautiful microlessons through its AI Doc transformer (coming soon), so you won’t have to start from scratch.

Alison’s merchandising training program is all about selling your products and winning over your customers through effective merchandising and sales techniques like proper signage. Here, learners will be taught how to create an inviting atmosphere for consumers through basic retail marketing and merchandising, store design and presentation, and pricing.

Other topics discussed were merchandiser job responsibilities, recognizing and leveraging trends, targeting customers, creating merchandise displays, and more. This course also puts a spotlight on consumer behavior and the importance of effective communication skills in the workplace to build customer relationships. It takes up to 3 hours to finish this course, and a certificate of completion is provided once the final assessment is passed.

ZOE Talent Solutions created this merchandising training program to help you implement effective visual merchandising techniques in your store and convert them into sales. It starts with an introduction to retail, which talks about the importance and benefits of merchandising, as well as the various types of merchandising. Here, learners will also know about the roles and responsibilities of a visual merchandiser and what characteristics one should have to be successful.

To help reach your goal, there’s also a lesson about the process of creating a visual display in the store's window displays, which includes best practices to follow and common pitfalls to avoid. This course follows a live online format over a span of five days with a set schedule, but you can also customize it according to your availability.

With the pandemic forcing businesses online, the boom in eCommerce has been inevitable. To make sure businesses are equipped for this change, Econsultancy’s merchandising training program was built to establish your brand’s e-commerce delivery through online merchandising. In this full-day workshop, learners will discover the principles and practices of managing and optimizing e-commerce, with a central focus on online merchandising.

Other topics include the art of selling, brand and retail buyer proposition, and aligning merchandising techniques with sales goals. To provide learners with real-world context, examples from a variety of categories and industries are included. There are also various interactive activities in this program to apply and put their knowledge into practice so that they can help increase sales.

Martec International’s online course delivers a complete introduction to buying and merchandising, specifically made for new team members. It details the essential aspects of the position, including retail principles and best practices, allowing new members to contribute effectively right when they start. 

This training course covers the best procedures for planning and managing tasks related to buying and merchandising. Learners explore key processes like sales forecasting and resource allocation, along with purchase ordering and vendor relations. These skills equip teams for strong retail performances that boost sales.

If you have an eye for creating in-store displays, Australian Online Courses’ Certificate of Visual Merchandising is the right program for you. It teaches the fundamental design principles of visual merchandising to ensure that you’re reflecting current merchandising techniques. You'll learn how to increase profitability and how to plan and manage advertising and promotions in stores, as well as pricing policies and merchandising displays.

It covers everything from unpacking merchandising to product placement and monitoring. This course takes 100 hours to finish, which may be quite lengthy for those with a short attention span. Not to worry though, as it’s completely self-paced and learners have 12 months of access to the program, which can be extended (additional fees apply) if needed.

Buying and Merchandising for Online Retail is a merchandising training program intended for those who want to thrive in the digital marketplace. In this course, learners will be immersed in practical knowledge when it comes to eCommerce and driving sales online. You’ll learn how to plan and conduct fashion buyer and brand research for fashion in an online retail setting and put it into practice.

This course also teaches cutting-edge styling techniques and even demonstrations so learners can see how they’re done in real life. This interactive course is conducted live online, so you can ask the speakers questions and get feedback right away. However, if you miss a lesson, the recording will only be available for 2 weeks after your course runs.

While we’ve all heard the saying to not judge a book by its cover, the way you design and package your product conveys your brand’s image and can also make or break your sales. In this merchandising training program by Skillshare, you’ll learn all about package design and how to use it to strategically capture your customers’ attention. It will tackle the discipline’s history, target audiences, unique attributes, and fundamental goals while taking advantage of the limited space that packaging allows for.

While the design of your packaging is what most stands out, this course will also teach you to include a brief explanation of the product that consumers will find relevant. Participants in this program will get a chance to apply what they’ve learned by designing a real cereal box of their choosing. Skillshare courses can be accessed through a subscription, but they offer a 7-day free trial for those who are looking to test the waters before paying.

Great Learning’s visual merchandising course teaches learners how to design and layout stores effectively to drive sales performance. It explains the skills, knowledge, and trends necessary to boost product visibility and promotion. 

This retail training covers different practices for window displays and in-store arrangements that improve customers' interest and engagement with products. These techniques allow your retail staff to increase buying opportunities and sales.

Staying on the topic of visual merchandising, SC Training’s course highlights the impact of well-thought design and brand imagery in helping retail teams increase sales. This teaches them how to use different practices to strengthen interest in the store and its products. 

This in-depth training guides learners through the various types of visual merchandising, highlighting the best techniques and key elements for engaging customer experiences. Retail teams will learn how to maximize points of purchase and display using clear layouts, appealing designs, and compelling messages, encouraging more purchases.

If your learners have little to no knowledge of merchandising, then this course can help them out as it teaches them everything they need to know about merchandising thoroughly from scratch. In Training Express’s Merchandising course, learners will develop in-demand skills and upgrade existing knowledge. This course is available for one year and can be taken on any device at your learners’ own convenience. 

In ten modules, they’ll learn about merchandising theory, product and merchandising management, inventory management and analysis, and merchandising strategy. They’ll also discover more about visual merchandising, merchandise pricing, the importance of consumer behavior, the Consumer Rights Act, and the importance of communication.