SNEWS publishes first Retail College Handbook for retailers

Soon, as many as 16,000 retailers around the United States will be holding in their hands the first SNEWS® Retail College Handbook. SNEWS has long recognized that salespeople are the front line in the selling process. And as such, each retail staffer is a key influencer and facilitator in ensuring customers receive best-in-class sales expertise in his or her stores — and walks away with exactly what they need.

SNEWS subscribers can get a digital look at the magazine today, by clicking on the flip-book to the right. 

When used in tandem with regular in-store training programs, online testing sites and the SNEWS Retail College website, the Retail College Handbook will ensure retail staff are prepared to help any customer that comes into an outdoor specialty store.

To guarantee retail staffers have the best tools available in their training process, we’ve assembled a team of experts in sales, merchandising, product knowledge and more to help create and evaluate the content that is included in the Retail College Handbook, as well as the companion articles and resources online at www.outsidebusinessjournal.com/retailcollege. The SNEWS team thanks The North Face, Timberland, Polartec, Insotect, Sierra Designs, Outdoor Retailer, and the Outdoor Industry Association for their support and belief in the Retail College.

We want every staffer to be the most well-trained and expert salesperson on the retail floor. That’s because at SNEWS, we believe that only by empowering retail salespeople, with information and support, will the outdoor industry continue to grow and prosper in a sustainable manner. Without question, we believe today’s — and tomorrow’s — retail staff members are the present and future of specialty retail.

Of course, like any excellent college program, we recognize that learning resources don’t stop with our Retail College programming. As an affiliate of the OIA Outdoor University, any registered SNEWS Retail College student can listen into any number of valuable online webinars for free — normally, $99 per class.

We want to make it fun to learn…and get ahead. And, hopefully, if we are doing our job well, sales staff members will find inspiration and ideas in their educational path that may lead to a fulfilling, full-time career in the outdoor industry. That’s how I started: As a part-time, rental check-in clerk at Adventure 16 in the early ‘80s. I had a lot of help along the path that led me here, as well as great training and inspiring support.

With the right tools and great training, there is no limit to imagining where your path might lead. President of a company? Designer of new and innovative product? Head of a leading marketing team? Start your journey today…with Retail College.

–Michael Hodgson