Future-Proof Your Career - Unlimited Access to Comprehensive Library of Courses

This online training program is tailored for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) & Retail Sales, Marketing and Category Management Professionals.

This program is designed to build a solid foundation in strategic thinking, data, analytic competencies and category management. All necessary for success in the CPG, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), and retail industry. It is ideal for sales, marketing, and retail professionals. Empower yourself, new hires and upskill existing employees in a rapidly changing environment.

Key Features

• Access to:
  
  
• 21 online courses covering various topics relevant to the CPG and retail industry
  
  
• Skills Assessment to gauge individual skills and progress
  
  
• Comprehensive reporting dashboard for monitoring performance
  
  
• Resources and job aids to assist in practical applications
  
  
• Video clips for every topic to enhance the learning experience
  
  
• Digital Badge / Certificate of completion for each course
  
  With the NeXT Learning System, organizations can invest in the growth of their employees and, ultimately, the future success of their business in the dynamic CPG and retail industry.

CURRICULUM / COURSES FOR 2024:

1. Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Industry Basics: A review of overall retail landscape and channels, from traditional to the current omni-channel dynamic.  Includes review of strategies and terminology used by both manufacturers and retailers.

2. Category Management Foundations: A detailed examination of the Category Management process, creating a critical competency in the process and language of how retailers and manufacturers work together to meet shopper needs and deliver business results.

3. Retail Data Foundations: Overview: This short overview provides a big picture perspective of data types, sources, and solutions, kicking off a series of 5 detailed modules.

- Retail Data Foundations: Syndicated POS Data: A review of syndicated POS methodologies, metrics, and functionality, as well as the strategic applications of data.

- Retail Data Foundations: Syndicated Panel Data: A review of syndicated Panel methodology and uses, including shopper demographics, groups, and the components of sales volume.

- Retail Data Foundations: Retail POS Data: A review of retailer POS data, including core metrics not available in syndicated POS.  Strategic applications of retail POS data are explored, as well as online retail POS and measurement.

- Retail Data Foundations: Consumer and Geodemographic Data: Strategically separating the consumer and shopper, this module looks specifically at consumer data with a focus on geodemographics and advanced AI solutions.

- Retail Data Foundations: Shopper and Loyalty Data: Strategically separating the consumer and shopper, this module explores of shopper-centric data in today’s data-abundant world with a focus on understanding loyalty and applications.

4. Pricing Analysis: A detailed review of pricing strategies, measures, and calculations, with a focus on understanding how to assess pricing effectiveness and impact on the business. Includes review of advanced pricing solutions.

5. Promotion Analysis: A detailed review of promotion strategies, measures, and calculations, with a focus on understanding how to assess promotional effectiveness and impact on the business. Includes review of advanced promotion solutions.

6. Assortment Analysis: A detailed review of assortment strategies, measures, and calculations, with a focus on leveraging assortment strategies to maximize results.  Includes review of advanced assortment solutions.

7. Assortment Analysis: A detailed review of assortment strategies, measures, and calculations, with a focus on leveraging assortment strategies to maximize results.  Includes review of advanced assortment solutions.

8. Retail Analytics: Understanding Drivers and Leveraging Insights: The strategic thinking process of retail analytics is examined including issue identification, root cause analytics, examples of proven approaches and advanced solutions.

9. The Shopper: Understanding Behavior and Leveraging Shopper-Driven Strategies: Building from course Retail Data Foundations: Shopper and Loyalty Data, this course connects understanding shopper data to the strategies and tactics necessary to build shopper-focused solutions.

10. Retailer Economics and Supply Chain: A review of key retail P&L metrics with an in-depth review of supply chain measures and strategies, with both retailer and manufacturer perspectives.  Includes a review of advanced solutions.

11. Collaborative Partnerships and Planning: This course reviews traditional Joint Business Planning strategies and processes, with a focus on collaboration and the more integrated planning approaches made available by advanced data solutions.

12. Storytelling: Today’s Consultative Selling: A review of traditional presentation and communication skills required for both internal and external communication of insights and recommendations, with a special focus on data visualization and digital communications.

13. Case Study: Retail Financial Decisions in Action: An illustrative case study that combines a retailer-manufacturer interaction with the evaluation of financial metrics, revealing a valuable two-sided perspective.

14. Spreadsheet Development: A workshop course to build Excel skills that provides step-by-step instructions and leverages data and analytic examples relevant to everyday work.

15. Presentation Development: A review of the 5 advanced presentation competencies necessary in this industry, with practical workshops to build the necessary PowerPoint skills.