Course Outline · 2 Days
retail sales planning and forecasting
Retail store managers, assistant managers, retail supervisors, commercial planners, visual merchandisers, floor supervisors, and retail entrepreneurs seeking data-driven store planning and forecasting mastery.
Do you want to increase your store’s profitability? Do you want to run your store more efficiently? Do you want to stop firefighting and have more control over events that affect your store’s performance and total sales? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to create a complete sales plan and accurate sales forecast for your store. Don’t be intimidated by forecasting and planning — our hands-on programme breaks the entire process into a simple, proven 5-step methodology, from establishing your retail sales strategy to selecting high-impact daily sales tactics. Packed with practical exercises, store management frameworks, and bonus practical tools (Daily store checklist, forecast data form, monthly store plan, and sales plan support form), this course enables you to manage staffing and financing needs effectively, eliminate unforeseen cash flow problems, and drive continuous store profitability.
At a glance
- Duration — 2 Days
- Who it’s for — Retail store managers, assistant managers, retail supervisors, commercial planners, visual merchandisers, floor supervisors, and retail entrepreneurs seeking data-driven store planning and forecasting mastery.
- Delivery — Interactive, in-person and hands-on
Delivery methods
- Hands-on retail forecasting calculations and planning workshops
- Self-discovery and critique
- Group exploration and facilitator-led discussions
- Game-based learning
- Best practice retail store management and marketing theory exploration
- Explain what forecasting is and why it is critical for retail store stability and profitability.
- Create an accurate, dependable sales forecast for your retail store using structured forecasting methods.
- Identify and analyse your retail store’s key performance and profitability indicators (KPIs).
- Develop your retail store’s overarching sales strategy and select specific, measurable sales tactics.
- Organise and plan store resources for maximum operational efficiency and cost-control.
- Explain retail planning best practices and build a robust plan to manage staffing and floor resources.
- Plan for commercial needs proactively to avoid unforeseen operational crises and cash flow bottlenecks.
- Use your store’s sales forecast to create an effective sales plan that frees time for proactive business growth.
- Identify potential obstacles impacting store performance and formulate agile contingency plans.
- Analyse performance variances as they arise, alter operational plans, and take timely corrective actions.
Retail Sales Forecasting
- Understand what forecasting is and how it powers retail store stability and growth
- Identify and evaluate different retail forecasting methods
- Follow a simple 4-step process to build a reliable sales forecast for your store
- Recognise and avoid common forecasting pitfalls and data distortions
Retail Sales Planning
- Setting your store’s overarching commercial sales strategy
- Putting together the core components of an actionable retail sales plan
- Specifying targeted sales tactics to achieve strategic volume and margin targets
- Examine real-world retail planning best practice case examples
- Practical hands-on skill practice activity applied directly to your store
Resource Planning
- Understand the serious commercial implications of poor retail resource planning
- Efficiently plan, schedule, and allocate your store resources and floor staffing
- Understand the main store resource classifications and capacity limits
- Utilising floor resources creatively, with YOU (the store manager) as a prime resource
Sales Planning in Action
- Identify the core KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) impacting retail store profitability
- Understand root causes and cascading effects for each critical store metric
- Practical scenario simulation: react to different store status scenarios and create immediate action plans
- Measure, evaluate, and implement corrective actions according to your commercial plan
After-Sales, Loyalty, and Follow-Up
- Understand the commercial importance of retail after-sales follow-up
- Clearly define and cultivate genuine retail customer loyalty
- Estimate the average Customer Relationship Value (LTV) for your store
- Actionable after-sales activities and repeat-visit triggers you can deploy immediately
Competitive review game – An exciting review challenge (PowerPoint Game) to end your training on a high note! Includes bonus retail toolkits: Daily Store Checklist, Forecast Data Form, Monthly Store Plan, and Sales Plan Support Form.
Tell us your team size, dates and objectives and we’ll tailor the delivery to your business.