Home / Non-Accredited / Sales, Marketing & Customer Care / Retail Supervisor & Retail Selling Skills Short Course (2 days)
Quick Look Course Summary:Retail Supervisor & Retail Selling Skills Short Course (2 days)
-
Length: 2 day(s)
-
Price (at your venue): 1 Person R 10,326 EX VAT 3 Person R 7,594 EX VAT 10 Person R 5,537 EX VAT
-
Certification Type:Non-Accredited
-
Locations & Venues: Off-site or in-house. We train in all major city centres throughout South Africa.
Get Free & personalised
Training Advice
Retail Supervisor & Retail Selling Skills Short Course (2 days)
Your floor supervisors run tighter shifts and lead teams that sell more, lose less stock and handle customers with confidence.
A store's results are decided on the shop floor, shift by shift. When a supervisor is promoted from the sales team without being taught how to run a shift, it shows quickly: gaps in the roster, untidy shelves and wrong prices, unexplained stock losses, staff who wait for customers to ask, and complaints that escalate to head office. This retail supervisor training gives new and experienced floor leaders the practical core of the job in two days.
Day one covers supervising: the supervisor's role between management and the floor, merchandising standards, opening, running and closing a shift, leading a small team, and basic stock and shrinkage control. Day two covers service and selling: approaching customers, reading needs and buying signals, the retail selling process, upselling and cross-selling, closing naturally and turning complaints into repeat business.
The course draws on the practical content of BOTI's accredited National Occupational Certificate: Retail Supervisor, without the full qualification's time and paperwork. It suits stores that need results on the floor now.
Why this course
For your organisation
- Shifts that open, run and close to standard
- Less shrinkage through simple, consistent stock controls
- Bigger baskets from planned upselling and cross-selling
- Complaints resolved on the floor instead of escalated
- Supervisors who deal with lateness and underperformance early
For your delegates
- A daily, weekly and monthly supervisor checklist
- Practical tools for rostering, delegating and on-the-spot coaching
- A step-by-step retail selling process
- A simple routine for resolving complaints
- Confidence to lead colleagues who used to be peers
What delegates will be able to do
- Describe the retail supervisor's daily, weekly and monthly responsibilities
- Check merchandising, pricing accuracy and promotional displays against standard
- Open, run, hand over and close a shift, including rostering and covering gaps
- Delegate, give on-the-spot feedback and deal with lateness, absence and poor performance
- Receive deliveries, support stocktakes and apply simple controls to reduce shrinkage
- Approach customers, identify needs and present products as benefits
- Handle hesitation, upsell and cross-sell without pressure, and close the sale
- Resolve complaints on the spot and know when to escalate
Who should attend
Retail supervisors, team leaders, section and department heads, assistant store managers and experienced sales staff being prepared for a supervisory role – in clothing, grocery, pharmacy, hardware, furniture, cellular and other retail formats.
Course outline
Day 1 – Running the shift and the team
The retail supervisor's role
- Where the supervisor fits between management and the shop floor
- Daily, weekly and monthly responsibilities
- Setting the tone for the team and the customer experience
- Moving from team member to supervisor of former peers
Merchandising standards
- Planograms and shelf layout
- Stock rotation, facing and presentation
- Signage, pricing accuracy and promotional displays
- The daily merchandising walk
Managing a shift
- Opening and closing procedures
- Rostering, breaks and covering absences
- Prioritising tasks in busy and quiet periods
- Keeping the store trading through power or system outages
- Handing over to the next shift
Leading a small team
- Delegating tasks clearly
- On-the-spot feedback and short coaching conversations
- Keeping staff motivated on the floor
- Dealing with lateness, absence and underperformance in line with your company's disciplinary code
Stock and shrinkage control
- Receiving and checking deliveries
- Stocktake basics and variance reporting
- Common causes of shrinkage: theft, admin errors, damage and expiry
- Simple controls that reduce loss
Day 2 – Serving and selling on the floor
Customers on the floor and complaints
- Approaching and engaging customers
- Reading needs and buying signals
- Listening to a complaint without becoming defensive
- A step-by-step complaint routine: resolve on the spot or escalate
- Returns and refunds in line with store policy and the Consumer Protection Act, as general guidance
- Turning a complaint into a repeat customer
The retail selling process
- Opening the sale
- Questions that identify needs
- Presenting features as benefits
- Handling objections and hesitation
Upselling and cross-selling
- Spotting the right moment to add value
- Suggesting complementary products without pressure
- Linking add-on sales to basket size and store targets
Closing the sale
- Recognising buying signals
- Closing techniques that feel natural, not pushy
- Confirming the sale and inviting the next visit
Putting it into practice
- Floor role-plays: a busy month-end Saturday
- Building a supervisor checklist for your own store
- Personal action plan and close
How it is delivered
Two days, 08:30-16:00. In person at your stores or offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online (in person works best for the floor role-plays). One delegate or a group of up to 20. Workbook, supervisor checklists and role-play scenarios included; examples can be tailored to your store format.
What our clients say
“The training was practical, engaging and relevant to our workplace environment, providing participants with valuable knowledge and practical skills that could be applied in their respective roles.”
“The training went well, and judging by the feedback from the evaluation forms we received, we were impressed by the knowledge of the facilitator and the quality of training overall.”
“The feedback received from them was great. The material was easy to understand, and the trainer was very patient and friendly.”
Frequently asked questions
Can you train at our store or head office?
Yes. We train at your premises anywhere in South Africa, including regional groups, at a BOTI venue, or live online.
How many people can attend?
From one delegate to groups of about 20. Groups from several branches work well because supervisors compare how each store runs.
Is it accredited?
No. It is a non-accredited short course and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance. It covers the practical skills of BOTI's accredited National Occupational Certificate: Retail Supervisor, which remains available when you want the full qualification.
Can it be tailored to our store?
Yes. Share your opening and closing checklists, merchandising standards and complaint policy, and the facilitator builds them into the exercises.
Is it for supervisors or sales staff?
Both. Day one focuses on supervising a shift and a team; day two's service and selling skills apply to supervisors and experienced sales staff alike.
Related courses
Get your price – the more delegates, the less each pays
Change the options to see your price per person, then email yourself the quote and course outline.
Contact us now – we reply within 15 minutes during office hours
Monday to Friday, 08:00–17:00. After hours, we reply on the next working day – or call 011 882 8853.