Managing a retail business does not mean starting from scratch. Leading companies have established clear standards for customer service, inventory management, and retail technology. As customer expectations and technology evolve, industry leaders invest in retail training courses to keep employees skilled and efficient. Smaller businesses can do the same.
Unlike traditional one-on-one training, online courses reduce costs and allow employees to learn at their own pace. This training method is not just for large retailers—small and medium-sized businesses can also leverage online retail training courses to improve team performance.
Key article takeaways
- Large retailers invest in training because skilled employees improve customer service, increase sales, and reduce turnover.
- Pre-built GoSkills retail training courses help employees develop essential skills in customer service, sales, communication, and productivity.
- AI-powered course creation tools, like GoSkills Genie, convert company documents into interactive online courses, making custom onboarding and other retail training easier.
- Among online retail training options, GoSkills offers more solutions at lower per-head prices than leading competitors like Axonify.
Major retail industry players invest heavily in training
Industry giants like Walmart, Target, and Amazon have recognized the importance of employee development, investing billions of dollars into training programs powered by modern Learning Management Systems (LMS).
- Walmart’s Academy has trained over 2.3 million employees, utilizing interactive online courses and virtual reality simulations to enhance customer service and operational efficiency.
- Target University offers digital learning paths, allowing employees to develop leadership skills and improve in-store execution through structured online courses.
- Amazon’s Career Choice Program provides employees with free access to training in high-demand skills, ensuring workforce adaptability and long-term career growth.
These companies know that well-trained employees drive better customer experiences, higher sales, and greater job satisfaction.
Fortunately, you don’t have to be a billion-dollar retailer to benefit from high-quality training.
Online retail sales training for every business size
It’s not just large retailers that have access to cutting-edge training solutions. Small and medium-sized businesses can now leverage world-class online training platforms.
For instance, GoSkills provides teams with the same level of high-quality education—at a fraction of the cost.
With GoSkills’ retail training courses, customizable templates, and AI-powered course builder (Genie), retail managers can launch polished, engaging training programs in days—not months.
Whether you’re onboarding new hires, improving customer service, or teaching employees the latest retail tech, GoSkills makes it simple and scalable for any size business.
Best retail training courses for small and medium-sized teams
Retail success depends on knowledgeable, well-trained employees. Training benefits everyone, from frontline customer service representatives to store managers. High-quality training can improve efficiency, reduce errors, and enhance the customer experience, leading to increased sales.
GoSkills offers ready-to-go retail training courses, customizable templates, and an AI-powered course builder. Combined, these tools help retail businesses create engaging and effective learning experiences with ease.
Prebuilt GoSkills retail business courses
GoSkills’ prebuilt courses are designed to help retail employees master essential skills quickly. These cover key areas such as customer service, sales, leadership, and workplace productivity:
- Customer Service Training – Teaches employees how to handle customer interactions professionally, improve communication skills, and resolve complaints efficiently.
- Introduction to Sales – Provides retail teams with essential sales techniques to increase conversions and boost revenue.
- Business Writing Skills – Helps employees and managers improve their written communication, ensuring clarity in internal and external interactions.
- Time Management & Productivity – Equips retail staff with strategies to manage their time effectively, optimize workflows, and stay organized.
- Team Leadership – Designed for retail managers, this course focuses on leading high-performing teams, coaching employees, and improving motivation.
These courses provide an immediate, plug-and-play solution for businesses looking to improve their training programs—without building content from scratch.
GoSkills course templates for retail training
For businesses that want to customize their training, GoSkills elearning templates provide an easy starting point. These ready-made structures allow retail managers to create tailored courses by simply adding company-specific details.
Some of the best templates for retail businesses include:
- Onboarding Template for Customer Service – A structured guide to train new hires on customer service best practices, policies, and expectations.
- General Employee Onboarding Template – Covers workplace policies, company values, and essential operational training for all employees.
- Principles of Workplace Health and Safety – Helps businesses educate employees on safety regulations and procedures, reducing workplace risks.
- Harassment & Bullying Prevention in the Workplace – Ensures employees understand workplace conduct policies and helps managers maintain a respectful environment.
- Mental Health Awareness for Managers – Equips retail leaders with strategies to support employee well-being and foster a healthy work culture.
By leveraging these templates, retail businesses can reduce the time spent developing training programs while ensuring high-quality, structured learning experiences.
Genie: The AI-Powered course builder
For businesses looking to create fully customized training content, GoSkills Genie offers a revolutionary AI-powered solution.
Genie allows retail managers to upload existing company documents—such as policy handbooks and training manuals—and automatically transform them into interactive, structured online courses.
With Genie, businesses can:
- Generate structured course content instantly from company documents.
- Edit and refine training materials to ensure alignment with business needs.
- Integrate interactive elements, including quizzes and videos, for enhanced engagement.
- Launch polished courses in days, not months, ensuring teams get the training they need quickly.
By combining Genie with GoSkills’ templates, retail businesses can create, customize, and roll out professional training programs faster than ever.
Case Study: Balsam Brands
Balsam Brands, a leading retail company, understands the value of training in enhancing employee engagement and performance. According to Paul Dawson, Former People Initiative Senior Strategist at Balsam Brands:
When people know their jobs better, they're happier in them and more satisfied overall. We've boosted our employees' abilities to implement their own initiatives and apply their skills at work because they now have the necessary tools.
By leveraging GoSkills training, Balsam Brands empowered employees to develop their skills and contribute more effectively to the company’s success. Their experience highlights the impact of high-quality retail training on productivity, job satisfaction, and career growth.
Best LMS for retail training: finding the right fit
A Learning Management System (LMS) is essential for retail businesses looking to streamline training, track employee progress, and maintain consistency across locations. But with so many options available, how do you choose the right platform?
For retailers, the ideal LMS should offer:
- Retail-specific training content for customer service, sales, and compliance.
- Customizable learning paths for different roles—cashiers, sales reps, managers, and corporate teams.
- Mobile-friendly, bite-sized lessons that fit into busy retail schedules.
- Engaging features like quizzes and interactive content to keep employees motivated.
- Cost-effective, scalable pricing that works for both small stores and large chains.
Comparing LMS options for retail training
Below, we compare three leading LMS platforms—GoSkills, Axonify, and EdApp—to see how they meet the unique needs of retail businesses.
1. GoSkills LMS: more training options at a lower cost
GoSkills stands out by offering the widest range of retail training solutions at a fraction of the cost of its competitors. While other platforms provide either prebuilt courses or custom course creation, GoSkills combines:
- Prebuilt Retail Training Courses – Ready-made courses in customer service, sales, time management, and leadership, designed for retail teams.
- Customizable Course Templates – Prestructured training blueprints for onboarding, compliance, and workplace safety, saving time and effort.
- Genie: AI-Powered Course Builder – Instantly converts company documents (policies, training manuals, SOPs) into interactive, engaging courses.
Key Benefit: More flexibility for less money. Unlike Axonify and EdApp, GoSkills lets retailers choose between ready-made courses or creating their own, without expensive custom development fees.
2. Axonify: AI-Driven, adaptive learning
Axonify focuses on microlearning with AI-driven course recommendations based on employees’ past performance.
- Personalized customer service and sales training powered by AI.
- Short, daily training sessions reinforce key retail skills.
- Advanced compliance tracking for OSHA, workplace safety, and HR policies.
Key drawback: While effective for reinforcing knowledge, Axonify lacks flexibility for retailers who want full control over their training content. Creating custom courses is more expensive compared to GoSkills.
3. EdApp: a budget-friendly LMS with prebuilt courses
EdApp offers a mobile-first training experience with a library of off-the-shelf retail training courses.
- Basic customer service and sales courses available at low cost.
- Peer-to-peer learning features for collaborative training.
- Simple compliance modules for HR and workplace safety.
Key drawback: EdApp’s prebuilt courses are not as customizable, and retailers can’t easily turn their own company policies into training content like they can with GoSkills Genie.
Why GoSkills is the best LMS for retail training
For small and medium-sized retailers, GoSkills offers more training options at a lower price than Axonify or EdApp.
Retailers can choose from ready-made courses, customize templates, or instantly build training from company documents—giving them complete flexibility without breaking the budget.
Conclusion: invest in training like the biggest retailers
Major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target have already invested billions in employee training—because they know a well-trained workforce drives success.
The good news? You don’t need a billion-dollar budget to train your team. With GoSkills, your team can define the best retail training courses based on their specific needs. With pre-built retail training courses, customizable templates, and AI-powered Genie, small and medium-sized retailers can upskill their employees efficiently and affordably.
Don’t let outdated training hold your business back. Start delivering world-class training today—just like the biggest names in retail.
And the best part? You can try it for free. Contact us and book a demo today to see what our LMS can do for your retal workforce.
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