Retail Management Development Programme 2027

Our comprehensive 5-day course is tailored to empower retail managers and aspiring leaders with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to thrive in the dynamic retail industry.
Experience a programme tailored exclusively for you, with seasoned Retail advisors, influential industry figures, and engaging workshops. Immerse yourself in an inspiring Retail Safari, offering the chance to learn from experienced Irish and international retailers.

Programme Outcomes

A finished sales growth plan: Develop a practical plan with clear actions to increase sales and put your ideas into practice in your store.
A full training folder: Take home a collection of training materials, tools and resources to support your learning and help you apply new skills in the workplace.
Ready-to-use toolkits: Take away practical tools, templates and guides you can use straight away to put what you learn into practice and improve performance in your store..
A personal leadership plan: Create a practical plan to build your management skills and put what you learn into action in your store.
A peer network: Connect with fellow retail managers to share experiences, learn from each other and build relationships that last beyond the programme.
Certificate of completion: Receive a certificate recognising your participation in the programme and your commitment to developing your management skills.

5 Day Programme

Day One: Sales Growth and KPIs
The sessions will cover a KPI dashboard template, sales and footfall analysis, conversion, and ATV calculations. Delegates leave with a store baseline and first draft of a sales growth plan.

Day Two: Loss Prevention and HR
Day two covers a shrink audit checklist, stock-loss tracker, recruitment, onboarding and absence templates, and a difficult conversations framework. You’ll leave with a loss prevention action plan and a people plan for your store.

Day Three: Visual Merchandising
Develop a VM standards guide, window and floor-plan planner, and before-and-after photo audit. Attendees walk away with a VM refresh plan with commercial targets linked to the sales plan.

Day Four: Retail Retreat Leadership Workshop
Explore your leadership style profile, develop a coaching model, and create team meeting and one-to-one templates. You’ll come away with a 90-day team development plan, and your own personal leadership development plan.

Day Five: Retail Safari
Experience guided store visits with observation scorecards, and conduct a competitor and best-practice review. You’ll end with a final sales growth plan, presented to the group, plus a full training folder.

Speakers

Tommy Smyth

MD, Tom Smyth & Associates

Sandra Devenney

General Manager at McElhinneys

Brian Battles

Pharmacy Success

James Burke

Owner, James Burke & Associates

Alf Dunbar

Founder & Creator of "You are the difference"

Ericka Hennessy

Manager of the Year 2025

Karl Fitzgerald

Store Manager, Applegreen

Lorcan O’Hanlon

Loss Prevention Manager at Uniphar

Katie Hore

Retail Experience & Commercial Visual Merchandising Consultant

Jean McCabe

CEO of Retail Excellence Ireland & Owner of Willow

Empower Your Team Today!

Testimonials

As a small business owner running a toy shop both in-store and online, I found this course with Retail Excellence Ireland to be incredibly valuable. The mix of expert advice, industry insights, and hands-on learning gave me practical strategies I could apply straight away. The Retail Safari was a real highlight - it was inspiring to see how other retailers operate and to take away ideas that I could implement in my own business.

I recommend the Retail Management Programme to anyone. Participating in this programme has been truly transformative for me, serving as an eye-opener and providing invaluable insights into the retail industry. One of the most significant aspects of the Programme is the opportunity to collaborate and share ideas with professionals from various industries. The cross-pollination of ideas and perspectives was both enlightening and inspiring, broadening my understanding of retail management practices.

Would I recommend the course to peers I work with? 100%! From a networking point of view, learning, awareness of how retail is changing and how to adapt with yourself and your team with support from the Irish industry. ...Guest speakers - very engaging to see all different retails sectors. Alf Dunbar gave me a stronger focus on the customer and link sell.

Enrolment in the Retail Excellence Management Development Programme has been a game-changer for me. I have learned how to develop my leadership skills, and effective growth strategies, and gained invaluable insights into optimizing operational efficiency. This course has equipped me with the tools and knowledge to thrive in this dynamic industry.