Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
As home improvement retailers navigate the changing landscape of retail during COVID-19, the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) is here to support essential businesses. NRHA is waiving membership fees for retailers who would like to register for NRHA’s online training courses. Retailers can access 10 comprehensive online training courses—which include 230 training modules—through May 31 at no charge. Visit nrha.org/membership to sign up, or email NRHA at nrha@nrha.org. Learn more about the available courses here.
NRHA Online Training Courses
NRHA provides online training for every level of career in hardware retailing, covering a range of essential skills that include product knowledge, selling skills and operations. Store trainers can use NRHA’s online learning management system to track employee progress, and most courses include a test to gauge an employee’s level of competency in a particular subject.
Product Knowledge Training
These courses teach employees basic information about the products in their store and how to sell them.
The Basic Training Course in Hardware Retailing takes employees through the eight core categories in a typical hardware store. It addresses features and benefits of common products, discusses frequently asked questions, offers ideas for add-on sales and provides tips for upselling to a better product.
The Basic Training Course in Building Materials Retailing is designed for those working in lumberyards and home improvement centers and addresses the features and benefits of products in eight core building material categories. It covers frequently asked questions, add-on sales and upselling.
Project PRO teaches employees the value of selling an entire project and the impact that can have on overall store profitability. The course explains step-by-step instructions for completing 15 popular home improvement projects.
Selling Skills & Merchandising
In addition to understanding the products they sell, a well-rounded employee needs to understand how to sell. The following basic courses are designed to help employees develop important retail skills.
The Basic Training Course in Selling Skills teaches the basic skills necessary for delivering top-notch customer service. Course topics include greeting customers, phone etiquette and dealing with complaints.
The Basic Training Course in Merchandising helps employees understand how effective merchandising improves sales. The course teaches best practices and how to maximize the impact of every display.
Store Operations
Every level of employee—from entry-level to management—can benefit from a basic understanding of how a retail business operates. These courses introduce basic operations concepts.
Our Three Pennies of Profit is one of NRHA’s most popular courses and is a valuable component of any training program. This 15-minute video offers workers a basic understanding of retail profit and loss and helps employees realize how their actions on the salesfloor directly affect their own success in the business.
Loss Prevention is a three-part course that covers internal theft, external theft and store safety. It helps employees understand how to develop a safe and secure retail environment.
Basic Inventory Management introduces the basic concepts of managing inventory in a home improvement retail operation. It outlines the components of the inventory cycle and how to deal with inventory issues, such as slow-moving items.
Basic Retail Pricing introduces concepts such as pricing techniques, price audits and price shopping. It also addresses price image and best practices for improving the store’s overall pricing strategy.
Basic Retail Accounting explains, in simple terms, income statements and balance sheets and defines common financial ratios.
To access these courses and more NRHA training and business resources, visit nrha.org.
