Oct. 8, 2013 – Retail industry research (available at www.qumu.com/retail) from Qumu, the leader in secure multimedia content management and delivery solutions, reveals that 94 percent of retail store associates recognise the benefit of receiving video training, suggesting video is a communication medium ripe for retailers to embrace. The research also indicates that 51 percent of retail store employees feel disconnected from their wider company strategy and direction.

Training is a key issue for retailers, who operate in an industry that traditionally experiences high staff turnover and relies heavily on front line staff to deliver an engaging and positive customer experience – something that directly impacts on customer loyalty and sales performance.

In terms of how training is currently being delivered, research revealed that:

•61 percent of store associates are receiving training primarily from a supervisor, despite the cost, time and resources involved

•Over 35 percent of respondents received no formal training

•28 percent were asked to read a manual or handbook

Store associates surveyed outlined a wide range of benefits to receiving training by video-on-demand, as opposed to current training methods being employed. The primary benefits outlined were:

•Receiving training at a time and location of convenience and when most effective (57 percent)

•Increased sales performance (49 percent) and a better customer experience (44 percent)

•Better staff retention (47 percent)

Communication from senior management was seen to offer a number of benefits. Retail employees are looking for improved executive communication to provide them with:

•A greater understanding of company strategy (57 percent)

•More connectedness to the company community (47 percent)

•Understanding of activity in other stores (46 percent)

Vern Hanzlik, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Qumu:
“Video is a fantastic way to engage people who work in retail stores. When you think about the demographic of store employees, you are looking at a huge number of Digital Natives whose lives revolve around You Tube, social channels, mobile and connected experiences.

Bringing video training to store employees ultimately means a better experience for the customer in store and we think this is worth talking about. We see a really innovative application of enterprise video in retail stores driving sales, increasing loyalty, improving staff retention and creating a greater connection to the company vision.”

Qumu’s research surveyed store associates in the United Kingdom and United States in order to reveal how training is currently being delivered and what benefits would be realised by retailers utilising video technology.

Full retail research findings can be accessed at www.qumu.com/retail.