$499.00
Track 1: Understand the Retail Environment
See how the retail business fits together and where your role contributes. You’ll explore how shoppers make choices, how retailers and suppliers work together to manage categories, and how private brands support a retailer’s strategy. You’ll build the business acumen to see how decisions in one part of retail affect the work of others.
Start here if…
- You’re taking on more responsibility or refreshing your skills. Step back from your day-to-day work to see how shopper needs, retailer priorities, and category decisions connect.
- You’re moving into a commercial role from another part of the business. Learn the terms your colleagues use, understand the reasoning behind their decisions, and see where your experience can contribute.
- You’ve recently graduated or are moving into retail or consumer packaged goods (CPG). Get a working view of the industry and practise with realistic examples you can discuss in an interview.
Use your starting assessment to identify what you already know and which topics deserve more attention. When you complete the track, you’ll earn a CMKG Certificate of Completion and a digital badge you can share.
| WHAT YOU GET | WHAT YOU’LL DO |
|---|---|
| ● Interactive online modules | Build the knowledge at your own pace. |
| ● Live instructor-led virtual sessions | Ask questions, work through examples and discuss how to apply the learning. |
| ● Practical assignments | Use the concepts in the context of your role. |
| ● Session recordings | Revisit the discussion or catch up on a session you missed. |
| ● Certificate & digital badge | Show what you’ve completed on LinkedIn or in your email signature. |
How it works: Learn → Connect → Apply
CMKG’s Learn → Connect → Apply approach takes you beyond online learning. You connect what you learn to your own work and put it into practice.
|
1
ASSESS
Find where to focus
|
2
LEARN
Complete the modules you need
|
3
CONNECT
Link the learning to your work
|
4
APPLY
Put it into practice
|
Modules in this track
- Retail Fundamentals
- Fundamentals of Category Management
- Shopper Understanding
- Private Brand Fundamentals
Plus a practical assignment so you apply the learning directly to your own role.
Preview a module: Private Brand Fundamentals
Watch a short preview to see what a CMKG training module looks like.
LIVE INSTRUCTOR-LED VIRTUAL SESSIONS · MICROSOFT TEAMS
Live virtual sessions run every two months on Microsoft Teams. Join the sessions held during your 4 months of access. Ask questions, work through examples and discuss how to apply the learning in your role. Every session is recorded, so you can catch up when you can’t attend live.
Session dates: to be announced. Registered learners will receive the dates and Teams link once confirmed.
4 months access · Online modules, live instructor-led virtual sessions, session recordings and a certificate of completion
Find your starting point
| Taking on more responsibility or refreshing your skills? | Start with a decision you want to make more confidently. If it’s understanding what’s driving a change in category performance or weighing up a pricing decision, start with Track 2: Understand Category Performance. If it’s choosing between assortment, space, promotion or media options, start with Track 3: Explore Category Levers. |
| Expanding into a new commercial area? | Think about the work you’re taking on. If you’re comfortable with the numbers and now need to present recommendations to buyers or senior leaders, start with Track 4: Communicate the Opportunity. |
| Recently graduated or making a career move? | Start by seeing how the business fits together, with Track 1: Understand the Retail Environment. The practical exercises give you examples you can talk through in an interview. |
Want to build your understanding across the whole business? The Full Commercial Foundations Program includes all four tracks.
Planning learning for a team?
We can tailor the mix of online modules, virtual or classroom workshops and on-the-job assignments to your roles and business priorities. Contact us to discuss a focused program or a broader commercial learning solution.