Skillsmart Retail chairman Martin Beaumont is urging retailers to keep up with staff training despite the challenging economic climate.
The former chief executive of the Co-operative Group told retail delegates at the In-Store Show in London last week that in a potentially tougher market, retailers would drive their businesses by developing motivated, stimulated and informed employees through good training programmes.
"It's tempting to cut training budgets in tough times, but I urge you to keep up with training initiatives to keep staff motivated and to improve bottom lines that way," he said.
Beaumont also stressed the importance of social responsibility and product knowledge. "Retailers need to train staff for world-class customer service that customers will come to expect."