News

July 09, 2010

Queen of Shops launches masterclass for small retailers

Small retailers can get tips from retail consultant Mary Portas on competing on the high street, following the launch of a series of masterclasses based on her guidelines.

Overseen by Portas, star of reality TV show Mary, Queen of Shops, the masterclasses are interactive one-day workshops led by trainers from the National Skills Academy and will focus on specific areas of running an independent shop.

The classes will take place in cities and towns across the UK until 25 November. Each masterclass costs £200 plus VAT to attend.

At the launch of her masterclass programme, Portas said: "[The masterclasses give retailers] a real look at how to compete on the massive high street and train them up on every aspect that is relevant to modern retailing."

There are seven different masterclasses:

• My shop, my future – focusing on planning the growth and future ideas for the business
• Retail finance and business planning – understanding the key financial factors that drive the business
• Buying for your customer – buying the right products to attract and retain customers
• Selling and service skills – standing out from the crowd with customer service that brings success
• Creating desire – merchandising and differentiating your shop
• Marketing for more customers – spreading the word about your business without spending the earth
• You and your team – developing both you and your team to create a forward-looking, successful business.

"We all know that small towns and high streets are suffering because of the recession and it's really important that we have a range of retail on the high street," said Anne Seaman, chief executive at Skillsmart Retail, which helped create the classes. "This programme of masterclasses will help retailers make their offer more attractive to local customers."

• For more information about the masterclasses and to book a ticket, visit the National Skills Academy website