Self-test "Retail trade specialist with federal certificate (BP)": Is this course the right one for me?

What is everyday working life like as a retail specialist with a federal certificate?

A retail trade specialist with a federal certificate is considered a generalist in the retail trade sector and assumes specialist and management responsibility. Retail specialists implement strategic and management tasks, procure goods, manage the warehouse, take care of project and personnel management, apply finance and accounting, conduct market research and evaluate customer surveys. Thanks to their basic business management knowledge and leadership skills, they can take on important tasks in the interfaces with networking and coordination functions. They apply operational management systems and tools independently. They know the right levers for positively influencing customers' purchasing behavior.

The following activities are common as a retail trade specialist with a federal certificate:

• the planning of personnel assignments
• the recruitment and induction of new employees
• motivate and lead your team
• Ensure achievement of the prescribed corporate objectives
• Monitor budgets and prepare cost accounts
• check the activities in their area of responsibility for their economic efficiency and initiate countermeasures if necessary
• responsible for procurement and logistics
• Analyze and optimize workflows and processes
• Attractive product presentation and sales promotion through visible offers at the point of sale
• Understanding the relationship between costs, product range, availability of goods and purchase price as well as sales
• Develop marketing concepts and implement instruments of the marketing mix in order to influence and guide the purchasing behavior of customers
• respond to changes in customer purchasing behavior and adapt the product range accordingly

(Note: The weighting of the individual areas of responsibility can vary greatly depending on the company and the chosen focus of management / sales).

Typical functions for a retail trade specialist with a federal certificate are:

• District manager
• Division Manager
• Head of department
• Store manager
• Branch Manager
• Managing Director
• Deputy of a larger sales outlet
• Work in specialist training, sales training or as an examination expert

Target group and skills: Who is the vocational examination for retail trade specialists with a federal certificate suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?

Target group:

The retail specialist training course is ideal for employees with several years of experience in the retail trade who wish to supplement their practical skills with sound theoretical knowledge and thus qualify for managerial positions. It is therefore aimed at ambitious professionals in retail and sales who want to immerse themselves in business management thinking. The course also prepares you specifically for the federal professional examination to obtain the retail trade specialist certificate.

• Retail employees with several years of experience who want to develop further and take on management tasks
• People with a great passion for the retail trade who would like to successfully pursue and expand their career with a higher vocational training qualification, e.g. through a management position in the retail trade
• Professionals with a managerial function in the retail trade such as: District manager, sector manager, area or department manager, store manager, deputy supermarket manager, regional sales manager, online store manager, eCommerce manager
• People with tasks in specialist training, sales training or as examination experts

Personal requirements for retail trade specialist:

The following qualities are required for a successful job as a retail specialist:

• Enjoy sales and consulting
• High flexibility and independence
• Customer and service orientation
• Good communication skills including foreign language skills
• Motivation and sense of responsibility
• Organizational talent
• Ability to deal with conflict, patience and resilience

Requirements for admission to the professional examination for retail trade specialists:

The following prerequisites are required for admission to the final examination (federal professional examination) as a retail trade specialist:

• Federal certificate of proficiency as a retail trade specialist or as a retail trade employee or equivalent and at least 3 years of professional experience in the retail trade after completing an apprenticeship

or

• Federal certificate of proficiency (apprenticeship certificate) or equivalent and at least 4 years of professional experience in retail trade after completing the apprenticeship

or

• Vocational certificate as a retail trade assistant and at least 5 years of professional experience in retail trade after completing basic training

or

• Without one of the above qualifications at least 10 years of professional experience in the retail trade

and

• Proof of at least one year in a management position in the retail trade
• Proof of all required module qualifications or certificates of equivalence

Some schools recommend a basic accounting course as a preliminary course, as the basics of financial accounting are required. Depending on your previous knowledge, it may make sense to attend such a course before training as a retail specialist.

You will be informed in writing at least four months before the start of the examination whether you meet the necessary requirements for the professional examination for retail trade specialists - in the event of rejection, including reasons and information on legal remedies.

Note:
Professionals who do not (yet) meet the requirement criteria listed above are also admitted to the retail trade specialist further training course. They can take the module examinations. Passed module qualifications remain valid for 5 years.

Subject matter and content of the retail trade specialist further training course:

The subject matter of the preparatory courses for the professional examination for the retail trade specialist certificate is based on the specifications of the sponsor of the federal examination, the Swiss Retail Trade Education BDS.

The course content is divided into the following retail trade specialist modules:

• Company and environment
  understand the pressure to change and innovate in the retail trade - be able to interpret different developments and incorporate them into your day-to-day work
• Personnel leadership and personnel management
  understand modern personnel management (leadership) in the field of tension between economic and social objectives
• Finance and accounting
  understand how to use the tools of finance and accounting for their own work in a targeted manner
• Procurement and logistics
  the various procurement markets and know that logistics costs have an impact on
  Impact your margin
• Sales and marketing
  know the economic importance of marketing in the retail trade and what opportunities can be used to generate more sales

At the end of the retail trade specialist course, you take a module examination in each module. With the exception of Module 1, which consists of a written and oral part, these are all written and are conducted directly at the training institute. For optimal preparation for the federal examinations, the training institutes usually offer an additional examination preparation workshop or targeted examination training.

Costs and financing of further training as a retail specialist:

Depending on the provider and the duration of the course, the costs of further training as a retail specialist vary slightly. On average, you can expect to pay these amounts:

• Course fees:between CHF 7'700.- and CHF 11'700.-
  After taking the exam, you will receive around 50% of this back from the federal government on application (regardless of the result)*.
  Note: Members of the Kaufmännischer Verband receive a discount of up to 10% on the costs of training courses and courses offered by individual training providers
• Examination fees:CHF 1,500 (5 module examinations) and CHF 1,050 (professional examination, as of 2023)
  The examination fee is set by the body responsible for the professional examination. It is paid by the candidate once admission to the retail trade specialist examination has been confirmed.
• Extra costs:At some schools, the costs for enrolment fees, teaching materials (CHF 500 for all module teaching materials), training materials, books, intensive exam training, simulation exams and school diplomas are not included in the course fees. Please contact the provider of your choice directly to find out what additional costs you can expect for the retail trade specialist training course.

*Since 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for federal professional examinations such as retail trade specialist have been financially supported by the federal government. Graduates of these courses can therefore be reimbursed up to 50% (max. CHF 9,500) of the course costs paid after taking the federal examination. In exceptional cases of hardship, the federal contributions are also paid out in advance.

Duration of study, number of lessons and learning effort for the retail trade specialist apprenticeship:

• The retail trade specialist training and further education course is modular (i.e. some of the skills are assessed in module examinations before the professional examination and are only tested across modules in the final examination) and lasts 2 to 3 semesters while working. It comprises approx. 300 lessons.
• Lesson times vary depending on the retail specialist training provider. As a rule, lessons take place on an evening and half a Saturday, a whole day, an afternoon including an evening or two evenings per week.
• Many schools now offer a mix of face-to-face and online courses (online, hybrid teaching, blended learning) as well as self-study. Intensive courses are also possible.
• Thanks to the extra-occupational concept of the retail trade specialist course, you can apply and consolidate what you have learned in practice straight away. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for preparation and follow-up of the lessons and for self-study - how much depends on your prior knowledge, working style and learning speed. We recommend that you allow at least 4 - 6 hours per week as a precaution.

Note: Some schools offer so-called "taster lessons", which provide an insight into the lessons and the learning atmosphere. These are important aspects on the way to successfully graduating as a retail specialist. It is best to contact the school of your choice directly.

Degree, diploma and title of retail trade specialist:

The professional examination "Retail Trade Specialist with Federal Certificate" takes place annually, provided that at least 50 candidates meet the admission requirements, otherwise every two years. It can be held in German, French or Italian.
Candidates for the professional examination for retail trade specialists are notified at least 4 weeks before the start of the examination. The invitation includes the examination program (with details of the place and time of the examination as well as permitted aids) and the list of experts.

The professional examination for retail trade specialists comprises five cross-module examination sections:

1. Practical work (written, 8 weeks - sent in advance)
   • over one or two areas of competence
   • Analyze real operational problems
   • Develop solutions in the form of concrete implementations
2. Expert discussion on practical work (oral, 25 minutes)
   • across all areas of competence
   • Deepening and justifying practical work
   • Linking results to other areas and thinking in terms of alternatives
3. Planning task with presentation (oral, 40 minutes - incl. 30 minutes preparation time)
   • from sales, focuses on at least one of the competence areas A, C, D and E
   • Create planning
   • Present results
4. Role play (oral, 30 minutes - incl. 10 minutes preparation time)
   • from the competence area B
   • Conduct appraisal interview (possibly several partial interviews)
   • Using conversation and communication techniques effectively
5. Critical incidents (oral, 30 minutes)
   • Situations critical to success across all areas of competence
   • Derive concrete steps and measures

Diploma and title "Retail Trade Specialist"

Graduates of the professional examination receive a federal certificate and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected title "Retail Trade Specialist with Federal Certificate" or "Retail Trade Specialist with Federal Certificate".

• In French: "Specialiste du commerce de détail avec brevet fédéral"
• In Italian: "Specialista nel commercio con attestato professionale federale"
• In English: "Retail Specialist, Federal Diploma of Higher Education" (Attention: This is only a recommendation/translation and not a protected title)