The working conditions in retail management are usually as follows:

• Retail trade manager takes on a demanding management role
• Activity as managing director, store or specialist store manager and sales manager
• Can also work as an instructor or examination expert
• Good vacancies available in specialist and retail trade
• Retail trade manager works in a hectic working environment
• carry out activities sometimes under great time pressure

After completing the diploma course in retail management, you can take on the following responsibilities:

• Responsible for corporate or divisional planning
• Responsible for achieving the targets set
• Exercise personnel management in the individual branches
• Ensuring compliance with budgets
• Building a long-term successful position in the market

After the retail manager training course, I can attend the following further training courses:

• With a vocational baccalaureate, a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration at a university of applied sciences (sur dossier)
• A postgraduate degree at a university of applied sciences (MAS in Marketing and Management of Services or EMBA in Business Administration)

• Analysis of a case study (written)
• Presentation of the analysis and group discussion (oral)
• Procedure concept case study (written)
• Presentation and examination interview with critical incidents (oral)

Anyone wishing to train as a retail economist (new designation since 2012: retail manager) can do so on a course that prepares them for the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE). The following criteria must be met by the time you take the exam at the latest:

• Federal certificate in a sector-specific field or diploma from an Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE), College of Higher Education or University of Applied Sciences
• At least three years of professional experience in a management position in the retail trade

or

• Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training in retail trade or a commercial high school diploma, Baccalaureate or comparable qualification
• At least six years of professional experience, including three years in a management position in the retail trade

and

• can present all the required module qualifications:
  • Basic module 1: Normative and strategic leadership
  • Basic module 2: Retail value chain
  • Basic module 3: Supporting customer processes
  • Basic module 4: Organizational design and development
  • Basic module 5: Management systems and management processes
  • Basic module 6: Financial management
  • Basic module 7: Information and communication management
  • Basic module 8: Support processes in the retail trade

Training to become a retail manager takes 14 months (part-time). The costs amount to approximately CHF 15,000. The costs for the preparatory courses vary depending on the provider. It is therefore advisable to contact the school of your choice directly.

The course in preparation for the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) in Retail Management teaches practical and strategically oriented skills that are central to management tasks in the retail trade. The content covers various entrepreneurial and specialist subject areas:

• Normative and strategic leadership: development of long-term corporate goals, basic ethical attitudes and strategic orientation in the retail trade
• Retail value chain: analysis and optimization of processes along the entire supply and sales chain
• Managing customer processes: designing and managing customer experiences, service quality and customer loyalty
• Organizational design and development: Establishment, change and further development of structures and processes in the company
• Management systems and processes: Application of modern management tools and employee development
• Financial management: planning, management and control of financial resources and key figures.
  Information and communication management: Targeted internal and external communication and effective handling of information
• Support processes in retail: ensuring efficient processes in areas such as HR, IT, logistics and facility management

These specialist areas form the basis for a successful career in a managerial role in the retail trade. They provide targeted preparation for the demanding federal examination and for taking on strategic responsibility in the company.

As the exact content may vary slightly depending on the education provider, it is advisable to enquire directly with the respective school. A contact form is available for this purpose, which forwards inquiries directly to the desired school.

As a retail manager, you should ideally meet these personal requirements:

• Leadership and social skills
• communicative competence
• Organizational skills
• analytical skills
• marketing-oriented thinking
• Stress resistance

After training as a retail manager, you will usually perform the following tasks:

• operate larger branches or several branches
• Create company and business plans
• monitor, analyze and optimize measures implemented in various areas (marketing, product range design, purchasing, logistics, personnel management)
• Inform higher authorities about the success of the implemented measures
• decide on the distribution of the budget
• negotiate with suppliers and other business partners