Accelerated Retail Leadership Program Overview

To get you started in your career as a Retail Leadership trainee, our Accelerated Retail Leadership Program kicks off with intensive field-based training. The training includes a detailed, structured 50 week schedule. Some examples of your first year include:

• District Manager & Office Training
• Perishable Clerk & Merchandiser Training
• Store Manager Training
• Grocery Procurement
• Distribution Center Training
• Setting a New Store
• Managing in a Small Volume Store
• Managing in a High Volume Store
• Managing Licensed vs. Corporate Store Districts

Attached is a printable page with these experiences along with the desired objectives.  At the completion of your 50-week training, you will assume the role of a Store Manager to gain hands-on experience of managing one of our food stores.  This assignemnet is a developmental role and will lead to your desired role as a District Manager for Save-A-Lot. We anticipate your role as a Store Manager to last 8 - 12 months, but your achievement is truly based on your skills & aptitude as a Retail Leader. We believe in recognizing achievemnets & development over time-tables and dates.

Sample Training Calendar

Download this page as a pdf

Week 1: Orientation

• Become familiar with Save-A-Lot history and vision
• Understand the Save-A-Lot methodology - (Edited assortments, private label brands, etc.)
• Understand your role as a District Manager

Week 2: Corporate District Manager Field Training

• Learn methods, strategies and philosophies of merchandising
• Understand the importance of completing store audits
• Become familiar with the product ordering system

Weeks 3-4: Corporate District Manager Office Training

• Learn your administrative responsibilities
• HR - hiring, training, orientation, evaluating, disciplining & firing
• Loss Prevention - reducing shrink
• P&L - Understanding where your stores' money goes
• Risk Management - Creating a safe environment for associates & customers

Week 5: Corporate Perishable Clerk Training

• Improve profitability with effective merchandising techniques
• Understand the importance of sanitation
• Become familiar with equipment operation

Weeks 6-13:Store Manager Training Program

• Gain hands-on training in a Save-A-Lot store shadowing a high performing store manager
• Implement administrative knowledge gained during Corporate DM office training
• Learn proper cash handling techniques to reduce loss
• Understand the importance of proper operating procedures - store opening, closing, & documentation

Week 14: Store Development

• Learn steps involved in site location process for Save-A-Lot stores
• Gain knowledge of store design

Weeks 15-16: Grocery Procurement

• Learn the mechanics of buying
• Travel to Beardstown, IL to observe a pork processing plant.
• Follow the path of meat from plant to distribution center to store to display
• Travel to a produce grower farm to observe first-hand the process of taking commodity from field to distribution center to store

Week 17: Principles of Store Management

Training module designed to:

• Outline universal leadership principles and qualities of good leaders
• Create strategies to improve sales and improve associate retention
• Improve customer service with the store
• Develop skills to improve associate performance and productivity

Week 18: Distribution Center Training

• Understand how product goes from manufacturer to warehouse to SAL store
• Supply chain management - how it affects each and every store

Week 19: Perishable Merchandiser Training

• Understand how to effectively manage produce operations
• Learn the proper procedures for stocking, displaying, and inspecting perishable goods.
• Manage ordering

Weeks 20-22: Set a New Store

• Learn vital steps to opening new store
• Manage the placement of merchandise, ordering of product and proper staff scheduling
• Work with internal departments to ensure all in-store departments are customer-ready

Weeks 23-25: Work in a Low VolumeStore

• Develop merchandising alternatives to improve store sales
• Improve processes throughout the store to improve shrink
• Identify opportunities for improvement and develop strategies to make those improvements

Weeks 26-27: Financial Center Training

• Gain understanding of proper cash handling procedures during financial center transactions
• Become knowledgeable on financial compliance as it relates to the service center
• Become proficient in financial center operating procedures

Week 28: Onward to Excellence

Training module designed to:

• Reinforce effective management styles
• Create strategies to prepare managers for the next level in their career
• Reiterate the importance of understanding profits and loss in stores
• Identify areas within the store that can be improved through training and development

Weeks 29-32: Work in a High Volume Store

• Effectively manage store operations shadowing a high performing store manager
• Identify opportunities to improve product merchandising and increase sales
• Assist with the management of stock to ensure merchandise is in stock for customer purchase Weeks 33-34: Perishable Procurement
• Identify and develop strategies to improve perishable merchandise sales in low performing stores Weeks 35-40 Manage a "Headless Store"
• Solely manage a SAL store assuming all responsibilities as a store manager

Weeks 41-42: Corporate District Manager Field Training

• Implement principles learned throughout training on a multi-unit level
• Manage store managers in assigned territory
• Ensure stores are meeting sales goals and develop strategies for those store that are under performing

Weeks 43-45: Licensed Operations Field Training

• Gain understanding of multi-store management for licensee stores
• Identify the differences and similarities of managing licensee and corporate stores

Weeks 46-49: Corporate Operations Field Training

• Shadow corporate Division Manager and Regional Directors
• Understand their role as it relates to the operations of the store