The courses are designed for convenience store professionals; they offer education and certification, and will be delivered in partnership with NACS and Learning Evolution.

ALEXANDRIA, VA. & LEXINGTON, KY, Dec. 02, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NACS and Impact 21 have launched a new series of advanced category management training tailored to the specific challenges and opportunities of the convenience store industry. Delivered in partnership with Learning Evolution, the new NACS Advanced Category Management online training combines education and certification, offering convenience retailers the very latest in thought leadership, practices of category management and shopper marketing.

The curriculum includes three modules tailored to the needs of convenience retailers and supply partners. Topics include:

• Assortment Analysis: This module teaches advanced skills of assortment analytics. Mangers at this level will demonstrate the ability to integrate different data and software resources to create the appropriate assortment recommendations, including connectivity with space planning software solutions to create multiple "what if" scenarios.
• Space Management: This module teaches managers how to strategically manage shelf space and provide effective recommendations to optimize space productivity. Managers at this level will understand the key metrics used to measure shelf productivity as well as inventory hurdles that are often required.
• Understanding Shopper Behavior: This module teaches managers how to better understand shopper behavior through various data and tracking sources. Managers at this level will be able to use consumer data such as household panel data to understand consumer and shopper behavior within the category and thereby identify opportunities to improve category performance.

The course will benefit all roles and responsibilities in the convenience channel, including category managers for both retailers and suppliers, supply chain managers, merchandisers, planogram advisors and marketing executives. Whether a national, regional or local chain, experienced convenience store professionals will better understand the profit opportunities that come with effective category management.

Each online module can be completed in less than an hour and participants can earn the Advanced Convenience Category Manager designation by successfully completing the online certification exam*. Interested participants can register for the course by visiting: nacsonline.com/catmanadvanced.

“We are pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with NACS to bring category management education and certification to the retailers as well as suppliers of the convenience channel,” said Impact 21 CEO Lesley Saitta. “The new Advanced Category Management online training offers the latest thought leadership, practices of category management and shopper marketing. Learning Evolution has been working closely with Impact 21 for several years to provide online access to training material and courses we’ve developed for the convenience channel. This Advanced Category Management online program is a natural progression of our partnership with NACS and we look forward to expanding the curriculum in the future. It’s clear NACS members and clients want more.”

“Learning Evolution is excited to partner with NACS, the leading industry organization and Impact 21, the leading consultancy in convenience retailing category management,” said Scott Matthews, Learning Evolution’s managing partner and CEO. “Together, we will bring these first three modules of Advanced Category Management to the industry. Our combined experience in retailing and expertise in category management and shopper marketing will continue to bring new opportunities for NACS members.”

Doug Spencer, NACS director of products and services, added, “Our goal is to empower convenience store leaders to offer a better customer experience and make business more profitable. The NACS Advanced Category Management online course is a response to requests from our industry for the ‘next step’ after the Framework. Based on growing interest, NACS, along with our partners Impact 21 and Learning Evolution, we will likely add courses to the curriculum down the road.”

For further information regarding the Online Advanced Category Management Course Series please visit www.nacsonline.com/catmanadvanced or call (703) 518- 4293.

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About Impact 21               

Impact 21 was founded in 1998 by industry experts and former retailers, Lesley Saitta and Lisa Stewart. The company is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. By offering a proven business model for integration of business and technology strategies, as well as a world class collaboration, project, and content management solution, we position companies to drive profitability and enhance their customer’s experience. Our experienced team of industry experts bring real-world solutions to manage and execute initiatives of all sizes and impact. We have a passion for driving business alignment for our clients and bringing thought leadership to all the industries and clients we serve. For more information, visit www.impact21.com or call (859) 219-3040.

About NACS

Founded in 1961 as the National Association of Convenience Stores, NACS (nacsonline.com) is the international association for convenience and fuel retailing. The U.S. convenience store industry, with more than 154,000 stores across the country, conducts 160 million transactions a day, sells 80% of the fuel purchased in the country and had total sales of $575 billion in 2015. NACS has 2,100 retail and 1,700 supplier member companies, which do business in nearly 50 countries.

About Learning Evolution

Learning Evolution was established in 2003 and is a leader in custom learning design and learning management hosted solutions. The company builds and designs unique and engaging training programs for sales teams, management and new hire training fundamentals for a range of industry and companies. Its established history and expertise as a technology company that is a differentiator.

For more information, visit www.learningevolution.com.

* While the Advanced Category Management course does not require completion of the Category Management Framework as a prerequisite, that course would be beneficial to the participant. At the least, an understanding of basic category management principles is assumed for the Advanced course.

 

Impact 21 Press Contact
John Centofanti
Phone: +1 (330) 333-2738
info@creativestreammarketing.com
Fax: +1 (866) 748-4042