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Your training system says “complete.” Your pro customers tell a different story.

Pro customers make up a small share of those who walk through your doors and a disproportionate share of what they spend. When product knowledge, pro account service, and associate readiness aren't consistent, that's the relationship at risk — at the pro desk, on the sales floor, and in the parking lot rental line.

When execution breaks down, commercial goods retailers feel it immediately.

Most systems in place today were built to track training completions. They weren't built to make sure every associate, pro desk rep, and store manager can execute consistently when it matters most. That gap shows up in the numbers before it appears in a report: a Wharton School study found that trained sales associates were 46% more productive than untrained peers, with roughly half of that lift attributable to training itself. In commercial goods retail, performance gaps show up in:

Inconsistent product knowledge

across a broad SKU range of tools, hardware, and building materials

Missed opportunities

to convert pro and contractor accounts into repeat business

Inconsistent execution

of safety protocols on tool demos, rentals, and equipment

Store Managers

spending time re-training instead of coaching performance

Slow new hire

ramp-up and turnover that outpaces the industry average before associates reach full productivity

What high-performing commercial goods retailers do differently

High-performing retailers in this space don't just deliver training. They make sure employees can execute consistently, whether they're helping a first-time DIYer or a contractor on a deadline — and whether that contractor represents 5% of foot traffic or half of store revenue.

Help associates become productive faster without pulling managers off the floor.

The risk isn't changing your training system. It's what you miss while you wait.

This isn't about replacing your training system. It's about moving from one that tracks completions to one that surfaces capability gaps and improves performance across every store. That gap carries real weight: pro customers can account for as little as 3–10% of shoppers at a commercial goods retailer while generating half or more of total sales revenue. A weak pro interaction doesn't cost you one sale — it risks the relationship carrying the store.

What feels risky

Switching systems across stores feels disruptive

Teams may resist something new

Training feels "good enough" for now

Rolling out across a growing store count feels complex

Implementation takes time

What's actually risky

Performance gaps keep affecting the pro relationship and store results

Store teams aren't consistently engaging with the current system today

You can't see readiness gaps until a missed sale or safety issue surfaces them

Operational variability becomes accepted as normal

Inconsistent execution keeps costing pro accounts in the meantime

Leading commercial goods retailers are shifting from training systems to workforce performance systems

You're not just changing systems — you're changing how workforce performance gets managed

Move from tracking training to strengthening workforce capability

Drive adoption across frontline store teams without disrupting operations

Improve consistency across stores, regions, and roles

What success looks like in commercial goods retail

18% sales increase. 30% less turnover. Manager onboarding 4x faster. Friedman's Home Improvement runs frontline learning on Schoox — with an 18% sales increase, a 20% upsell conversion lift, and roughly $400,000 in savings.
  • Store managers spend less time on individual training and more time running the floor
  • New hires contribute faster, before turnover erases the investment — a real difference in an industry where annual turnover commonly runs near 60% and best-in-class retailers hold it to 30–40%
  • Manager onboarding accelerated from a year to three months
  • Associates feel more confident helping pro customers and closing the sale
  • Employees see clear growth paths and are more likely to stay

Learning at Scale, Operational Consistency Everywhere

The Fresh Market runs frontline learning on Schoox — and was named one of USA Today’s Best Customer Service Companies in America in 2025.

12,000

associates

168

locations

22

states

1

platform

Tim Seavey

Training Specialist

“There is accountability and standardization around procedures and processes for all frontline jobs. Everyone knows where to go for information.”

Melissa Lepiane

Training Manager, Friedman’s Home Improvement

“Schoox is the most impactful investment we have made in the past ten years for our training program.”

Completion rates don’t run your stores

Get a practical guide built for retail leaders who need learning to influence real business outcomes, not just completion rates.
You’ll learn:
  • How workforce skills influence sales performance, customer experience, and retention
  • Why completion rates don’t tell the full story and what to measure instead
  • How to improve onboarding, store consistency, and workforce readiness across every location

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Is your current approach built for commercial goods retail?

Can you see where workforce capability gaps are forming before they affect a pro account or a sale?

Most organizations only catch gaps after they show up in lost sales or safety issues. High-performing retailers surface them early — especially given how much revenue rides on the pro relation...

Can training happen in the flow of work without pulling associates off the floor?

In many organizations, training still competes with store priorities. The most effective retailers build learning into the shift itself.

Can you connect workforce readiness to outcomes like sales, safety, and retention?

Training is often measured by completions rather than results. Leading retailers focus on how capability drives the metrics that matter — sales per associate, transaction value, and time-to-pr...

Can you maintain consistency across stores while giving local managers flexibility?

As store counts grow, consistency gets harder to hold. Strong retailers balance centralized standards with local flexibility without adding administrative weight.

Consistency doesn't happen by accident. It's built shift by shift.

The question isn't whether training is happening. It's whether associates are ready to execute in every store, every day. High-performing retailers don't just deliver training — they strengthen workforce performance.

Download our retail playbook now.

Download Schoox's Retail Playbook to boost frontline performance, reduce turnover, and turn training into measurable business results.
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