Earlier this month, NRF Foundation’s Director of Retail Learning Solutions, Sarah Conrad, traveled to Beijing to deliver the first of three unprecedented retail train-the-trainer programs in China.  She worked with local trainers to launch the program, Retail Operations Management, targeting corporate employers, vocational students, and graduates of retail university programs.  We caught up with her and learned that in addition to developing China’s next retail managers, she also managed to explore the Forbidden City, Beijing’s indoor market, “Silk Street,” and became a pro at using chopsticks!

Sarah Conrad, Director of Retail Learning Solutions, at the Forbidden City. Sarah visited China as part of NRF’s retail management training initiative with CASTLE Worldwide.

What did you learn about retail management in China that you didn’t know before?

Surprisingly, most retail management candidates coming out of college degree programs have no practical experience.  They have studied the concepts, but have never put them into practice.  That’s why it was so important that when we developed the new Retail Operations Management curriculum that it was extremely experiential in nature and that students get the chance to get their hands dirty.  The concept was VERY well received.

I can certainly imagine there were some language barriers. How did you manage them?

In my travels I found that most people I met spoke very little English. There were several instructors who had actually spent some time at Universities in the U.S. and Canada, so there were either people who spoke a lot of English fairly well or almost none–not a lot in between.  I had an amazing translator for all my work-related communication, which was a necessity! Hotel front desk staff were relatively fluent and, interestingly, the young men and women who staffed Beijing’s famous indoor market, “Silk Street,” all spoke excellent English in order to capture the HUGE tourist market.  I managed to learn just enough Chinese words to be polite!

What opportunities are there for retailers to grow and/or develop in China?

I was shocked to see and learn about the power of the luxury goods market in China.  Not only was every famous luxury brand represented in the local malls and shopping districts to attract and appeal to tourists, but the Chinese consumers are apparently very brand conscious as well, and willing to save for months to be able to sport that monogram or wear that favorite label.  When you consider the salaries of the typical Chinese worker and that the markup on these goods is higher than in the U.S., it is an amazing realization.  The retailers are certainly capitalizing on this and I imagine will continue to do so as they consider expanding into this unique market.

Did you have any time for sightseeing? Where did you go?

I did a lot of my sightseeing through the car windows as we drove all over the city to meetings. Our itinerary was so full.  I did manage to get to see the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.  I look back now on the pictures and can’t believe I was really there!  I planned to go and visit the Great Wall, but the weather turned and there just wasn’t enough time to really do it right.  So, instead, I did some extra shopping!  Next time I also hope to see the Bird’s Nest at the Olympic Stadium.

Describe your experience working with Chinese trainers.

I worked with about 30 trainers, and found them to be so eager to understand how business is done here in the U.S.  It was clear that U.S. retailers are regarded as experts and they just wanted to know how everything works here.  The concept of constructive criticism is not really accepted in China, and we had some unique challenges working to get the trainers to suggest areas for improvement within their own companies or even among our group. They were all so excited about what they were learning and very anxious to put their new skills into practice.

Did you eat anything that you had never tried before?

Almost every meal was an adventure!  There were lots of delicacies and I quickly realized that Chinese food here in the U.S. is not too authentic.  I tried almost everything and was fascinated by such dishes as pig intestine, jelly fish, stomach and a few other local favorites.  We got to experience Cantonese, Shanghainese and Szechuan style food and I would say that my favorite new foods were all Chinese fruits and vegetables that we just don’t get here.  I will admit that I became a real pro with the chopsticks!

Did you visit any US-based retailers while you were in China? (ie: McDonald’s, Starbucks, Best Buy, etc.?)

The only U.S.-based retailer I visited was McDonald’s on the last day.  We were all missing the familiar tastes from home!  The big difference was that they actually had an option to order right from the table with a waitress.  The menu was only in Chinese however, so we just had to point to the pictures of the food we wanted.  I was curious if they had the same names for their burgers, but never found out.  I can say with confidence that it tasted just like home!

What’s next for the Retail Operations Management program? Will you be delivering the curriculum and certification exams in any other countries?

Retail Operations Management training will begin to be delivered very soon with the next phase being the creation of an Advanced Retail Operations Management curriculum and Certification in early 2010.  Now that we have the initial curriculum developed, we can begin to promote it more broadly both in and outside the U.S.  So far, we have been in discussion with 4-5 other countries who are paying close attention to what NRF Foundation is doing and who are eager to implement similar training and credentialing in those countries.

For more information about NRF Foundation’s retail management training initiatives in China, read the press release.