GBS BlogPost

How do you train large numbers of retail, supply chain and warehousing managers and aspiring leaders across multiple regions, without disrupting business, racking up costs, or waiting on fixed schedules?

That was the challenge facing a leading supermarket chain. With hundreds of stores, varied shift patterns, and an ongoing need to up-skill staff, the traditional model of set-date courses and long travel days simply wasn’t working. They needed something better: training that was flexible, scalable, and immediately relevant to the everyday challenges their people faced.

We partnered with them to build exactly that.

Create a Corporate Training 'Shopping List’

Instead of designing a rigid programme, we created a rolling list of modular courses that their managers could dip into as and when needed. This approach meant that rather than waiting months for the “next available session”, managers could access training when it was most useful and local to them.

Some sessions were delivered face to face, allowing for rich discussion and practice in a classroom environment. Others were delivered virtually, in real time, by our expert trainers. This meant that staff could still benefit from interactive, live personal development when and where they wanted it. By blending these two approaches, this retail giant could train more people more efficiently, without losing the personal touch.

The shopping list covered everything from the fundamentals of leadership and people management training, to more specialist areas like managing change, leading hybrid teams, and mental health and resilience training.

What Changed?

This flexible model quickly showed its value. Our client was able to:

• Train large groups of managers consistently, without overwhelming their diaries

• Cut down on the costs and disruption that usually come with off-site training

• Tailored content to real business needs

• Strengthen their leadership pipeline, helping people step up into new roles with confidence

Perhaps most importantly, the training felt relevant. Because the client could select courses at the right time to suit their needs, participants engaged more deeply and applied their learning straight back into the workplace.

The Supermarket Chain Reaction

The success of this programme demonstrates what happens when training is designed with flexibility at its core. For this retailer, it meant they could invest in their people without compromise. For their managers, it meant gaining skills and qualifications in a way that felt practical and achievable.

And for us at GBS Corporate, it showed once again that when organisations are given the freedom to build their own training menu, people thrive.

So the question is: what would your training shopping list look like? If you could let your people “fill their baskets, one course at a time”, which courses would you put on offer?

At GBS, we help businesses of every size build leadership and management training programmes that work around their people, not against them. Whether you want accredited qualifications, modular workshops, or a flexible blend of in-person and virtual delivery, our team can help you design a menu that fits your organisation perfectly.

Give our create a courses page a quick scan and let's bring your people closer to your goals www.gbscorporate.com/custom-blended-learning