Bespoke Retail Training & Learning Programmes | BRC Learning

Bespoke programmes

Every retail business has different development needs. Some come to us for specialist training in sustainability, inclusion, or digital and AI.

Others want the fundamentals taught well in house: how to run a store, how to lead a team, how to trade. Whatever the brief, you get the experience behind our flagship leadership programmes and a network of expert partners we bring in when a subject needs deeper specialism.

Bespoke work is open to all: you don't need to be a BRC member to work with us. Members and non-members bring us everything from a single workshop to a multi-year leadership pathway.

Four stages, one programme that fits

1. Needs discovery

We start by understanding your business: your culture, your challenges and your goals. Through conversations with your leadership team, we identify the development priorities that matter most.

2. Co-designed content

Our team works alongside you to design a programme that reflects your brand, your language and your learning objectives. 

3. Flexible delivery

A one-day workshop, a multi-module programme or an ongoing learning series: in-person, online or blended, in the format that suits your teams.

4. Impact measurement

We help you define success from the start and build in ways to measure the impact of the programme.

What our clients say

  • "We wanted a bespoke course different to typical leadership content, an ambitious ask with limited time and budget. The BRC were flexible and took the time to really understand our needs. Our managers left with a renewed focus on their development and careers. The feedback has been incredible."

    Sophie | The White CompanyL&D Manager
How we deliver

In the format that suits your teams

Some briefs need a single day. A focused workshop on one retail capability, such as commercial acumen or leading through peak, is fast to commission and easy to apply the next trading day.

Others need a structured journey. A multi-module programme takes a defined cohort of store managers, area managers or head-office teams through several sessions over weeks or months, with your own categories and trading challenges as the course material.

And some need a rolling partnership: regular sessions that build capability across a wider population, scheduled around your trading calendar. Lighter through peak, deeper in quieter periods.
Whichever shape fits, we deliver in person, online or blended.

 
Filters

The people behind the development

  • Sam Coates

    Marketing Manager | BRC Learning

    Sam is a marketing professional with a genuine passion for education and lifelong learning, having built a career at the heart of institutions that inspire and develop people.

    That passion is reflected throughout her experience. At Bellevue Education, one of the UK's leading independent school groups, she honed her skills in stakeholder engagement and relationship management. At London Business School — one of the world's most prestigious business schools — she worked across employer branding and degree programme marketing, playing a key role in promoting LBS's flagship MBA and postgraduate offerings. This gave her a rare, close-up understanding of how world-class learning institutions attract and engage their audiences.

    Sam brings a compelling mix of marketing expertise and genuine sector insight, making her a distinctive voice at the intersection of education, professional development, and strategic communications.

  • Kate Vukomanovic

    Digital Capability Manager | BRC Learning

    Kate is a learning and development professional with deep roots in the retail and hospitality sectors, specialising in building the training ecosystems that help retail businesses and their people thrive.

    She spent over five years at Fuller, Smith & Turner, one of the UK's most respected pub and hospitality retailers, progressing from Retail Trainer to Learning Services Manager. In that time she designed and delivered induction programmes for General Managers, supported the development of over 75 deputy and assistant managers, and led training for new and refurbished sites across the estate. As Learning Services Manager, she took ownership of the company's LMS platform and led a team responsible for delivering blended learning at scale across the business.

    Kate now channels that hands-on retail expertise into her role as Digital Capability Manager at the BRC, where she has been instrumental in the design of BRC Learning.

    With a career built on understanding how retail people learn and grow, Kate brings a practitioner's perspective to every learning challenge.

  • Vicki Young

    Head of Learning

    Vicki is an experienced people professional who brings a rich background in HR leadership to her role as Head of Learning for BRC Learning at the BRC. 

    Before joining the BRC, Vicki spent nearly a decade at World Duty Free, one of the UK's most prominent travel retailers, where she rose to Regional HR Manager for the South of England. In that role she held responsibility for around 1,000 employees across 14 locations, leading a team of 12 HR professionals and driving the full employee lifecycle. Her work centred on building strong business partnerships, delivering people-focused change, and developing leaders at every level of the organisation — giving her a grounded, commercial perspective on what effective learning really looks like in a retail environment.

    She now brings that operational depth to BRC Learning, where since 2021 she has led the learning offer for one of the UK's most influential retail bodies, helping shape the skills and careers of people across the sector.

FAQ's

Do we need to be a BRC member?

No. Bespoke programmes are open to members and non-members, and members get preferential rates.

How long does it take to commission a programme?

It depends on scope. A single workshop can be delivered within weeks, while multi-module programmes usually take two to three months from first conversation to launch.

What does bespoke work cost?

Pricing depends on format, length and cohort size. Email brclearning@brc.org.uk with what you have in mind and we'll give you a proposal after the needs discovery conversation.

Can you deliver online or across multiple sites?

Yes. We deliver in person, online or blended, across stores, regions and head office, and we schedule around trading hours.

Got questions? Speak to an advisor