Create Retail Magic with Virke
There are few industries where the pace is higher than in retail. New collections need to be launched, campaigns set up, products displayed, and customers met with energy, knowledge, and service every single day. At the same time, anyone working in retail knows how challenging it can be to find time for skills development.
That is precisely why Virke, in collaboration with Texcon, has developed the e-learning tool Retail Magic, a simple, practical, and motivating course for everyone working in retail.
The goal is not to create yet another complex training program, quite the opposite. This is about short, concrete, and relevant videos that remind us what truly creates great in-store experiences, for customers, colleagues, and the store itself.
For the industry, by the industry
Technical training and product knowledge are one thing. But there are many other factors that are crucial for how a store functions in practice:
- How do we meet customers?
- How do we treat each other?
- How do we take responsibility?
- How do we create energy and a sense of ownership in our daily work?
These are the themes addressed by Retail Magic.
Through easily accessible videos, employees receive a simple refresher on what it really means to work in retail, whether they are new, part-time staff, or have many years of experience.
Bror William Stende from Virke has played a key role in developing the course and highlights the importance of industry involvement:
– The development has been closely linked to those who actually work in retail in general, and
Texcon’s members in particular, he explains. Their feedback has helped refine the content to ensure it feels relevant to real store environments. The result is a tool that many describe as useful, motivating, and easy to use.
One of the strengths of Retail Magic lies in its format. The videos are concise and easy to complete, even during a busy workday.
– Many stores use the course as part of onboarding for new employees. Others use it as a shared refresher during staff meetings, focusing on one topic at a time, says Bror.
This lowers the threshold for actually completing the course.
Another option is to explore the themes individually and bring them into staff meetings or use them as general focus areas in-store.
– These are big topics that you can never really discuss or practice enough, and most stores will almost certainly benefit from putting them on the agenda for everyone.
Feedback so far has been very positive. Around 160 users have already adopted the solution, and many say this is something “everyone should take.”
For many store managers, it’s about more than just training. It’s about culture.
When retail becomes more than “just a job”
The retail industry has long faced challenges related to motivation, sick leave, and recruitment—especially among younger employees.
Many managers find it difficult to create a sense of ownership and engagement among staff working part-time or in smaller roles. At the same time, we know how much of a difference one motivated employee can make for both customer experience and the work environment.
That’s why several of the Retail Magic videos focus on attitudes and a sense of responsibility. The message is simple but important: employees must contribute, take initiative, and be active participants in the workplace.
– We also wanted to highlight the positive aspects of working in retail. Because retail is not just retail it’s about human interaction, energy, problem-solving, the joy of sales, and a sense of achievement Not to mention the start of a career.
The course therefore includes personal stories and reflections on life in retail, and how retail experience can serve as a valuable stepping stone.
A tool with room to grow
Retail Magic has been developed with support from the Textile Industry Fund, which works to promote skills development in the industry. The ambition is for this to become a tool that stores can benefit from for many years to come.
There is already discussion about additional modules, including topics such as digital systems, products, quality, and other competencies that can further strengthen stores.
But perhaps one of the most important aspects is its simplicity.
In a fast-paced everyday environment, it is easy to forget the small things that matter most: how we meet people, how we collaborate, and how we represent the store.
Retail Magic is a reminder of exactly that.
And perhaps that is precisely why the response has been so positive.
The course is available to all Texcon members via a simple link on Virke’s website.
We encourage everyone to take a look and give their skills a fresh boost today!