Coca-Cola University to Train Kirana Store Operators in India
Coca-Cola University (CCU), which runs skill training programs for traditional trade (kirana store) retailers, announced Thursday that it aims to train 350,000 people in India by December 2017.
The training will be in the areas of grocery, convenience store retailing and in food services. The training module will be a mix of classroom training and in the Coca-Cola University bus called “Coca-Cola University on Wheels”.
While CCU has been training kirana retailers under its “Parivartan” program for the past 8 years, the module on quality and food services is being launched this year.
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Called Parivartan, the training module has been designed by Coca-Cola University based on two key insights: lack of hygiene and the importance of good customer service, as the most important parameters while choosing an eating-out option by customers, who are on-the-go.
The training module will focus on the owners and employers at dhabas and other small food service outlets and street food vendors, mostly in the unorganized sector.
Quoting to the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) projections, Coca-Cola says the unorganized segment within the food services industry is expected to be a US $45 billion market by 2021. This segment is expected to provide direct employment to 50% of the projected workforce of 8.7 million people by 2021.
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The training and up-skilling of 350,000 people by Coca-Cola University will aid the government’s Skill India program, which aims at capacity building for employability.
According to the company, “Parivartan” – the retailer training program of Coca-Cola University has trained more than 300,000 retailers.
This retail training program equips “mom-and-pop” shop owners in smaller towns across India with the skills, tools and techniques required to succeed in India’s evolving retail landscape. The course content of this training program includes four component of retailing strategy: Customer, Retail Store, Stock at Shelf, and Finance.
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Apart from classroom training, this training module is also delivered through customized learning bus: Coca-Cola University on Wheels, which travel through the remote areas where classroom facilities are not available.
Trainers use multimedia tools including videos, leaflets and presentations to conduct the three-hour long session. Training is offered in 6 regional languages through trainers certified by Coca-Cola University.
Parivartan is open to all retailers and not only retailers who stock Coca-Cola products. According to the company, the program has reached out to retailers in more than 5,500 cities across India.
Coca-Cola India is one of the country’s leading beverage companies.
Photo courtesy: Coca-Cola India
