PCR Module Overview

The following modules are all covered in the PCR program. Each module consists of several sessions focusing on specific aspects of the module topic.

PCR STRATEGIC PLAN: Your Mission and Purpose
· Define strategic planning
· Evaluate your store’s culture
· Review sample mission and purpose statements
· Write a draft mission statement for your store

Module 1 - MARKET ANALYSIS
· Identify methods of research appropriate for your store
· Design a customer survey for your store
· Describe the strengths and opportunities of your store operation
· Focus your store strategy to achieve your goals and objectives

Module 2 - FINANCES
· Read and interpret an income statement and balance sheet
· Discover how various financial ratios are used in retail
· Read data gathered from various ratios and explain what they mean
· Differentiate aspects of the operating budget and estimate expenses
· Adjust fixed and variable expenses to ensure a year-end profit

Module 3 - STORE OPERATIONS
· Become familiar with standard procedures for opening and closing a store
· Examine best practices for dealing with products you sell
· Practice using sales and productivity measurements
· Learn steps to employ category management
· Examine methods of taking physical inventory

Module 4 - BUYING
· Determine the right inventory mix for your store
· Discover how to stock the right amount of merchandise
· Examine effective ways to meet with suppliers
· Gain an understanding of when and how to use markdowns
· Examine a six-month merchandise plan
· Explore forecasting tools and industry trends

Module 5 - MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS
· Discover the importance of integrated and multi-channel marketing
· Gain an understanding of the importance of customer relationship management

· Adopt marketing practices to become "top of mind"
· Recognize different approaches to marketing and which work best for you

Module 6 - HUMAN RESOURCES
· Identify the knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and values necessary for staff to perform successfully
· Evaluate methods for motivating staff
· Acquire assessment tools and develop personal growth plans for your employees
· Discover resources for help on employment law

Module 7 - SELLING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
· Assess your customers’ wants, needs, and expectations
· Understand and demonstrate nine steps to a successful sale
· Develop a deliberate system for measuring and improving customer satisfaction

Module 8 - MERCHANDISING AND DISPLAY
· Find out how to design an efficient, effective store layout
· Analyze and evaluate merchandising and display techniques for effectiveness
· Discover the key elements of effective product display
· Analyze and evaluate in-store displays

Module 9 - TECHNOLOGY
· Use technology to enhance your financial management inventory control, marketing programs, and customer relationships
· Assess which technology components are right for your Christian retail operation
· Identify ways to increase revenues or reduce expenses by using retail technology to automate key business processes
· Construct a project plan to ensure success when implementing a retail system

THE STRATEGIC PLAN: The Executive Summary
· Review and refine your store’s strategic plan
· Write an executive summary for the plan
· Submit strategic plan to CBA for panel review and certification