Self-test: Is the "Retail Manager (HFP)" course right for me?

What does the day-to-day work of a retail manager with a federal diploma look like?

Retail managers with a federal diploma work in retail companies, where they generally hold a management position and manage teams and employees. Thanks to their strategic and operational skills and industry-specific knowledge, they are responsible for company management, organizational design, product range design, marketing, accounting and finance, personnel management and (internal) communication.

Retail managers with a federal diploma are responsible, among other things, for the sales and store processes, for which they also draw up and monitor the budget, for example when implementing optimization measures and other investments.

Managers in the retail trade have an overview and overview of the economic goods logistics of their company. This includes procurement, distribution, storage and warehouse management, disposal and sales management. Nowadays, these processes are generally computer-based, which benefits retail management, for example by enabling them to monitor and analyze current movements, identify problems and weak points and introduce optimizations.

Retail managers have an interface function. They carry out their work between and within various stakeholder groups: customers, employees, manufacturers, suppliers, politicians and management. It is also their duty to keep abreast of developments and trends in the retail trade, as well as in logistics and customer purchasing behavior.

Target group and skills: For whom is the Advanced Federal Diploma in Retail Management suitable? What qualities and skills are required?

The course and the higher professional examination for "Retail Trade Manager with Federal Diploma" and "Retail Trade Manager with Federal Diploma" are suitable for

• Ambitious professionals from the retail sector who would like to take on a responsible management position in the future
• Professionals from the retail trade who already hold a management position and would like to deepen their knowledge and skills in this area and obtain a federal diploma
• Professionals with management experience in the retail trade who would like to increase their career and salary opportunities with the federal diploma and position themselves advantageously in the labor market compared to the competition

Retail managers should have the following personal qualities and skills:

• Communication skills
• Organizational skills
• Leadership skills
• Sense of responsibility
• Sense of cleanliness and order
• Analytical and networked thinking
• Marketing-oriented thinking
• Customer and service orientation
• Consulting skills
• Independence
• Load capacity
• Stress resistance
• Ability to work in a team

Requirements for admission to the Higher Professional Examination for "Retail Trade Manager" (HFP):

Persons who fulfill the following conditions by the time of the examination date or registration for the examination are admitted to the final examination, i.e. the higher professional examination for "Retail Trade Manager":

• Federal certificate in the field of industry-specific professional examinations (e.g. retail trade specialist) and at least three years of professional experience in a management position in retail trade

Or

• Diploma from a higher professional examination, higher technical college (HF) or degree from a university of applied sciences (FH) or university and at least three years of professional experience in a management position in the retail trade

Or

• Federal certificate of proficiency (EFZ), commercial high school diploma, high school diploma or equivalent and at least six years of professional experience after graduation, three years of which in a management position in retail trade

And

• Required module qualifications* or certificates of equivalence

*The following module qualifications must be available for admission to the advanced professional examination:

• Basic module 1: Normative and strategic leadership
• Basic module 2: Retail value chain
• Basic module 3: Supporting customer processes
• Basic module 4: Organizational design and development
• Basic module 5: Management systems and processes
• Basic module 6: Financial management
• Basic module 7: Information and communication management
• Basic module 8: Support processes in the retail trade

The individual modules of the retail trade further education course are completed in the preparatory courses for the higher professional examination. Upon successful completion of the respective module, candidates receive a certificate of competence, the so-called "module certificate", which is valid for five years as admission to the final examination.

You will find out whether you have been admitted to the higher professional examination at least 12 weeks before the start of the examination with a written notification including reasons in the event of a negative decision.

Note: Even if you may not yet meet all the admission requirements, some schools are prepared to admit you to a preparatory course for the Higher Professional Examination for Retail Trade Managers. Please remember: It is then your responsibility to ensure that you meet the necessary requirements at the time of the examination/examination registration.

In addition, some schools also offer courses without the intention of taking an exam. In this case, however, the admission requirements vary depending on the provider.

Subject matter and content of the training

The subject matter of the preparatory courses for the higher professional examination for retail managers is divided into various modules. The exact nature of these modules, for example their content, requirements and type of proof of competence, is specified in detail by the sponsoring body* of the federal examination, which the schools also follow when compiling the course content.

The modules cover the following topics relating to retail management:

• Basic module 1: Normative and strategic leadership:including formulating normative principles and implementing them in day-to-day work, reflecting on day-to-day operations (e.g. values) and deriving optimization measures.
• Basic module 2: Retail value chainDesign of activities (purchasing, procurement, warehousing, distribution) along the value chain, organization of sales and in-store processes, planning of personnel deployment, correct handling of returns, determination of price reductions taking economic considerations into account, etc.
• Basic module 3: Supporting customer processes:including defining the corporate and sales strategy based on the analysis of customer purchasing behavior, planning and designing the point of purchase (POP), planning and defining sales promotion measures
• Basic module 4: Organizational design and development:including implementation of changes in the relevant work area, taking into account suitable methods and techniques, correct handling of criticism and resistance, creation of communication concepts
• Basic module 5: Management systems and processes:Creation of framework conditions for a productive working atmosphere, support and resolution of conflict situations, etc.
• Basic module 6: Financial management:including making investment decisions, budget planning, control and monitoring in line with overarching cost management requirements
• Basic module 7: Information and communication management:including communication design with external stakeholders and internal communication using suitable communication techniques and media.
• Basic module 8: Support processes in the retail trade:e.g. active participation in business processes (ensuring smooth operations), consistent implementation of specifications

* The awarding body is responsible for periodically reviewing the PET examination and the requirements for retail managers. This ensures that the knowledge and skills taught remain up to date, i.e. that they meet the requirements of the job market - one of the many success factors of the federal PET examinations.

Costs and financing of further training

The costs of retail trade training can be summarized as follows:

(Good to know: The costs for the preparatory courses for the Higher Professional Examination for Retail Trade Managers are set independently by the schools. They can therefore vary from school to school).

• Course fees:approx. CHF 14,500. You will receive around 50% of this amount back from the federal government upon application (regardless of the result).
• Examination fee for the higher professional examination:CHF 1,900 (as of August 2023). The examination fee is set by the organizer of the federal examination and is binding for all candidates. It is paid by the candidate after admission has been confirmed.
• Extra costs:The costs for teaching materials, training documents and simulation exams, for example, are not included in the course fees at some schools. Please contact the provider of your choice directly to find out what additional costs you can expect.

*Since 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for federal professional examinations (BP) and higher professional examinations (HFP) have been financially supported by the federal government. Graduates of these courses will therefore be reimbursed up to 50% (max. CHF 9,500 for BP, max. CHF 10,500 for HFP) of the course costs paid upon application after taking the federal examination. In exceptional cases of hardship, the federal contributions will also be paid out in advance.

Duration and structure of studies, number of lessons and timetable, teaching formats and learning effort

• Duration and structure:Training to become a retail manager takes approximately 1.5 years and is completed on a part-time basis. The training corresponds to the "modular system with final examination" model, i.e. candidates must have successfully completed the specified modules and have the corresponding module certificates before they can sit the final examination.
• Number of lessons and timetable:The retail trade further training course comprises approx. 176 lessons, which are held on one full or two half weekdays, and in some cases on block days every two weeks. The exact lesson times can be obtained directly from the provider of your choice. The timetables are determined independently by the schools, which is why there may be differences.
• Teaching formatsSince the coronavirus pandemic at the latest, many schools have been offering different teaching formats: Face-to-face teaching and online formats such as online teaching, hybrid teaching and blended learning. You can therefore choose the format that allows you to combine further education with family, work and leisure in the best possible way. You can find an overview of the teaching formats in the answers. Not sure about the differences between the various teaching formats? In the answers you will find a helpful link to an overview of the teaching formats.
• Learning effort:Thanks to the extra-occupational concept of the retail trade training course, you can apply and consolidate what you have learned in practice straight away. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for preparation and follow-up of the lessons and for self-study - how much depends on your prior knowledge, working style and learning speed. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week as a precaution.

Note: Some schools offer so-called "taster lessons". This gives you the opportunity to gain an insight into the lessons and the learning atmosphere. Important aspects on the way to a successful graduation. It is best to contact the school of your choice directly for a taster lesson.

Degree, diploma and title

The higher professional examination for "Retail Trade Manager" is held annually if 20 candidates in German, 6 candidates in French and 2 candidates in Italian meet the admission requirements, otherwise every two years.

Candidates can decide for themselves which language they would like to be examined in: they can choose from the three official languages German, French and Italian.

Candidates are notified at least six weeks before the start of the examination. The invitation includes the examination program (location, time of the examination, permitted aids) and the list of experts.

The higher professional examination lasts a total of 9 hours and consists of four parts, which are structured as follows:

1) Analysis of a case study (written, 3.5 hours)

In this part of the exam, candidates are given a complex case study which they have to work on using the steps "Analysis", "Central question/challenges" and "Considerations for the next steps". They prepare their results accordingly for the presentation in the group discussion, for which a time of 30 minutes is scheduled.

2) Presentation of the analysis and group discussion (oral, 1.5 hours)

The candidates present their results from the individual work within 5 minutes. The various proposed solutions are then discussed in the group for 60 minutes.

3) Procedure concept case study (written, 3.5 hours)

In this part of the examination, candidates are given a specific question that is linked to the content of the case in the individual work. They are asked to draw up a corresponding procedural concept (duration 3 hours) and prepare the results for the short presentation.

4) Presentation and examination interview with critical incidents (oral, 0.5 hours)

The candidates present their results from the case study. After the presentation, they answer four different critical incidents on "role", "identity" and "profession". They have to describe what their spontaneous reaction would be in the situation described.

Diploma and title

Successful graduates of the higher professional examination receive a federal diploma and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected title "Retail Trade Manager with a Federal Diploma".

In French: "Manager en commerce de détail avec diplôme fédéral"

In Italian: "Manager nel commercio al dettaglio con diploma federale"

Recommended English translation (this is not a protected title): "Retail Manager with Advanced Federal Diploma of Professional Education and Training"