Retail Training Centers
GROW Nebraska has year-round retail training centers in the Hilltop Mall in Kearney and the Conestoga Mall in Grand Island. There are additional temporary locations at the Nebraska State Fair and a Holiday Store in Lincoln. These retail centers are much more than just retail outlets. They provide members with a chance to learn valuable skills in displaying product, running the cash drawer and other retail necessities. These locations are an effective test market. By working directly with consumers, members are able to see what sells and why.
GROW members also gain the opportunity to network with other entrepreneurs and learn how to create gift baskets that appeal to specialty markets or even work together to produce combination gift baskets. The collaborative nature of this project allows members to present their products in prime retail space they would not be able to afford as an individual business.
Prior to the opening of each holiday season, training is provided on display techniques in conjunction with a networking meeting. Members selected for the retail training program receive a stipend above minimum wage while receiving on-site technical training on how to run a credit card processing machine, effective product display, how to use a scanner with a point of sale system and how to interact with potential customers.
