rends I training

retailers find that training about an incremental, improvement in retention.

,J Learning emerges as tool.

ing.

This is more than a semantlc sleight of hand. Today learning is more employee-centered than in the past. Instead of talking down to store associates. for instance, there's more listening and greater interaction between employee and trainer. And rather than impose inflexible rules or procedures, learning is now intended to empower employees, at all levels, to use judgment and initiative to solve problems.

7l

E Learning is used to improve retention.

Workplace learning can not only improve employee performance and customer service, but also reduce costly employee turnover. Indeed, Fortune magazine's yearly study of the best companies to work for offers clear evidence that the retailers that provide more learning opportunities have significantly higher rates of retention than the industry average. Coupled with careful hiring, many can bring but real, a strategic

In the past, training was largelY tactical... simply to teach procedures or improve customer service. But learning is more ambitious today with retail organizations using it to com-

Instead of talking down to store associates, there's more listening and greater interaction between employee and trainer, municate brand identity, convey company strategy and gain a competitive rJ Learning proves its cost-effectiveness.

Learning, long regarded as an unavoidable expense, is increasingly being held accountable by stores that want measurable results in terms of performance. More companies track costs and weigh return on training investment, and they're finding a correlation between strong training and strong results.

F

C Uo.. learning is outsourced. According to the American SocietY for Training & Development, U.S. industry spends 27o ol revenues on T&D, about a quarter of which is outsourced. While the retail industry has generally lagged in both respects, there's evidence that may be changing. Mohr Learning estimates that outsourcing of training bY retail chains is growing by l57o annually.

^ |o Learning becomes multimodal.

"E-learning" is penetrating the retail industry, and suPermarket chains have led the way since computer-based training makes sense for a sector with many scattered locations and high turnover. Moreover, the latest simulations can conveY much more than the basic job tools, such as point-of-service and employee orientation and are now being used for key people-to-people skills, including coaching and performance management.

"Driving these trends is a change in the T&D value proposition" Cohen says. "In addition to enhanced earnings or reduced employee turnover, the intangible benefits of learning are more apparent to senior management-the quality of leadership, managing knowledge and sharing it across boundaries. building a customer-oriented culture and developing talent."

R:rnttnr

San Bruno Lumber San Bruno, Ca., has been closed by brothers Al and Bob Stockton

Supply One has found a buyer for two of its stores but will liquidate its other five; the chain previously closed units in Albany and Hillsboro, Or., after filing Chapter ll bankruptcy (see Oct., p.41)

Nevada County Building Supply, Grass Valley, Ca., has been acquired by Pacific Coast Building Products, lnc., Sacramento, Ca. ...

Battle Ground Lumber Co., Battle Ground, Wa., has closed after 76 years following the death earlier this year of owner John Kettenring ...

High Country Lumber Ace Hardware, Bishop, Ca., is considering selling its Cunent site to the postal service and relocating ...

Orchard Supply Hardware stores recently opened in Paso Robles, Antelope and La Verne, Ca....

Sears plans to open Great Indoors units next year in Chandler, Az., and Broomfield, Co., its second in the Denver area

All American Home Center, Downey, Ca., selected Califurnia Hardware Co., Ontario, Ca., as its Supplier of the Decade from among its 1,000+ vendors ...

Lowe's is building new stores in San Clemente and Mission Valley (San Diego), Ca.

Home Depot opens new home centers this month in Great Falls, Mt.; Yuma, Az.; Meadowview (Sacramento), West Stockton and Atascadero, Ca., and Expo Design Centers in East Palo Alto and Concord, Ca. ..,

Home Depot scrapped plans for a Scottsdale. Az.. home center due to resident opposition; is nearing completion in Gresham, Or., and eastern Oceanside, Ca.; submitted plans for stores in Camarillo and

Signal Hill, Ca., and has selected sites in Springfield, Or., and San Juan Capistrano, Ca. ... an armed man robbed the Pico Rivera, Ca., store of $25,000 in cash

Home Depot stores have begun rolling out an exclusive line of Thomasville brand kitchen and bath cabinetry ... the company expects to double its store count by 2004 to 2,300, up from an earlier estimate of 1,900 ...

Do it Best purchasing awards went to ll-unit Dixieline Lumber, San Diego, Ca.; Collins Cashway Do it Center, Loveland, Co.; ftcfts Building Supply, Los Lunas, N.M.; Power Townsend, Helena, Mt.; Breckenridge Building Center, Breckenridge, Co.; Hills FIat Lumber, Grass Valley, Ca., and multiunitMeeks Building Centers

Wrorrsnrns/trrurrcrunrrs

Yard C onn e ct. com, Seattle, Wa.. received $5.5 million in funding from venture capital groups and Louisiana- P acffic, Portland, Or. ; L-P, which considered joining ForestExpress, instead will list its products on YardConnect's e-marketplace

Pacific Woodtech Corp., Burlington, Wa., agreed to jointly develop with Dow Chemical Co. LVL products reinforced with Dow's Fulcrum Thermoplastic Composites

Sierra Pacific Industries hopes to start up its new cedar fence board mill in Oroville, Ca., by the end of the month ...

Belco Inc. hopes to move the first of the year into a new ?-acre yard with 30,000-sq. ft. warehouse, 3,000-sq. ft. office and rail access in Frederickson, Wa.

Mayr Bros., Hoquiam, Wa., its sawmill closed since Aug., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection

DiMeco Trading Inc., has moved from Irvine to Newport Beach, Ca. ...

International Paper agreed to sell Masonite to Premdor for $523 million.,.

Builder Marts of America is promoting BlueTarp's credit cards for contractors

Johns Manville Corp., Denver, Co., is renegotiating its previous deal to be acquired by investors for $3 billion after revealing disappointing third quarter earnings

Woodgrain Millwork, Inc., Fruitland, Id., completed its purchase of Atrium Cos., Inc.'s wood patio door division

ASAP has relocated from Corona to Chino, Ca.

International Forest Products (Interfor) has become the first company with operations exclusivelv in Canada to enroll its foresilands in the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Seven Islands Land Co. became the world's first company to be certi fied under both SFI and the Forest Stewardship Council ... SierraPine Ltd., Roseville, Ca., has been certified by Scientific Certification Systems ... 200,000 acres of timberland in Boise Cascade's ldaho region were SFI certified

Dial Industries, Los Angeles, Ca., has purchased Perfect Sense Products,Irvine, Ca., and will consolidate all operations at its L.A. plant...

Building Materials Corp. of America's LL Building Products 1zc. subsidiary has sold its Security Products Business, Compton, Ca., to the Lehigh Group

Zip-O-Log, Eugene, Or., and Vaagen Bros. Lumber, Inc., Colville and Republic, Wa., are installing P ro gressive Solutions' Lumber Track system ...

New Web site: CSC Capital Purtners, Ltd., Salem, Or., www.csc-capital.com

Housing starts in Sept. (latest figs.) held steady at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.530 million ... single family starts slipped I7o to a 1.233 million rate; multifamily was at a rate of 262,000 for 5+ units, 35,000 for 2-4 units ... permits climbed 17o to an annual rate of 1.506 million.