First Friday announce this week the acquisition of training company Retail Excellence, a specialist training consultancy for retailers. Retail Excellence has close synergy with First Friday in terms of values and approach. The acquisition will further deepen the Buying and Merchandising training and consultancy offered by First Friday. Additionally, it will bring to the First Friday portfolio customers such as John Lewis, Virgin Megastores, Jacques Vert and Bhs.

First Friday is the fastest growing training consultancy dedicated to the UK retail sector. “There is a clear desire in the retail market for commercially focused, job related training”. Said Robin Turner, Managing Director of First Friday. “Organic growth has brought 24 new retail clients signing contracts with First Friday in the last 12 months. Our plan for the next year is to continue to grow at a similar rate. Additionally, we will explore growth through further acquisitions” concluded Turner.

All First Friday consultants have held line management positions within retail, bringing with them an excellent understanding of the sector, its commercial pressures and priorities. First Friday’s training and consultancy skills encompass all functions within a retail environment, from Buying and Merchandising, to Retail Operations and Visual Merchandising.

For Retail Excellence their core capabilities centre on the buying and merchandising function, covering all areas, from planning and sourcing through to replenishment and inventory management. Their existing customer base and extensive retail experience is highly complimentary to First Friday’s winning business model.

Both companies share a similar philosophy that people, their skills, performance and productivity are arguably the most important asset available to retailers. In order to maintain market share and competitive advantage, the individuals involved in every stage of the retail operation must be able to make effective use of the processes, skills, assets and technologies available to them.

Jacqueline Saunders and Tracey Boden, former Directors at Retail Excellence will join the First Friday team. Jacqueline Saunders says of the acquisition: “We feel that this move is the natural progression for our skills. We are very excited about becoming part of a larger company and feel very positive that our customers will benefit from the wider set of training and consultancy options that First Friday has to offer”. She continues: “First Friday has an excellent reputation for training and consultancy within the retail sector, our customers are extremely positive about the move and we now look forward to an even more successful future with them”.

In addition to organic growth and acquisitions in the retail sector, First Friday is beginning to see great interest for its bespoke approach to training programmes in other sectors. These sectors include leisure, travel, and hospitality.

back to top