Training retail staff increases wool sales
Woolmark works with brands and retailers to help educate their staff about wool. The training builds their knowledge and confidence to invest in wool product lines, and also helps the shop floor staff advise customers more effectively which increases wool purchases.
Woolmark has been delivering wool training programs to brands and retailers in key markets for many years. More than 80 training programs were delivered during the 2023/24 financial year to international and Australian brands and retailers.
Training is often provided by Woolmark to support brands/retailers with the launch and marketing of a new wool collection, particularly if Woolmark assisted with the product development. However, training can be provided as a stand-alone service to brands/retailers.
The aim of the training is to increase sales of the brand/retailer’s wool apparel and related products, which directly benefits Australian woolgrowers by building the demand for wool.
The training is aimed at two broad types of staff within brands and retailers:
- Back room decision makers – these are the company’s buyers, product developers, sourcing teams and merchandisers. The training provides them with a strong knowledge about wool, the product manufacturing process, and the latest innovations and trends, which stimulates their interest and builds their confidence to stock and retail wool products in their stores.
- Shop floor staff – these are the front-line staff who talk to, interact with and actually sell the products to customers. By getting to understand the superior qualities of wool garments, staff working on the shop floor effectively become ‘product ambassadors’. This training of retail staff is a cost-effective way for AWI to market wool.
Below are three examples of the many training programs that Woolmark has recently rolled out to brands and retailers across the world.
Italian fashion brand Tod’s
As part of Woolmark’s ongoing global education initiative with new Woolmark licensee Tod’s, a group of the brand’s international retail trainers and sustainability managers recently visited the Schneider Group’s Pettinatura di Verrone production plant and the Vitale Barberis Canonico wool mill in the Biella region of Italy to learn about wool processing. This immersive experience complements Woolmark’s global retail training program, which has already equipped more than 150 of Tod’s retail managers from cross the world with the tools to share expert knowledge about wool with their local sales teams.
Indian clothing brand Octave Mettle
Octave Mettle, a popular clothing brand in the north of India, recently introduced wool to its product range. To support them with the launch, Woolmark conducted a train-the-trainer session about Merino wool to the brand’s sales team so they could then pass on their new knowledge about the fibre to their own retail staff. “The session exceeded our expectations. The knowledge and insights gained will undoubtedly contribute to the success of the upcoming launch, and the retail team at Octave Mettle is excited to apply what they learned,” said Octave’s Marketing and Sales Head, Ankur Bhardwaj.
Turkish knitwear brand Intem Triko
Marketing team members from Intem Triko, one of Turkey’s leading ready to wear knitwear manufacturers and brands with an annual production capacity of 6.5 million units, in April received in-person retail training from Woolmark. The training provided a tailored experience aligned with Intem Triko’s retail goals. “The event was highly appreciated by everyone; it was both educational and informative. Seeing the journey of wool from raw material to finished product provided us with valuable insights that will help us guide and advise our customers better in future orders,” said Intem Triko.
Top photo credit: andresr
This article appeared in the Winter 2025 edition of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine that was published in June 2025. Reproduction of the article is encouraged.
