Center for Sales & Retail
The Center for Sales & Retail at HWZ focuses on sales, distribution and retail. With the digitalisation of offerings, the expansion of e-commerce, multi- and omnichannel management, the use of AI, and changing customer purchasing behaviour, the demands on sales and retail are increasing. We support organisations in successfully addressing these challenges. The Center for Sales & Retail concentrates on three key areas of impact: research, teaching and consulting.
The mission of the Center is to advance the scientific exploration of current and future developments in sales and retail management and to make these insights accessible to our partners in business and academia. The methodological foundation is provided by our models for improving customer centricity, CRM, sales excellence and retail excellence.
Research
The center conducts studies in collaboration with industry and research partners, supports Innosuisse research projects and cooperates with researchers and academic chairs in Switzerland and internationally. The team focuses on the following key areas:
Customer centricity
Retail excellence: identifying weaknesses and potential in retail
Sales excellence: identifying weaknesses and potential in sales
AI in sales
Customer data management: data acquisition, customer profiling, customer value analysis and enabling sales teams through improved customer insights
Customer relationship management: up- and cross-selling, churn, loyalty and marketing automation
Multi- and omnichannel management: aligning channels from a customer perspective to ensure a consistent experience and increase convenience
E-commerce: logistics and value-added services
Pricing management: value-based and behavioural pricing
Customer-centric organisational transformation
Go-to-market: commercialisation of innovations with a focus on digital offerings
IT: API interfaces and single- vs. multifunction applications
Teaching
The center is responsible for the design, planning and delivery of courses, seminars and in-house training in the areas of sales and retail. Students benefit from current and relevant content that prepares them to succeed in sales and retail environments. Beyond teaching, the Center promotes a stronger integration of business model development, innovation, customer relationship management, technology, sales and retail.
A flagship offering is the MAS in Sales Excellence at HWZ, which is unique in Switzerland. This programme is designed for professionals and leaders with ambitions in sales and retail. It combines the latest insights, recognised lecturers and a strong integration of current technological developments.
In-house training sessions
Sales and retail are complex fields. Each organisation uses its channels differently and has its own IT infrastructure. Based on our research findings, practical experience and experienced lecturers, we develop tailored in-house programmes to further develop your sales and retail organisation, ranging from one-day workshops to comprehensive programmes of up to ten days focused on sales and retail excellence.
Consulting
The center offers its extensive expertise to companies and institutions through consulting projects. From initial check-ups assessing strengths and weaknesses in customer centricity, sales and retail to the comprehensive design of high-performing multichannel approaches, the center, together with its students, covers a wide range of topics in customer centricity and sales and retail management.
