This course is designed for food retailers who sell alcohol.  Alcohol sales are strictly regulated, so associates will occasionally have to refuse a sale to a minor or a person who is intoxicated.

Additionally, this course explains the effect alcohol has on behavior, defines blood alcohol content, classifies legal forms of identification and discusses what to do with fake IDs.

Duration: 1.25 hours

Assistant bakery managers must develop the necessary tools for improving department operations and sales.  This includes understanding consumers, keeping track of, promoting and displaying products and managing daily operations, such as sanitation and scheduling.

In this course, you will develop all of these skills, as well as learn how to effectively merchandise and provide the best possible service through team building and empowering your associates.

Duration: 3 hours

When people talk about knowing the difference between right and wrong, they are talking about ethics.  But what are ethics, and why are they important in the workplace?

In this course, you will learn the definition of ethics and identify the differences between ethical and unethical behavior.  You will also be able to take a self-assessment to help you determine how ethical your work performance currently is.


Duration: 45 minutes

Assistant deli managers must develop the necessary tools for improving department operations and sales.  This includes differentiating the department from the competition and satisfying consumers' need for convenience.

In this course, you will develop all of these skills, learn about new deli products, provide improved services and increase your understanding of the deli department's day-to-day operations.

Duration: 3.5 hours

The responsibilities of a bakery clerk extend beyond slicing bread and baking cakes.  Bakery clerks must be knowledgeable about the products in the bakery.  They must know the step-by-step processes of product preparation, as well as ways to sell those products and maintain sanitation standards.

As a bakery clerk, you should develop your knowledge and skills in all of these areas to deliver the best possible bakery products to your consumers.

Duration: 3 hours

This is a curriculum of 17 courses.  The goal of this curriculum is to help you develop expert knowledge and appreciation of beer.  It covers a wide range of subjects, from brewing to using beer in culinary cuisine.

Duration: 2.5 hours

As an integral part of the supermarket team, cashiers must know the proper procedure for a wide range of situations and subjects.  They operate the checkout system and its components, identify products, handle money and payments, prevent shrink, bag orders and maintain the front end.

As a cashier, it is vital that you develop your skills and knowledge in all of these areas in order to enhance your store's image, contribute to daily operations and better serve your consumers.

Duration: 4.25 hours

Shelf space is often scarce due to a constant supply of new products.  Retailers are frequently challenged when deciding what products to add to the inventory, where to place them and at what price, as well as how to promote them.

The category management process is designed to help retailers and suppliers successfully manage shelf space.  This course helps you understand how to develop categories through collaboration and focus on the consumer and market.

Duration: 3 hours

With more than 300 different varieties, cheese is one of the fastest growing industries.  Cheese specialists must understand how to contribute to a profitable cheese department by knowing the differences between each of the cheese varieties and how to market them.

As a cheese specialist, you must develop in-depth knowledge about cheese in order to attend to the needs of consumers interested in purchasing cheese products.

Duration: 3.5 hours

The duties of a convenience store cashier extend beyond simple checkout procedures.  Cashiers must have a thorough understanding of every type of payment, as well as what to do with lottery tickets and how to bag products.  Cashiers should also know how to behave in dangerous situations like robberies.

In this course, you will learn the basics of being a convenience store cashier, which includes everything from checkout procedures to preventing theft of merchandise.

Duration: 1 hour

The consumer is the most important person in the convenience store; if a consumer is unsatisfied, he or she may choose to shop at a competitor or different retail store format, such as a supermarket with a fuel center.  However, if convenience store associates give consumers extraordinary and friendly service, the consumer will most likely return to the store in the future.

As a convenience store sales associate, you have a responsibility to provide friendly, efficient and professional service to each and every consumer who enters your store.

Duration: 1.5 hours

A convenience store associate is often challenged to complete a variety of task accurately and efficiently, even if he or she is the only person in the store.

In this course, you will learn some of the key convenience store tasks you should perform.  This includes keeping both the interior and exterior of the store clean and organized, as well as the responsibilities associated with gasoline.

Duration: 1 hour

A courtesy clerk is often the first associate consumers see when they walk into the store and the last one they see before walking out.  So when consumers return home and find their eggs are broken and bread is crushed, they not only blame the courtesy clerk, but they also may choose not to buy from the store again.

As a courtesy clerk, it is your responsibility to avoid this outcome by properly bagging and carrying out consumers' orders.

Duration: 2 hours

Due to increased competition, providing customer service is a necessity in the supermarket industry.  Consumers who are not satisfied with the service they receive can easily take their business elsewhere.  They will often inconvenience themselves by spending more money and traveling farther if it means doing business with a company that appreciates them.

For this reason, it is vital that you learn how to provide exceptional service that builds relationships and keeps consumers coming back.

Duration: 2.5 hours

For many associates, the supermarket industry provides their first experience in a professional workplace.  For this reason, they must learn professional etiquette and understand that a workplace is always courteous, conscientious and businesslike.

To better serve your consumers and contribute to your store's team, it is vital that you learn about professionalism and proper workplace etiquette in the supermarket.

Duration: 2 hours

A clean and organized food distribution center is a direct reflection of the logistics management team and the corporation, because it reveals the attitude of the entire workplace. When the facility looks good, the entire operation works more efficiently, experiences significantly less damage, encourages customer service, has positive morale and creates a positive impact on associate safety.

This course helps DCs understand food sanitation regulations, particularly in the United States, as well as how to implement a successful food policy program.

Duration: 2 hours

Information has become the lifeline of the global food distribution system.  Almost every job performed in the supply chain process interacts with multiple computers that provide an overwhelming amount of data from virtually anywhere in the world.  This data is translated into meaningful reports, emails, scorecards and instant messages, providing current feedback on critical issues, problems and successes. 

The course arms distribution center IT teams with up-to-date insight into current technological and strategic practices.  These insights will help the entire logistics team be more professional and more effective, giving them the ability to make better decisions in a dynamic operating business environment.

Duration: 1.75 hours

Inventory management is an imperative part of every food distribution center, because the inventory management team must make decisions that affect the entire operation. In this course, you will learn about the responsibilities of inventory management, which include: verification of product counts and dollar values, making adjustments to inventory count and ensuring all products are in the correct location.

In this course, you will learn basic information and techniques to help ensure a smooth loading and shipping operation. This, in turn, will lead to greater overall efficiency in the DC and great customer satisfaction.

Duration: 2 hours

The loading and shipping process can be challenging. It requires a great deal of logistics, from organizing a shipping schedule to checking orders, to utilizing the right trailers and equipment to transport customer orders. Coordination is required at both the distribution center and the customer's store location, as well as between the order selectors and drivers.

In this course, you will learn basic information and techniques to help ensure a smooth loading and shipping operation. This, in turn, will lead to greater overall efficiency in the DC and great customer satisfaction.

Duration: 2 hours

The third step in the food distribution center cycle of operations, the order selection process, is often considered the most important. This is because it accounts for the largest single element of operating costs.

In this course, you will learn about the equipment and systems used during order selection, as well as its history and common best practices.

Duration: 2.5 hours

The receiving function is incredibly important to the entire food distribution operation. This is because it initiates the movement of products into the center and sets the pace of product movement.

In this course, you will learn the various delivery methods and best practices of efficient receiving operations. This knowledge will help you ensure that an exemplary inbound receiving operation contributes to your center's success.

Duration: 1.25 hours

Risk management is a vital component of the food distribution operation.  Risk management includes predictions and investments in security that are designed to prevent situations that would be damaging to the company.

In this course, you will learn the procedures and challenges associated with security, loss prevention and risk management.  This knowledge will help deter and prevent theft by ensuring that inventory is maintained and delivered to customers as promised.

Duration: 2 hours

Storage and replenishment is a complex function in the distribution center. It ensures that product is received and stored in specific areas, and it requires a great deal of communication between teams.

This course will familiarize you with the different types of storage and equipment used in this function, and teach you how to putaway product and measure the performance of the entire storage and replenishment operation.

Duration: 2.25 hours

Second only to the front end, the deli department has the most interactions with consumers.  Deli clerks take orders and offer suggestions.  They are responsible for product storage and preparation while ensuring all food safety and sanitation measures are met.

As a deli clerk, it is important for you to follow the suggestions given by the FDA's Food Code and develop the skills necessary to better serve the consumers who visit your store's deli department.

Duration: 4.5 hours

Consumers who visit the floral department appreciate having fresh flowers in their home or giving flowers as gifts. In grocery stores across the United States, roses, bouquets, and potted blooming flowers account for 79% of floral sales.

As a floral clerk, it is imperative that you properly care for and handle the flowers and bouquets in the floral department.  You should develop the skills necessary to contribute to your store's overall sales and meet the expectations of your consumers.

Duration: 2 hours

Food Logistics I is the first course in the Food Logistics library; the course focuses on introductory definitions to help initiate you to the food distribution system. This includes the history of food distribution, essential rules, and specific types of warehouses and distribution centers.

Upon completion, this course will have provided a foundation of knowledge for the other courses in the Food Logistics library, as well as the basic implementation of successful food distribution.

Duration: 1 hour

Food Logistics II is the second course in the Logistics library and serves as a follow up to Food Logistics I. This course focuses on important management and organizational practices when planning, building and structuring a new food distribution center. A plan is presented that includes market research, a site study analysis, materials handling, building design and transportation integration.

Upon completion, this course will have provided you with the basic steps for developing and organizing a new food distribution center.

Duration: 2 hours

The food retailing industry is constantly changing. Fluctuating food and shopping trends have a large impact on the industry and should play an important role in how a supermarket business is run.  In order to better serve consumers, savvy retailers must understand and adapt to the industry’s changing conditions.

This course will keep you up-to-date on recent industry, lifestyle and consumer changes and how they affect the role of the supermarket.

Duration: 2.5 hours

This is a curriculum of 4 courses.  The goal of this curriculum is to help you meet state compliance in regards to food safety and sanitation and prepare to take your state's food handler certification examination.  It covers a wide range of subjects, from food-borne illnesses to safety programs and regulations.

Duration: 8 hours

Public health has seen vast improvements in recent years, but nevertheless, there are still cases of food-borne illness that can result in hospitalization, or even death.

You—as a representative of the food retail industry—may be one of the last people to handle a consumer's food before it reaches his or her home.  For this reason, it is vital that you ensure your store is sanitized and the food you sell is safe for your consumers to eat.

Duration: 50 minutes

Fresh food offerings are the most critical success factor in the rapidly changing Asian food retail market, but what do consumers in Asia view as "excellence" in fresh food? What drivers determine their product and retailer choices?

The Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council (CCRRC) Asia commissioned the "Fresh Imperative" survey in order to understand what consumers view as excellence in fresh food retailing and what drivers determine not only their choice of product, but also their choice of retailer. From there, the study seeks to identify leading practices in the key areas of retail operations, as well as how these practices can be developed to improve retailers' fresh food offerings.

© 2009 The Coca-Cola Company

Duration: 1 hour

High traffic in the frozen food and dairy departments creates a large product turnover.  For this reason, the frozen food and dairy department must develop efficient customer service.

As a frozen foods and dairy clerk, your responsibilities include ordering, receiving, storing, stocking and ensuring safety standards.  You must develop your skills in these areas in order to provide your consumers with the right products and the service they demand.

Duration: 3 hours

In the future, consumers will strongly connect the food they eat with health and wellness.  Food stores are perfectly positioned to take up the role of a new "health destination" in consumers' lives.  If you do not take advantage of this opportunity, you risk losing parts of your business base.

A Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council study, "Connecting the Dots Between Food and Health," will give you a strategic planning tool—a map of the future of health and wellness in food retailing—as well as instructions on how to use it.  Additionally, this study details a range of health and wellness actions being used by food retailers today.

© 2009 The Coca-Cola Company

Duration: 2.25 hours

It is imperative that supermarkets receive and keep products on the shelves so that consumers can find what they are looking for.  For this reason, grocery stockers are a vital part of the supermarket team.

As a grocery stocker, it is your responsibility to receive, stock, display and locate products.  Additionally, you must interact with consumers and suggestive sell to help increase your store's profits.

Duration: 2.5 hours

The consumer population is becoming increasingly concerned with healthier diets.  For this reason, it is vital that food retail associates understand the impact food has on health.

This course provides you with up-to-date nutrition information, as well as innovative tools to further your commitment to living a healthy lifestyle.  By developing a better understanding of how the things you eat influence your own health, you will be better equipped to serve the health-conscious consumers who visit your store.

Duration: 2.25 hours

In this course, you will learn about many of today's top and most unique retail food store chains in the United States. This course outlines how these stores differentiate themselves from the competition. You will learn about these stores' company overview, human resources and finances.

By learning what others are doing, you will be able to adapt successful business formats into your own store's practices.

Duration: 3 hours

This is a curriculum of 4 courses.  The goal of this curriculum is to provide you with shopper-centric solutions designed to improve the consumer shopping experience within your store.  This includes several subjects, such as advertising to deliver increased sales and profit.

Duration: 45 minutes

Many food retailers focus their attention on promotion, merchandising and category management but ignore the important subject of loss prevention.  Theft and lost product can have a detrimental effect on store profit, yet many stores do not provides resources to help solve loss prevention issues.

This course focuses on the ignored issue of loss prevention, helping you provide solutions to control loss and increase your store's bottom line.

Duration: 4 hours

"Getting to Great," a Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council study, offers an entirely fresh look at great store performance, one that goes well beyond the traditional bottom line.

In this course you will study "Getting to Great" and see how three factors—store sales versus sales potential, customer loyalty and employee loyalty—combine to set great-performing stores apart from those that only produce a solid profit.  You will also learn about the four management practices that are always applied in great-performing stores but may be uncommon or non-existent in lesser-performing stores.

Whether you operate one store or 100, the lessons learned in this course will help improve store performance.

© 2009 The Coca-Cola Company

Duration: 1.5 hours

To remain successful in an increasingly competitive and fast-paced market, food retailers need a dedicated workforce.  Passion, creativity and superior know-how in all customer-facing activities can separate the winners from the losers in the food retail marketplace.

In this course you will examine the Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council study "A Leadership People Strategy for Food Retailers" and identify relevant employment issues and trends in food retailing.  The study emphasizes a need for food retailers to become employers of choice.  It provides you with a strategic framework for human resources and easy-to-use checklists for the implementation of your own people strategy.

© 2009 The Coca-Cola Company

Duration: 2.5 hours

Meat apprentices must be trained in a wide range of subjects: industry trends, the role of the government, specific cuts and types of meat, safety and sanitation measures and merchandising.

As a meat apprentice, it is your responsibility to hone your skills and understand meat procedures in order to cater to the needs of your consumers and enhance your store's productivity.

Duration: 5 hours

The responsibilities of meat wrappers are highly specialized.  Basic operations include displaying, labeling and rotating, and due to the chance of spreading food-borne illness, knowledge of safety and sanitation is vital.

As a meat wrapper, you must learn how to identify different cuts of beef, veal, pork, lamb and poultry and then describe the cooking methods and safe temperatures for each cut.

Duration: 4 hours

This course is approved and certified by New York State (NYS).  It meets an eight hour education requirement in accordance with NYS Agriculture and Markets Law Part 271 §251-Z-12.

After completing this course, you will understand the preventative measures you must take as a food handler.

Duration: 8 hours

This course has been reviewed by the New York State (NYS) Department of Health.  It has been accepted as a NYS Certified Tobacco Sales Training Program.  The IGA Coca-Cola Institute's provider number is 083-1007.

After completing this course, you will understand the health effects of tobacco and the laws of New York State, as well as when and how to refuse sales.

Duration: 2 hours 31 minutes

The non-alcoholic beverages department is an essential section of the store.  Associates in this department must learn how to merchandise, know the different beverage categories and utilize temperature to sell more products.

As an associate in the non-alcoholic beverages department, it is your responsibility to gain knowledge of the products you sell and the best way to sell them.  Note: this is an introductory course; the second course in this series is "Non-Alcoholic Beverages Department – Soft Drinks."

Duration: 2.5 hours

Juices are a multi-billion dollar industry.  All ages of consumers purchase juices for all different kinds of occasions.  One of the most appealing aspects of the category is variety: Juices come in many flavors, such as orange, apple, guava, pomegranate and grape.

In this lesson, you will learn the history of juice—including how citrus was used in ancient times and brought to the United States—as well as the key manufacturers of the industry.  You will also learn about the three main juice segments: chilled, frozen and shelf stable.

Duration: 3 hours

After receiving an overview in the introductory course, "Non-Alcoholic Beverages Department," this course focuses on a specific beverage category: soft drinks.  Soft drinks are not only the largest volume contributor within the department, but also make the most retail dollars for your entire store.

As an associate in the non-alcoholic beverages department, it is vital that you develop your understanding of soft drinks and the consumers who purchase the product.

Duration: 3.25 hours

Each produce product is unique.  With hundreds of possible produce items available in supermarkets around the world, produce clerks must be able to identify and provide consumers with the best and most efficient service possible.

As a produce clerk, it is your responsibility to contribute to the supermarket team by receiving, stocking and storing produce and ensuring safety standards.

Duration: 5 hours

Products do not sell themselves. Food retailers must rely on merchandising, a process that is much more complex than simply choosing a product and placing it on a shelf so someone can buy it.

As a supermarket representative, it is imperative that you help implement a successful merchandising program. In this course, you will develop an understanding of the basics of merchandising and consumer buying habits, as well as complimentary products, pricing and promotions.

Duration: 3.5 hours

Products do not sell themselves. Food retailers must rely on merchandising, a process that is much more complex than simply choosing a product and placing it on a shelf so someone can buy it.

As a supermarket representative, it is imperative that you help implement a successful merchandising program. In this course, you will develop an understanding of the basics of merchandising and consumer buying habits, as well as complimentary products, pricing and promotions.

Duration: 3.5 hours

Typical small- and large-format food retailers receive approximately 1,100 and 12,000 direct service deliveries, respectively, each year.  This, in addition to wholesaler deliveries, means that the receiving aspect of an operation can occupy a valuable amount time, labor and resources.

In this course, you will learn the basics of food retail receiving, as well as some of the best receiving practices and procedures currently being used in the market today.  Topics in this course include DSD and wholesaler deliveries, the job responsibilities of receivers, check-in procedures and shrink reduction. 

Duration: 1.75 hours

In today's competitive food retail market, stores need to do more than just sell products if they want to stand out from the competition; they need to sell solutions to their consumers' shopping needs. What are individual consumers looking for in the store, and how can store associates provide the best possible assistance while maximizing sales?

In this course, you will learn about emotional branding, probing questions, the principles of selling, and the best ways to provide your consumers with the best possible solutions to their shopping needs.

Duration: 2.5 hours

A perspective from Tom Griffin, Vice President of Organizational Learning and Chief Teaching Officer, U.S. Cellular.

Duration: 40 minutes

Awareness of sexual harassment in the workplace has increased rapidly in recent years, and retailers must communicate to every associate that sexual harassment will not be tolerated within their stores.  This is accomplished by implementing a sexual harassment program that ensures all associates understand and comply with the standards of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In this course, you will learn the meaning of the term "sexual harassment," differentiate between the classification of different kinds of sexual harassment and view examples of preventative measures.

Duration: 2.75 hours

In the Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council study, "The World According to Shoppers," the consumer agenda is closely examined to develop a deeper comprehension of contemporary shoppers' needs.  This encourages a shift in industry perspective, away from the traditional "world according to supermarkets" and toward the modern "world according to shoppers."

In this course, you will examine the study, learn what drives shopper choice and identify new opportunities for growth.  When you understand consumers and why they shop, you can avoid wasting time, money and other resources on efforts that have little meaning to your shoppers.

© 2009 The Coca-Cola Company

Duration: 2.25 hours

In the food retail industry, supermarkets can stay ahead of the competition by creating a safe shopping and working environment.  This is because when supermarkets are not strongly committed to safety, accidents happen, theft occurs, consumers are lost, profits fall and insurance prices go up.

By increasing safety awareness at all levels of the store—from cleanliness and sanitation to emergency preparedness—it is possible for a supermarket to reduce insurance claims, creating a cleaner, safer and better store for both the consumers who shop there and the associates who work there.

Duration: 2 hours

In this course geared toward managers, supervisors and owners, you will learn safety management practices, as well as how to bring your store into compliance with safety regulations.  This includes implementing non-discriminatory hiring practices, forming safety committees and investigating accidents.

As a store manager or owner, it your responsibility to ensure that your company is in compliance with Federal and State laws, and that policies are in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone who enters your store.

Duration: 1.5 hours

Stress is a normal part of life, but too much of it can have devastating effects on physical and mental health. It stems from many causes, among them lack of sleep, depression, work and financial stability.

This course will test your stress levels and help you determine if you need to reduce the stress in your life. You will also learn causes and effects, as well as simple steps and small changes you can make to manage your stress.

Duration: 1.25 hours

This course serves as an introduction to financial statements and the numbers found in those statements. Financial statement numbers are important, because they indicate your store's financial health. Even a small change in operations can make a difference in your store's profit.

This course will familiarize you with the basics of the income statement and balance sheet, as well as important calculations and ratios.

Duration: 2 hours

Tobacco products are addictive and have many serious and detrimental effects on health.  For this reason, the sale of tobacco products is strictly regulated, and there are laws prohibiting tobacco sales to minors.

As a tobacco sales associate, it is your responsibility to understand the consequences of tobacco use, so you can better implement tobacco laws.  Ensure that your store stays in compliance by checking identification and, if necessary, refusing a tobacco sale.

Duration: 1.75 hours

This course was designed to introduce new users to IGA Coca-Cola Institute's online courses.  You will learn page and course layout, as well as the functionality of post-tests. Other topics include certificate management and how to troubleshoot common errors.

*Note: In addition to an introduction to online training, the Japanese version of this course introduces users to the supermarket industry, customer service, professionalism and entry level-positions.

Duration: 15 minutes

This is an introduction to online training, geared toward training managers.  It introduces the concept of blended learning, which combines e-learning (electronic or web-based) methods with traditional methods to accomplish training program goals.

In this course, you will learn about reports, the training manual, career development, best practices and ways to encourage training among your associates.

Duration: 40 minutes

This is the second in a two-course WIC curriculum. This course focuses on the WIC compliance needs of owners and bookkeepers, and educates retailers on how to run a successful and compliant WIC program.

In order to better serve your WIC consumers, you must follow proper procedures to ensure continued benefits. This includes knowing how to properly process WIC checks, ordering the minimum WIC stock requirements and complying with your WIC contract.

Duration: 1 hour

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) provides nutritious foods (primarily through retail grocery stores), nutrition counseling and referrals to health care and social services. WIC serves low-income pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants and children up to age five who are at nutritional risk. Nearly 8.7 million people get WIC benefits each month.

Please note that this course is a generalized version of WIC cashier training. Refer to your store guidelines on correct terminology and appropriate state regulated policies.

Duration: 1 hour