At NRF 2025, three retail brands—PACSUN, ASI, and Janie and Jack—took the stage to share how they’re transforming employee training to unlock operational excellence. From leveraging technology to simplifying rollouts, the panelists offered practical advice for retailers looking to elevate their training strategies and empower their teams.
Leanne Prestamo of PACSUN, Dray Robinson of Janie and Jack, and Rob Coultrip of ASI shared their proven approaches to integrating learning into daily workflows, building visibility and accountability, and ensuring every team member is set up for success. Whether you’re rolling out a new POS system or looking to make training more engaging and impactful, this discussion is full of actionable insights for driving performance on the sales floor.
Integrating training into employees’ day-to-day
The panelists agreed that one of the keys to a successful learning strategy is integrating training into employees’ daily workflows. There are two ways to approach this: rethinking the training content itself so it’s more relevant and accessible in-the-moment, and leveraging in-store technology to deliver that training where it’s most likely to be seen.
Traditionally, retail training has been treated as something separate—hours spent in the backroom watching videos or going through long, static modules. This approach often isolates employees from the reality of their day-to-day work, making it harder to connect what they’re learning to what they’ll need to do on the floor.
The panelists emphasized the importance of breaking training into smaller, more digestible pieces that can be embedded into an employee’s regular routine. For example, rather than requiring a new hire to complete several hours of training at once, the panelists recommended delivering training in smaller bursts, tied directly to specific tasks or scenarios employees encounter throughout the day.
Dray from Janie and Jack highlighted how this approach makes training feel less like a chore and more like a helpful tool employees can access when they need it. It also makes the learning content “stickier” because employees see how each new skill directly applies to their role. “We want to deliver information in a way that’s easy to access and super engaging. I like to think of it as ‘more calories in less bites,’” she said.
Integration isn’t just about rethinking the training itself—it’s also about how and where the training is delivered. Lianne from PACSUN emphasized the value of having training live within the same platform employees already rely on for daily tasks:
“Keeping everything in one platform was key. Teams are very familiar with Zipline so adding Learning into their daily workflow was the easy choice for us. Being so mobile-friendly, employees could access training anytime, making it more accessible and engaging—without taking associates and managers away from the sales floor.”
Instead of bouncing between tools or systems, employees can access training modules alongside the operational information they need to do their jobs—whether that’s shift updates, task lists, or announcements. This keeps training in context and makes it easier for employees to incorporate learning into their day without feeling overwhelmed.
By embedding training into the existing tech stack, Zipline ensures that employees don’t see learning as an “extra” task. Instead, it becomes part of the rhythm of their day, enabling them to develop skills in real-time without disruption.
This dual approach to integration—rethinking the training experience and leveraging technology—helps retailers create a seamless learning environment. Employees feel supported, engaged, and empowered to grow in their roles, while employers see stronger adoption rates, better retention of knowledge, and ultimately, better performance on the floor.
The importance of visibility and accountability
One of the standout benefits of Zipline’s Learning solution is its ability to bring visibility and accountability to employee training. The panelists emphasized how this feature has transformed the way they monitor progress and ensure their teams are prepared.
Leanne from PACSUN described how, before Zipline, it was difficult to know if training materials were being consumed, let alone understood. Training packets might be handed out, but there was little insight into whether employees had engaged with the content or felt confident applying it.
Rob from ASI described similar challenges before implementing Learning in Zipline: “Our field leaders needed information about course completion, but they couldn’t access it. It was actually something our L&D team had to pull on a weekly basis. Then they had to send an email down to the field leaders to tell them who was finishing their course load, and who wasn’t. All-in-all, it was a big time investment.”
Real-time visibility into course completion rates empowers leaders at all levels—from district managers to store managers—to identify gaps early and take proactive steps to address them. For example, if a manager sees that a course has only been partially completed, they can quickly follow up with their team to ensure training is finished before it impacts operations.
This level of accountability has ripple effects across the organization. Managers feel supported, employees feel more empowered, and leadership gains confidence that everyone is on the same page.
Leveraging Learning for a successful POS rollout
Lianne from PACSUN shared a powerful example of how Zipline Learning has already made a significant impact in their stores, despite being early in their journey with the platform.
When faced with the daunting challenge of rolling out a new POS system just weeks before Black Friday—a critical time for any retailer—PACSUN needed a solution that was fast, effective, and ensured every store team was prepared.
Instead of providing the stores with a packet or manual for them to read (basically wishing them good luck!) Lianne’s team created a course in Zipline Learning.
The course, designed specifically inside the solution, included everything the store teams needed: “It took them about an hour. We had videos, we had pictures, all the information that they needed to be properly trained,” she explained.
Not only did the training ensure stores were fully prepared when the new system was installed, but the ability to track course completion through Zipline provided a new layer of visibility for the brand’s leadership team. As a result, the brand “had no training issues out in the field,” Lianne said.
When all was said and done, PACSUN had the most successful Black Friday in the company’s history. The rollout of a brand-new POS system, an inherently risky move during such a high-stakes time, was seamless.
“Even though there were other aspects of the business that drove that success, being able to say there were no training issues out there on the field, and that stores just got it from day one, was a huge win for us,” said Lianne.
Rolling out learning—the right way
Rolling out a new learning solution and strategy can be daunting, but the panelists shared some tried-and-true strategies for success.
Dray from Janie and Jack offered a playbook that was equal parts actionable and inspiring. Her team’s approach to implementation has been shaped by a few key principles: leadership buy-in, field engagement, and timing.
For Dray, simplicity and consistency are at the core of every successful rollout. “Our launch plan is really simple, and it’s consistent. It’s a plan we’ve used across the board that’s been successful for us in the past.”
First, she starts with the launch date and works backward to ensure that key stakeholders—at all levels—are engaged at just the right moments. This deceptively simple approach creates clarity, lays the groundwork for momentum, and ensures everyone feels involved in the process from the beginning. “The whole thought is that at the end of the process, we have buy-in from all the way at the top, all the way down to the bottom.”
To build excitement and smooth out potential hurdles, Janie and Jack always starts with a pilot—or as Dray calls it, a “pre-party.” A small group of team members gets an exclusive first look at the new tools or training, giving them the chance to test it out and provide feedback.
“I think of it like the party before the party,” she said. “You invite some folks to the pre-party, let them know everything that’s going to be at the party, and then you set them loose so they can tell everyone else what a great party it is.”
This strategy generates buzz while also giving the leadership team a chance to identify and address any issues before the full rollout. Dray emphasized the importance of listening to both the positive and constructive feedback to ensure the solution meets the needs of the entire fleet.
“By the time we get to our big launch for the entire fleet, everyone is so excited. We’re able to respond to feedback—the good feedback and the not-so-good feedback—and make the changes we need so that at the adoption phase, we’re just ready to roll.”
The future of learning in retail
The panel discussion made it clear: effective employee training is about more than transferring knowledge—it’s about fostering engagement, driving operational excellence, and building a culture of continuous improvement. By integrating training into workflows, creating engaging content, and rolling out solutions thoughtfully, retailers can empower their teams to thrive.
Want to learn more? Watch the full panel discussion below and see how Zipline’s Learning solution is shaping the future of retail training.
