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CRA Program Prepares Students to Enter the World of Retail
NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) alumna, Nell Moore, participated in the college’s Certified Retail Analyst (CRA) program in 2018 and quickly broke into the retail and supplier industry. She currently works for CCF Brands as a category advisor for the egg category for Walmart.
“NWACC has great support from the vendor community and from Walmart. It has access to the platforms and tools that are used within the industry which enabled me to be successful as an analyst,” says Nell.
Through a partnership with Walmart, the NWA supplier community and NWACC, the CRA program came to fruition almost 20 years ago. It is designed to provide solution-based analyst training that sharpens problem-solving skills and strategic and critical thought processes - all to ensure success in retail career endeavors.
By participating in the CRA program, students like Nell learn the fundamentals of retail analysis and supply chain, gain first-hand experience with Retail Link®, and network with industry leaders.
“Retail is everything from the inception of the product, the entire supply chain, and everything that leads to that point. It’s replenishment and how things got on the shelf. It’s how you measure how fast things move, and keeping them on the shelf at the right level so you don’t have buildup of inventories and you don’t use excess storage... It’s sales, and what are the new trends that are coming up, and how you are going to meet the customer’s expectations,” Nell explains.
The CRA classes are taught by experienced Walmart and supplier retail professionals who ensure the training remains relevant to industry changes while also focused on making a difference in students’ lives.
“CRA administration is reactive to student needs and would take the time to facilitate understanding while ensuring that the program fits the changing needs of Walmart and the supplier community. They worked closely with every aspect to make sure students get the support they needed to be successful,” says Nell.
As a CRA graduate, students qualify for entry level work as an analyst, which can
grow into long term careers in areas such as sales, replenishment, finance, business
and more. To date, 87% of CRA students report finding employment while in the program
or within one year of graduation.
View our video to learn more about Nell's experience in the CRA program at NWACC:
Learn how to gain the skills necessary for an exciting career in the retail industry by visiting: nwacc.edu/CRA