How Ann Summers turned everyday learning into a 8.2% sales increase
Learners using Thrive
Challenges addressed with Thrive
Integrations used
Stores increasing average transaction value
Supporting expertise that really fits
Ann Summers' workforce spans retail, logistics and head office — all with one thing in common. Customers expect absolute confidence and discretion, supported by expert-level product knowledge and advice they know they can trust. In a fast-paced retail environment where product ranges evolve quickly and expectations stay high, keeping everyone informed is business-critical.
Before launching Thrive, Ann Summers' learning and updates lived in different places. Important knowledge existed, but it wasn't always easy to find when people needed it most. Colleagues needed one reliable space that brought customer service training, business updates, comms and sales training together, no matter how or where they worked.
Where product experts are made
In launching Thrive, the team at Ann Summers changed learning from an elusive task that had to be sought out, into a living, breathing part of the culture, accessible from literally anywhere. Structured pathways built product expertise systematically, campaigns kept stores aligned on launches and seasonal priorities, and mobile-first access meant staff could learn from the shop floor, desktop or even through the shop till.
It's this ease of access that's turned every colleague into a product expert, and by extension, a content creator. With over 400 colleagues feeling confident enough to author original content within the platform, 40% of Ann Summers' learning is now user generated. Best practice and knowledge travels as fast as the business itself, shared by the people closest to the work.
A place people choose to return to
Colleagues don't just visit Thrive when they have to, they return because it helps them stay confident and connected to the wider business. A 330% increase in overall engagement and a 45% increase in comms readership over the past twelve months show employee engagement has been transformational. Analytics dashboards give the team clear sight of frontline training completion across every store.
That momentum has been reinforced through a strong test-and-learn approach. Ann Summers worked closely with Thrive to find the right blend of face-to-face sessions, digital product content and user-generated content for retail training — an approach that delivered an additional £10k in revenue over an 8 week period, and made the impact of learning impossible to ignore.
“Thrive is integral to our engagement strategy. Everything from how we engage, communicate, update and celebrate our colleagues runs through Thrive.”
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