The booming online trade and the strong development of the digital distribution market make new contents in the vocational education urgently necessary! The traditional company from Künzelsau is clearly orienting and positioning itself for the corporate strategy of digitization with the new training branch to become a merchant in e-commerce.

Online trading is growing

The online trade has once again witnessed considerable growth. Of the EUR 48.9bn worth of products sold online in 2017, EUR 12.3bn was absorbed by the apparel sector. The figures for 2018 are expected to show further increases. As a result, it has become a matter of some urgency to equip staff with the skills needed to expand the digital distribution channel.

Mustang is bracing itself for the future

By introducing the new apprenticeship scheme in E-Commerce Management, Mustang, a company steeped in tradition and based in Künzelsau, Germany, is adopting a business strategy that is very much embedded in the digital age. Dietmar Axt, CEO of Mustang Jeans, is highly committed and acutely aware of the responsibility he bears: “These days, online trade is gaining more and more ground and is developing into an extremely strong sales channel in the fashion industry. Given that we still attach much importance to training young people and that the shortage of skilled labour in the e-commerce sector is being felt everywhere, we’re delighted to be in a position to support and train young digital natives in a new and exciting profession.”

Digitization as an integral part of all corporate processes

The new apprenticeship in E-Commerce Management at the Mustang Group takes three years and combines conventional classroom teaching with diverse, creative and forward-looking tasks within the enterprise: from content creation and management, planning and implementation of campaigns and partnerships, management and coordination of service providers, to the creation of analyses and reporting. Since digitalisation does not constitute a separate business area but forms an integral part of all company processes, it requires close cooperation with all departments, such as marketing.

Mustang relies on state-of-the-art solutions (such as Salesforce, Tradebyte etc.) and already thinks and acts digitally – embracing “traditional” forms of e-commerce, mobile commerce, voice commerce, augmented reality and marketplace business. The POS is also being developed further with features such as digital mirrors. The further expansion of the digital channels is a response to the growing market of online commerce and the digital future.