Reach New Heights: Your Business + Our Expertise
WhizBang! Retail Training helps retailers of all sizes build great stores. We strive to have an ever-increasing positive impact on independent retailers everywhere so they can run better businesses and live better lives. Through our products, courses, and events, you’ll get comprehensive retail training that works, has tremendous value, and is designed to fit the needs of brand-new retailers as well as seasoned store owners and multi-store chains.
Founded in 1999 by retail experts Bob Negen and Susan Negen, we share only tried and tested ideas that work, guaranteed. How do we know? Because we’ve been in your shoes… we owned and operated our own, successful retail stores for 19 years before starting WhizBang! Retail Training.
Essential Courses & Events Created For Store Owners, Managers, & Teams
The Single Most Comprehensive Resource For Independent Retail Store Owners!
You’ll learn the 11 essential retail skills. Designed for retail store owners and managers, the Retail Mastery System includes everything you need to know about running a super-successful retail business in one complete, easy-to-use program. Filled with proven ideas that work for today’s independent store owner. It’s like an MBA for retailers.
Higher Sales, Better Employees, Happier Customers!
The Retail Sales Academy delivers best-in-class retail training for your retail employees. Get interactive, done-for-you online retail sales training to transform your employees into a team of customer-focused superstars. Result: More money in the bank with less stress on you. You’re going to love the Retail Sales Academy.
Discover FREE Resources & Tools For Indie Retailers
Sign-up for The Retail Buzz and every Wednesday you’ll get business-building ideas and inspiration via email to supercharge your store’s success. Completely FREE to join and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Real Retail TV shares straightforward strategies from retail expert, Bob Negen. It’s on the pulse and focused on what is happening right now in the retail world. Catch up on the latest episodes.
With over 6000 members, the WhizBang! Retailers Facebook Group is the place to be to share ideas, get feedback, ask questions and learn from thousands of other retailers around the world. Completely free to join!
Coming Up With Ideas For Your Social Media Driving You Crazy?! That is why we created the WhizBang! Social Media Matrix. With over 100+ content ideas that can be used in thousands of different ways, this map will be your go-to guide when planning your social media content.
Use this FREE inventory counting checklist to take the hassle out of planning your physical inventory count! This method was developed from a combination of the best practices used by very large retailers and refined for use by small and mid-sized independent retailers.
Want to get new customers in your store without the cost of advertising? Download our FREE ebook: 3 Ways To Get New Customers Without Spending Any Money where you’ll find 3 simple, easy to excute tactics that will grow your retail business at no cost to you.
The World’s Highest-Impact Educational Conference For Independent Retailers!
June 16 & 17, 2026 – Grand Rapids, MI
Trusted By Retailers Everywhere!
Don’t just take our word for it… thousands of independent retailers around the world have benefited from our retail training programs. Here are just a few…
“I found WhizBang! Training’s Facebook Group last year, then I attended the Summit and I hated to see each day end. It was incredible! I am now using the Retail Mastery System and Retail Sales Academy for my business. Thanks to Bob and Susan, their partners, and the entire team for an amazing experience!“
“I may not be doing all the things right, but I’m definitely doing more of them right than I would be without all your advice! Thank you for everything you, Susan, and everyone on your team give to the small business community. I feel very fortunate to have found WhizBang! Training so early in my business, it’s helped propel me forward a lot faster than it would have without you guys!”
“Bob, Susan, and WhizBang! Retail Training have positively impacted the way we run our business for years. They have so many systems already created that you are easily able to follow and apply, and it takes some of the stress out of owning and running a business. I would highly recommend WhizBang! Retail Training to help you take your business to the next level.“
“I’ve doubled my business from $500K to a MILLION this year thanks to WhizBang! Retail Training.”
“WhizBang! Retail Training has changed how I do business. We’re a third generation family owned hobby store, and I felt like we were growing faster than my knowledge set allowed. Since working with WhizBang! Retail Training we have more than tripled our business. I can see us growing even further with the skills I am learning from Bob and Susan.”
“You don’t know how much I wish we had found you 20 years ago. We are self-taught and believe me it was a high-stress struggle. We could have been double the size we are with all the knowledge and energy we would have gleaned
from WhizBang! Retail Training.”
“I just want to say thank you to you, Susan, and the WhizBang! Team. I have learned so much from you all, and I am so very grateful for all that you do for the WhizBang! community!! You always give your best and I know that you want the best for independent retailers! So, THANK YOU, Bob, for being such a special leader.”
“I found WhizBang! Training on YouTube and tried your idea for gift certificates. Customers I haven’t seen in months showed up. I was so impressed I invested in the Retail Mastery System and haven’t stopped watching the video lessons. I am so excited to implement all the other ideas. Thank you so much for this wonderful resource.”
Over 40 Years of Combined On-The-Floor Retail Experience
Bob & Susan Negen
Bob and Susan Negen founded WhizBang! Retail Training to help retail store owners and managers get the nuts-and-bolts skills they need to run a successful business. They have worked with hundreds of thousands of retailers, presented at trade shows and conferences all over North America, created numerous courses for retail owners, managers, and employees, and written a best-selling book on retail marketing.
Bob and Susan’s skills and real-world perspective come from over 40 years of combined on-the-floor retail experience. Bob founded the Mackinaw Kite Co., an award-winning chain of kite and toy stores, and ran them for 19 years. Susan started her retail career as an executive at Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s before she joined Bob at the Mackinaw Kite Co.
Together they have a knockout one-two punch of sophisticated “big business” skills and street-smart small business experience.
Partnering With The Best In The Retail Industry
We partner with some of the best companies in the business. But more than that, we partner exclusively with companies that are just as dedicated as we are to supporting independent retailers like you!
Ready to get started? Our team is standing by and ready to support you and your store! Give us a call or shoot us an email and let’s talk about the next steps to building the store of your dreams.
