Store Associates

Retailers have been under excruciating pressure as inflation, supply chain woes, and recession threatens consumer spending, impacting their bottom line. As a result, many are leaning into promotional sales periods as a way to push inventory to consumers, ensuring they receive a portion of the limited discretionary spending. With the back-to-school shopping season underway on…

Lowe’s is giving full-time workers in its stores the choice to schedule four-day work weeks. The home improvement retailer made the decision after its five-day schedule left many associates complaining about an inability to find a balance between their personal and work lives as a result of having very few consecutive days off, reports Retail…

Retail has certainly evolved over the past two years. Today, we're living in an omnichannel retail universe that must be catered to carefully by retailers. Store associates can’t be expected to carry the entire load and overwhelming task of the end-to-end sales process anymore, but we also can’t entirely lean on artificial intelligence (AI) to…

As lease signs begin to disappear from storefront windows in Manhattan, retailers across the U.S. are preparing for the industry’s big return. Although the harshest COVID-driven restrictions were lifted months ago, businesses have been hesitant to open or expand their physical locations after suffering devastating revenue losses over the last two years. Increasing interest rates…

It’s no secret when it comes to the value of loyalty. Existing customers spend 31 percent more, on average, than new ones. They’re also 50 percent more likely to try new products. As a result, more and more retailers, including Albertsons, Rite Aid, and The Container Store, are doubling down on loyalty programs to drive…

In episode 342 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Ron Thurston, Amazon.com No. 1 best-selling author of "RETAIL PRIDE: The Guide to Celebrating Your Accidental Career" and veteran retail executive. Thurston discusses his career history in the retail industry, what he loves about working in the retail space, and how the frontline store…

The pandemic has changed our shopping habits for the foreseeable future, with customers expecting flexible ways to purchase items, including curbside pickup, same-day delivery and, of course, a good old-fashioned in-store shopping experience. These options are great for customers, and the flexibility gives them more control to shop in a way that best fits their…

There were a host of difficulties plaguing retailers this past holiday season, including inventory shortages, production issues and shipping constraints, to name a few. The most notable shortage, however, was on the labor front. As of July 2021, the number of retail job openings peaked at 1.2 million, compared to 876,000 during the same period…

Whatever convenience e-commerce provides, it can never replace the in-person shopping experience. Therefore, it’s no surprise that consumers are returning to brick-and-mortar shops as the economy slowly recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and more retailers offer in-store shopping. How Does This Impact the Retail Industry? Increased consumer traffic could lead to a new outbreak if…

The past 18 months have reshaped many industries, especially retail. As consumer expectations continue to evolve and many expect a spike in online shopping as we move forward with the recovery period, retailers will need to meet consumers where they are at, which will rely heavily on the workforce composition and the role of the…