Training

The Not-So-Surprising Answer to Employee Retention Challenges
February 14, 2023 at 12:12 pm

The “quit rate” in retail and hospitality now outpaces the national rate by 70 percent. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that hiring seasonal employees is a challenge retailers face every year. After the holidays pass, retailers are also tasked with the challenge of not only understanding how to improve internal processes, but also…

Why Workforce Education is Critical to Recession-Proofing Your Retail Business
November 29, 2022 at 9:37 pm

The Great Resignation. The rise of e-commerce. The supply chain squeeze. These are just the latest in a string of challenging issues facing the retail industry, with a possible recession looming on the horizon. Retailers have rebounded from economic downturns before, however, relying on an economic recovery will not be sufficient without a workforce ready…

Helping Retailers to Minimize Cyber Risks
November 29, 2022 at 8:53 pm

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a global collaborative initiative that aims to raise awareness and help organizations to protect their sensitive data from increasing cyberattacks. With retailers beginning to harness a data-driven approach to provide personalized experiences and omnichannel strategies to boost sales, the retail sector has become one of the tempting targets for hackers. Ahead…

Don’t Let the Labor Shortage Short Circuit Your Customer Loyalty
June 1, 2022 at 10:11 am

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…

How Retailers Can Use Technology to Compensate for Labor Shortages
May 2, 2022 at 4:31 pm

It’s a common occurrence in today’s retail landscape: merchants must continually confront labor shortages or unexpected employee illness. For smaller retailers, closing their doors for even a few minutes can profoundly affect revenue and challenge the loyalty of customers who are forced to shop elsewhere. Technology can be the key to overcoming workforce challenges. Retail-ready…

2 Steps Retailers Can Take to Elevate the Frontline Worker Experience
February 14, 2022 at 8:03 pm

In October 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 683,000 workers in the retail category called it quits, a significant jump from the 512,000 who did the same in October 2020. Retail frontline employees have had it especially tough during the pandemic, with record store closures causing over 2 million layoffs in early…

Technologies and Tactics to Upskill the Retail Workforce for Omnichannel Fulfillment
February 9, 2022 at 11:40 am

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…

Retail’s Labor Crisis: How Can Everyone Win?
November 10, 2021 at 3:20 pm

When the pandemic hit, many brands were forced to limit store hours or close locations, often furloughing employees or eliminating jobs altogether. Now, as shoppers return and safety restrictions complicate the in-store experience, retailers are looking to hire once again — but this hasn’t been an easy task. According to CNBC, the number of available jobs…

Using Workforce Education to Attract and Keep Retail Employees in Today’s Labor Crisis
October 21, 2021 at 4:42 pm

The American economic recovery is here. Markets are surging, businesses are eager to hire, and employees are leaving or switching jobs at such a high rate that economists have dubbed the phenomenon the "Great Resignation." With these three forces converging, the workforce challenges for employers in the retail space are real and pressing. Addressing them…

How Retailers Can Teach Empathy for De-Escalation
October 13, 2021 at 5:12 pm

Retailers and consumers alike had just started to feel hopeful about a post-pandemic future a mere few weeks ago. However, with the COVID-19 Delta variant quickly becoming a concern, retailers across the country have made the move to reinstate mask mandates indoors. Unsurprisingly, this latest round of mask mandates has come with mounting tensions. Many…