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This week marks 15 weeks til Christmas. That’s less than 100 days. Traditional retailing is abuzz right now preparing their store and field teams to manage and make the most of the surge of customers who will be shopping for holiday events and the gift-giving season.
Yes, there will be stress! Now’s the time to plan for it so you can minimize the impact on your store and distribution center associates. Happier, mentally healthier associates create greater customer experiences and loyalty to your brand.
While not all of our retail clients are impacted by the bustling winter holiday season — automotive, fitness and health, garden, and home, to name a few, tend to experience their peaks at various times throughout the year — regardless of when your peak season hits, retail is in a constant state of flux. That means we’re continually challenged to adapt to change. On the plus side, this is why the retail business is such an exciting career and industry to be working in.
Staying informed and agile will be key to helping our businesses and our teams thrive amid retail’s perpetually shifting tides. As you work through the planning and budgeting process for the upcoming season and year ahead, I encourage you to prioritize the steps below, setting goals that ensure your organization is focusing its time and financial investments in the right spots.
- Ensure leaders are equipped and committed to building a strong culture of trust.
- Shore up your recruiting process with innovative strategies and an always-on mindset.
- Make sure sales associates are prepared to deliver an exceptional customer experience.
- Balance technology with the human touch. Technology should integrate, not replace, human interaction and personalized service.
- Be proactive and put inclusivity at the forefront of all initiatives.
Click through to read more about each of these key strategies.
As we look towards the holiday season and planning for the year ahead, our next webinar will explore the latest trends in the dynamic landscape of retail store environments today, with an emphasis on the changing roles of store teams, including:
- Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS) and stores doubling as fulfillment centers
- The rise and fall of self-checkout systems, including questions about balancing efficiency and security
- Strategies for maintaining elevated service, efficiency, and morale when operating with a leaner workforce
- How successful retailers are addressing issues related to mental health, safety, and burnout amid preparations for the holiday season
What retail trends and challenges are you seeing? How is the changing role of store associates impacting your operations?
Two esteemed retail leaders are confirmed for our webinar panel, and I would love to have two more join us to allow for a deeper dive into these topics and challenges.
If you are or know of a senior retail, store operations, HR, and/or talent development leader who would be interested in contributing as a panelist for our upcoming webinar, please reach out to me directly. We’re looking for your experiences, insights, ideas, and/or other lessons you might be able to share to add to a lively, thought-provoking discussion.
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