Training

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…

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…

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…

Amazon.com announced last week that it will pay full tuition — including the cost of books and fees — for its more than 750,000 front-line employees. The retail giant will fund the 2022 initiative by investing $1.2 billion to expand its education and skills training benefits program by 2025. Rather than offering reimbursement after coursework completion, Amazon will…

Across the country, “MASKS REQUIRED” signs have been replaced with “HELP WANTED.” And these signs aren’t coming down anytime soon thanks to a nationwide shortage of workers. Why? Many economists point to low wages, and there's no doubt retailers could do better here, but there's another big factor: retailers don’t make it easy to work…

At its best, shopping is aspirational. Who doesn’t daydream about arriving home clutching bulging bags full of clothes, gadgets or other goodies from their favorite store? During the pandemic, we romanticized in-person shopping even as we placed online orders. Now that we’re all getting vaccinated, consumers are eager to get out for some real-world retail…

In this interactive webinar, our speakers will be addressing how retailers can prepare their stores for the forecasted surge in demand.

When thinking about how to drive additional productivity within a retail operation (e.g., distribution, customer support, store support), it's easy to assume that adding more digitalization and technology is the fastest and most cost-effective way to move the needle. While technology can indeed inspire and drive productivity, many leading retailers are going back to basics…

In episode 292 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kecia Steelman, chief store operations officer at Ulta Beauty, the largest U.S. beauty retailer for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care products, hair care products and salon services. Steelman discusses her recently announced transition to the chief operating officer position at Ulta Beauty and the company's…

While the average employee turnover for all U.S. industries is around 19 percent, the average turnover rate in the retail industry is just above 60 percent, according to the National Retail Federation. This equates to a continual cycle of rehiring and retraining, with negative impact to retailers’ bottom lines. There are numerous possible reasons why…