Personnel

As the retail market gets more competitive, retailers are looking to new technologies — like artificial intelligence — to help grow their businesses. The global AI market size in retail is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) exceeding 23.9 percent from 2022 to 2030. AI-driven tools such as automated inventory-taking and smart…

About 340,000 UPS workers who make up the Teamsters union for the company voted overwhelmingly on Friday to strike if their demands for higher wages, more full-time jobs, increased workplace safety and a ban on forced overtime aren't met by July 31 in a new contract. The current contract between the shipping company and the…

When many brick-and-mortar retailers closed their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic, cutting operational costs, including payroll, was a primary concern for business owners. Three years later, the retail sector is facing a very different set of challenges. Last quarter, the retail sector’s growth rate outstripped pre-pandemic levels. While that’s a positive trend for retail overall,…

Walgreens Boots Alliance is set to lay off about 500 employees, or 10 percent of its corporate workforce, the Chicago Sun-Times reported last week. Spokesperson Marty Maloney confirmed the layoffs to the news outlet, saying most of the cuts will be at the company's Deerfield, Ill. headquarters or Chicago office. In a letter obtained by…

Talent retention continues to take center stage in the retail industry and for good reason. Retailers are experiencing higher year-over-year turnover rates. For instance, the turnover rate for hourly in-store positions reached 75.8 percent, up from 68 percent in 2021. Furthermore, nearly half of U.S. frontline retail employees and two-thirds of frontline managers report considering leaving their jobs in…

We’ve seen this one before: As prices rise and wallets shrink, consumers are changing their habits. However, not every industry is losing out. Shoppers are still spending, but they increasingly need discounts and convenience.  For dollar stores and convenience stores, this is their moment to shine. Here’s what they're up against and how they can keep…

Retailers are facing a major conundrum: consumers are flocking back to brick-and-mortar retail while the struggle to adequately staff stores has never been greater. High turnover in retail isn’t new. According to McKinsey & Company, annual employee turnover among frontline retail workers has been at least 60 percent for a long time. But record inflation…

The question of employee engagement has never been more pressing. Coming out of the pandemic, there has been a shift in employee expectations about both pay and working conditions. With potential economic headwinds — e.g., debt becoming more expensive because of Federal Reserve policy — it’s becoming more important to maintain stability wherever possible, and no…

The Home Depot on Tuesday said it will spend an additional $1 billion to give its hourly employees a raise, as retailers and restaurants compete for workers, reports CNBC. The home improvement retailer announced the wage investment as it reported fourth-quarter earnings. It didn't disclose the new average wage for employees, but said every market’s starting wage is…

Amazon.com is instructing corporate staffers to spend at least three days a week in the office, CEO Andy Jassy wrote in a memo last week. The decision marks a shift from Amazon’s previous policy, which left it up to individual managers to decide how often their employees would be required to work in the office. Jassy said he and…