Personnel

“Greater competition, increasing consumer demands, a tight labor market, new compliance legislation, and a workforce expecting more from employers — all are making life difficult for retailers around the world.” Sound familiar? Of course it does. The truth is “upheaval” is the standard state of business. “New technologies disrupting business as usual” is a complaint…

Experiential e-commerce retailer Zappos.com has appointed Scott Schaefer as its new CEO, effective immediately, according to a statement released by the company on Wednesday. The move comes two years after late Zappos founder Tony Hsieh stepped down as CEO in August 2020 after 21 years leading the business, and a few months after its most recent…

Employees at an Amazon.com warehouse on New York’s Staten Island voted last Friday to join a union, a groundbreaking move for organized labor and a stinging defeat for the e-commerce giant, which has aggressively fought unionization efforts at the company. The tally was 2,654 votes in favor of joining the union and 2,131 opposed. Approximately 8,325 workers were eligible to…

The Great Resignation, which began in earnest in mid-2021 following the onset of year two of the pandemic, is continuing to send shock waves throughout the U.S. economy and its workforce. According to a recent study by human resources consultancy Korn Ferry, if this crisis is left unchecked, the United States could miss out on…

COVID-19 continued to make its presence known across industries in 2021. While businesses successfully adapted their work environments, many struggled to keep employees engaged, or even retain them, as well as find new employees to hire. Eighty-five percent of employees now feel unmotivated in their current roles, and 64 percent are job searching. Employees want…

Target on Monday said it will invest $300 million in the year ahead to increase its pay and benefits packages for employees. For example, the retailer is increasing hourly pay from $15 to between $15 and $24 for employees at stores, supply chain facilities and corporate offices. Target is also making it easier for hourly workers…

It comes as no surprise that retailers are scrambling to find workers in today’s tight labor market. As “The Great Resignation” rages on, 4.3 million Americans left their jobs in December, according to the latest Jobs Report. While it’s easy to lament all the ways the pandemic has upended the workforce, it’s also unlocked an…

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…

Walmart and Amazon.com both said last week that it will not will no longer require vaccinated employees to wear masks while working in their facilities. In an internal memo to employees, Amazon said vaccinated employees in the U.S. have the option to work without masks beginning Feb. 11 where permitted by local regulations, Reuters reported last week. Amazon…

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…