Tag: workforce

February 9, 2024

The supply chain and workforce that make up the sector are constantly evolving. Labor shortages in transportation and warehousing are quick to make headlines, but job opportunities across the supply chain continue to go unfilled despite promising pay and benefits. […]

October 31, 2023

Last year, holiday sales grew a modest 5.3% over 2021, according to the National Retail Federation. These results fell below initial predictions due to economic volatility driven by inflation and high interest rates, which explains why retailers are extra cautious […]

May 17, 2023

The economic fallout from the pandemic has had a profound impact on the labor market and society. Worker shortages across industries have created a challenging scenario for countless businesses as they rush to fill job vacancies while still ensuring the […]

January 18, 2023

Eric Holwell: Retailers have faced more competition for talent with the rise of “work-from-home” jobs in the past two to three years. In many cases, these jobs pay more in addition to being a safer workspace where employees are less […]

July 6, 2022

Usually awarded by professional organizations or education providers, certifications show that someone has completed a course, passed an assessment and committed themselves to mastering the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in his or her profession. Within supply chain, certifications […]

April 15, 2022

FreshDirect employees have reportedly become the latest retail workers to unionize after they ratified a collective bargaining agreement with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), according to Supermarket News. Approximately 1,800 employees will be represented by UFCW Local 342. […]

November 11, 2021

We’re nearing the holidays, and what is often dubbed the “most wonderful time of the year” in the U.S. can also be the most stressful and chaotic time for retailers. It’s possible that the traditional stress of the holidays will […]

June 10, 2021

Traditional retailers across the country have been playing catch-up for decades, trying to meet the changing needs of the consumer. Shoppers increasingly want the convenience of online shopping and anywhere fulfillment. This vast migration of consumers from brick-and-mortar stores to […]

February 18, 2021

Walmart reported 69% online sales growth and an 8.6% same-store sales bump in the U.S. during Q4 2021, which ended Jan 31, 2021. Total revenue for the full fiscal 2021 was $559.2 billion, up 6.7% from fiscal 2020. The retailer […]

March 27, 2020

B8ta, the company responsible for bringing Toys R Us back from the grave, has furloughed its entire workforce. Last week B8ta’s chief executive Vibhu Norby penned a letter to employees stating that all store staff would be furloughed, and any […]

June 18, 2018

While headlines proclaim the robot takeover is upon us, America’s retailers know different. The retail industry is dependent upon the interaction of people — our workforce and the customers we serve each day. In a fast-changing retail landscape, America’s most […]

October 6, 2017

As the holiday season kicks into gear, retailers’ seasonal hiring plans are coming into focus. Fifty percent retailers are hiring seasonal employees, on par with last year (49%), according to a survey conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder. […]

August 24, 2017

It was another disappointing quarter for Lowe’s Cos., which on Wednesday reported lower-than-expected adjusted earnings and revenue and gave notice of slower growth in profit margin for the second half. The home improvement company reported that its revenue rose 6.8% […]

August 11, 2017

Oregon has become the first state in the nation to pass legislation that puts an end to on-call scheduling by guaranteeing hourly employees advance notice of their work schedules. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has signed into law the Fair Work Week […]

May 8, 2017

The retail industry had some good news on the job front in April. Retail industry employment increased by 2,500 jobs in April from March, the National Retail Federation said Friday. (The numbers exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants.) The […]

April 7, 2017

Amazon continues its hiring spree. The company announced Thursday that it plans to add more than 30,000 part-time positions in the United States over the next year. The new positions are on top of the previously announced 100,000 full-time U.S. […]

March 20, 2017

The increasingly digital customer is impacting the evolution of new, distinct store formats. As stores transition to new concepts by 2020 and beyond, so will the roles of store associates, according to new research from Avanade and EKN Research. Avanade […]

January 25, 2017

The omnichannel experience continues to raise the bar on the customer experience at Office Depot — all while taking a toll on labor. By transitioning to a new integrated workforce management (WFM) solution that relies on analytics and reporting, the […]

August 8, 2016

Walmart is testing a new scheduling system designed to improve peak-hour scheduling and gives its employees more certainty about their job schedules, the Associated Press reported. The system was rolled out to the chain’s 650 Neighborhood Market stores in July, […]

July 19, 2016

In a move that could help its employees save money, Starbucks Corp. is increasing the number of health insurance options available to its employees. The coffee giant announced Monday that beginning this fall it will give eligible U.S. employees (those […]