The Retailer Winter 2018/19

Surviving retail customer demand fluidity with ‘gig-style’ thinking

Neil Pickering industry & customer insights manager Kronos Incorporated

HOW A GIG ECONOMY MINDSET FOR WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES CAN ENABLE RETAILERS TO MEET THE EVER-CHANGING DEMANDS OF CUSTOMERS. TheU.K. retail sector is currently in a state of flux. The financial struggles of the high street are prominent; online andmobile shopping are reaching new levels of popularity; and the always-on nature of modern life is leadingmore andmore customers to expect a frictionless, fulfilling, on-demand experiencewhenever andwherever they choose to shop. In order tomaintain competitive advantage, it is absolutely crucial that retailers are able to deploy and utilise their people as efficiently and effectively as possible: think shift schedules being planned and edited seamlessly, or employee absences beingmanaged in the blink of an eye. While thismay seemobvious, an inability to accomplish these tasks has sunkmany retailers –with a lack of applied innovation to labour management leading these businesses to be left behind by their more agile competitors. Tomake a difference here, retailers need to build an engaged, flexible workforce that is highlymotivated and fully focused on delivering the best possible outcomes for customers. The secret: Embrace the spirit of adaptability offered by the increasingly popular gig economy alongside adoption of innovativeworkforcemanagement technologies. Abeleagueredsector Thewoes of the retail sector have been a consistent talking point for commentators, both during and outside of peak periods like Christmas. The evolution of consumer attitudes in this smartphone and internet-led era has driven customer expectations higher than ever before, meaning that the in-store experiencemust reflect the speed and efficiency of online, without reducing the quality of customer service. Added to this are age-old external factors that impact consumer spending habits, such as rising inflation, bouts of unfavourableweather contributing to declines in footfall, or an increase in business rates and rental costs for high street retailers. The impact of these various challenges can bemitigated significantlywith the right workforcemanagement solution to address inefficiencies and issues withworker schedules, shift swapping and overall attendance, as well as provide real-time, store-specific data for staffing decisions and volume forecasting.

Yes, new technology requires investment, but great retailers aremade up of great people. Remedying employee points of contention and being a flexible, efficient and informed employer will translate into happier, engaged andmore productive employees who care about thework they do andwhy they are doing it.Which leads to a better customer experience, and ultimately a healthier bottom line. Theriseof thegigeconomy It might be something of a buzzword, but the gig economy’s potential to revolutionise the retail sector for the better is clear. As working culture evolves andmore people come to prefer the added freedom that a flexible approach towork brings, traditional retailers have an opportunity to tap into this and use it to build amore engaged, agileworkforce. Technology has been a powerful enabler in the growth of the gig economy, with the prevalence of mobile devices and high-speed connectivitymeaningworkers can communicatewith their employers at any time, fromanywhere, and can pick up or swap shifts at the touch of a button. For retail, making themost of the gig economy is about balance between the needs of the company and the needs of the employee. Embracing a gigworker in retail can be highly beneficial as the employee canwork for the same retailer but service different locations based on their preference – this way, they knowyour brand and still service your customers but have the flexibility they need in location. “Great retailers are made up of great people. Remedying employee points of contention and being a flexible, efficient and informed employer will translate into happier, engaged and more productive employees who care about the work they do and why they are doing it for.”

40 | winter 2019 | the retailer