May 05 2023

4 Ways to Leverage Data-Driven Insights to Motivate Retail Employees

Retail has undergone significant changes in recent years, not the least of which is the struggle to maintain a full, motivated workforce. Nearly every store seems to have a perpetual “We’re Hiring” sign, and most are clearly understaffed. In addition, retail....

Aug 03 2022

5 Tips for Coaching Front-Line Workers

You’ve noticed them while you’re shopping and even in your own company—associates who are uncertain and therefore work slowly and make errors. They get flustered and skip steps. Their confidence crumbles. Bad actors also see it, and they will target the....

Feb 28 2022

8 Thorns That May Be Harming Your Ecommerce Return Experience

In the fable “Androcles and the Lion,” a boy removes a thorn from a lion’s paw and gains the lion’s loyalty for life. Recently, our team of researchers vetted the ecommerce return process at 55 omnichannel retail chains in search of thorns. They found eight....

Jan 27 2022

Does Your Return Policy Protect Your Bottom Line?

In the past 24 months, you have experienced multiple operational pivots and changes within your retail store. With each shift, you have worked diligently to provide a positive customer experience while remaining as profitable as possible. If you’re like many....

Jan 20 2022

Omnichannel Returns: What Your P&L Can’t Ignore

You may have noticed that your consumers tend to initiate returns after their online purchases more frequently than after their in-store shopping. On average, returns for ecommerce transactions are two to three times more likely than purchases made in....

Nov 15 2021

Reducing the Financial Impact of Holiday Returns on Profitability

From a financial perspective, every holiday season has its own twist – but two things are a given: retail yearly profits depend on solid holiday season sales, and consumers will be returning items after the holidays.

Nov 01 2021

Foiling Holiday Cash-Back Scams

How can a candy bar purchase cost a retailer hundreds? It could be happening in your stores right now if you offer cash back with a debit card purchase. A particular cash-back scam crops up this time of year as the holiday shopping frenzy kicks into high....

May 26 2021

Retail Returns: Who’s in Charge of the Experience?

Executive Overview If your company doesn’t already have an executive with overarching power to be in charge of the entire returns experience, you’re not alone. Very few do despite the important role the return experience plays in the consumer journey,....

Mar 12 2020

Summer Jobs – More Than Just a Temporary Position

For the retail and staffing industry, warm weather heralds a heightened focus on temporary hires and rolling out a slew of part-time roles. With an abundance of the younger demographic available for temp positions over the summer break, several industries....

Dec 19 2019

Risks Caused by Seasonal Workers

A retailer’s success during peak shopping seasons depends on hiring temporary workers. The seasonal work attracts many types, including college students, retirees, individuals who have been out of the workforce, and even full-time workers looking for some....

Sep 23 2019

5 Ways to Improve Associate Training & Customer Service

Improve store employee training and deliver more value to the business. Has associate training taken a back seat to “more important” tasks? Consider that front-line employees create the last and most important impression on consumers. This reason alone should....

Jan 18 2019

What Kinds of Employee Fraud Does AI Catch?

Employee theft and fraud in the retail industry has been well-documented for decades. The most recent National Retail Security Survey (NRSS) from the National Retail Federation places the 2018 cost employee fraud at $1,203.16 on average with a median of $700.....

Employee Insights