How to make every store the best store

This article is brought to you by Retail Technology Review: How to make every store the best store.

With an average 20% difference in revenue between an average and a high performing store, retailers will want to understand what will help them do better. Look no further than what frontline employees says Fabrice Haiat, CEO and co-founder of YOOBIC.

All retailers know how each of their stores are performing and how they are doing relative to each other. There is always a best store and there is always a worst store, and that will never change. The reasons are many and different departments within the retail business do not always agree on what those reasons are, because they are not necessarily all seeing the same data, or seeing the bigger picture.

What is clear is that, when looking at relative performance of stores, the main differentiator is the team. How well are they motivated? Are they engaged with customers and in their roles? How knowledgeable are they? Are they well trained in processes and products and what proof is there that this training is paying off? This is the true source of store performance.

However, it must first be understood what retailers are up against, particularly since the pandemic, which has skewed many of the employee metrics in the wrong direction. YOOBIC’s 2022 Frontline Employee Experience Survey of over 1,400 frontline workers across the US, UK, Canada, and France, shows that having to manage increased and more varied workloads generally with fewer staff following, has led to much greater pressure on staff.

They reported in the survey that communications, availability of tools, and training have either remained the same or worsened since the onset of the pandemic. This is a problem in itself but add to that the fact that these same staff have more options in a world where demand continues to outstrip supply, and retailers will need to work hard to attract, retain and motivate them.

The good news that comes out of the survey is that most staff do not want to leave their jobs. 44% of those that feel invested in by their employers report a good culture and good support. They say they are well paid and recognised by their co-workers. They also acknowledge that their employers value their commitment to the company and take care of them in whatever way they can.

So, how can this willing cohort be further motivated and supported to deliver more value, and how can those that feel less valued be raised up to do better?

Higher pay cannot be ignored but wages have already risen to deal with staff shortages and now inflation (the survey showed that 77% of workers say that their employers have taken steps to improve their experience, the most common initiative being to increase pay). Pay is in fact only one element in a long list that includes recognition, additional benefits, better and more frequent communications, greater flexibility in the schedule and new tools and technology for task management as well as training.

In the YOOBIC survey, when asked about important workplace attributes, respondents put pay at the top (85%) but only marginally ahead of leadership I can trust (83%) and feeling valued and supported by management (81%). Feeling connected and heard by co-workers and managers scored high (77%) as did recognition for work (74%).

Before making changes employees must first recognise what staff are feeling right now. 72% of survey respondents feel worn out at the end of their shift to the point that they do not enjoy their time away from work at least once a week, while 63% want to stay in their current industry for at least four more years, but less than half (44%) feel their organisation is investing in their development.

Here is the checklist for confronting these realities and providing staff with the tools and technologies that they have specified as essential to their performance and continued loyalty. This is enabled by a personal mobile device, the preferred workplace tool for a third of workers, and mobile-first apps modelled after social media to connect workers in a format that feels fun and intuitive to use.

1. Provide better support by investing in tools to help manage the workload. Good task management tools make processes clear and intuitive, enabling employees to work autonomously and be confident that they have completed everything to the expected standard.
   
   
2. Learning should be autonomous. Employees need learning that can be accessed at any time without disrupting their flow of work. This is a better way of helping staff to know precisely how they can progress.
   
   
3. Show employees that they are valued and trusted by giving them the tools that enable them to work autonomously. To optimise both engagement and productivity, organisations need to strike a balance between ensuring HQ has visibility and frontline teams have the tools to be autonomous, but still be confident that they have done everything correctly.
   
   
4. Tools for communication and learning should connect all employees, enabling them to share knowledge, celebrate each other’s successes and learn from each other. In addition, social learning enables employees to learn and improve collaboratively, strengthening the sense of community across teams and locations.
   
   
5. Provide frontline workers with regular opportunities to share their feelings, ideas and concerns. Checking in with how useful employees find training, processes and new tools helps employers understand the reality of their day to day and strategise to provide a better employee experience. At the same time, invest in tools which protect employees’ privacy and free time to avoid improving productivity at the expense of mental wellbeing.

Ultimately, the best performing stores are led by teams characterised by high engagement and low turnover. These staff are highly motivated because they have both good working conditions and the tools, processes and technology to manage their roles their way.