Ned Gammel
VP of Sales, Quinyx
AI-powered solutions can transform retail workforce management, enabling employers to reduce costs, boost staff retention and improve operational efficiency.
If staff in retail feel pressurised and ignored, their employers shouldn’t be surprised when they decide to go elsewhere.
Indeed, stress is a major reason for high staff turnover in the workplace. According to 2026 research from workforce management provider Quinyx, 58% of retail workers experience stress due to understaffing during peak season.1
Scheduling challenges in retail
In retail, this is a year-round challenge which can be particularly acute during peak season. “Store associates are having to wear multiple hats, which is putting a big strain on their wellbeing,” explains Ned Gammell, VP of Sales, Quinyx. “That results in employee churn, which is a massive cost to retailers.”
One way to address this, as Gammell puts it, is “having the right staff, in the right place, at the right time, with the right focus.” Otherwise, retailers may find they have too many employees when customer demand is low, and not enough when customer demand is high. It can be expensive either way.
Unfortunately, achieving this delicate staffing balancing act is easier said than done, particularly if work rotas are organised “with sticky notes and spreadsheets.”
One way to address this, as Gammell puts it, is “having the right staff, in the right place, at the right time, with the right focus
Scheduling tech that boosts staff retention and operational efficiency
However, Gammell maintains that an AI-powered workforce management system is a state-of-the-art staff scheduling game changer and a useful tool to tackle employee burnout. This is ultra-smart technology that “helps businesses make better use of the great staff they have,” thereby reducing costs, boosting staff retention and improving operational efficiency.
Among other features, it allows managers to predict their labour needs, then plan, assign and optimise shifts accordingly across multiple locations. “For example, if historical data indicates that a deluge of customers will be arriving in the store at a particular time, managers can make sure they’re staffed appropriately based on that demand driver,” says Gammell.
It also shows businesses when and where more knowledgeable staff will be needed, matching skills to shifts to improve customer experience, and it checks that all employee shifts align with labour laws so that retailers avoid costly fines for non-compliance.
Meanwhile, staff can easily access their work schedules via an app, which they can use to manage their own shifts, swap shifts with colleagues and communicate more effectively with their managers. “Managers can auto-schedule shifts for staff based on the skills they have and the weeks they’re available,” says Gammell. “It’s an extraordinary way to automatically manage all employees, right across a business.”
