According to a survey by Multimedia Plus, a communications technology company, retailers have similar concerns as last year going into the summer months. The report, which surveyed 125 people with executive leadership in the retail field, found that more than 52 percent of respondents say that their highest concerns are issues of staffing and wages.
More than 30 percent of retailers say that hiring for store-based positions holds the same difficulty, compared to last year. Meanwhile, more than 24 percent of respondents say positions are harder to fill than last year.
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“Despite the news headlines of layoffs, over 36 percent of our respondents in the retail and hospitality industries are finding positions harder to fill than last year,” said David Harouche, chief executive officer and chief technology officer at Multimedia Plus. “Having an adequate number of well-trained staff in place and retaining them is a key priority.”
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The Multimedia Plus’ survey additionally looked at technology spend, training priorities and frontline platforms. More than 55 percent of the executives said they expect their technology spending will remain the same as in 2022. When asked about their training priorities, 35 percent of retailers state that leadership is most important. Management and mobile learning are some of the prevalent frontline platforms implemented by companies within the next 12 months.
As previously reported in WWD, small businesses reported that inflation, supply chain and shortage of workforce continue to be their primary challenges. This is a continuing trend, with similar reports finding that 40 percent of small business owners have had difficulty finding new employees.
“While the macroeconomic environment continues to present new challenges, organizations realize that their frontline staff plays a vital role in their growth and customer acquisition,” Harouche said. “The level of talent and training directly impacts their ability to conduct business efficiently.”