Reflex

Could flex workers be your next full-time hires? At the Theory Outlet at Carlsbad Premium Outlets, they already are. In the latest Retail Field Report Store Staging episode, I picked up a Reflex shift at the Theory Outlet at Simon Property Group’s Carlsbad Premium Outlets. Here are my Field Notes: ✏️ Both the manager and the keyholder on my shift started as Reflexers. After multiple shifts, both became full-time Theory employees, and they told me how important it was to "date" a future employer before committing to the full-time gig. ✏️ Better for employees, and better for Theory management. Both knew exactly what they were getting, and Theory skipped expensive job postings and sorting through hundreds of interviews. Just people who had already proven themselves on the floor. ✏️ My shift landed right before back-to-school, in the middle of end-of-summer sales, proving, once again, the value that last-minute Reflexers can have as on-the-spot support when traffic is hard to predict. ✏️ This store, like many of the outlets I've worked in, sees heavy international tourism. The Theory team worked hard to host shoppers across language barriers, but that also meant more time was required with each guest and more hands needed on the floor. ✏️ Still on my wish list: a price-check kiosk. I’m not usually a kiosk person, but here it would have dramatically cut down on questions for otherwise busy staff and let shoppers know what to expect before they reach the register. Store leaders: Would you hire from your flex bench? What would you need to see first? Drop your answers in the comments, or ask me anything else about this shift.

Do you need experienced staff to run a high-volume luxury store? After a shift at Longchamp in Boston, I can confidently say, “no.” You need the right roles. In the latest Retail Field Report Store Staging episode, I worked a Reflex shift in one of the highest-volume stores I’ve worked in so far. Here are my Field Notes: ✏️ Most shoppers walked in knowing exactly which tote and size they wanted. Our job as Reflexers was to get them to it and through checkout fast. That doesn’t take years of experience, but it does require that you have someone there to help direct traffic. ✏️ High intent doesn’t mean you cut back on hospitality. Longchamp hires Reflexers as hosts, so the people shopping with them (and paying for the bags) feel comfortable and happy. ✏️ The store is more museum than store. Curated art, careful store design, and a new collaboration with a Belgian artist, Caroline Hélain, are constantly changing to match the current collection. ✏️ For the guests in store on this day, that mattered more than it sounds. How a space makes you feel shapes how you feel about spending money there, and they were spending!! Want to know more than we had time to show in the video? DM me or drop a comment.

Every retailer is hiring for holiday at the same time. The ones who lock in coverage now win the labor race.

Most retailers find out they're short-staffed after the holidays hit.

Up to 30% of a retailer's yearly sales happen over the holidays. Most staffing plans don't flex that far.

The magic flex labor can make for the salesfloor | A clip from my Substack post, It was all a dream. Working in a Cosmetics Store was like my Christmas morning...until the sale hit.. Watch it here: https://lnkd.in/dyuhtueM