Retail recruitment falls as stores seek to do more with less

The latest Retail Employment Insight Report has revealed the extent to which retail recruitment has fallen in recent months, signalling how much many merchants may be struggling to cope with the day-to-day demands of their businesses, particularly those without the support of additional management software to assist with business decisions.

Many have attributed the fall to changing strategies of merchants, many of whom are now realising the need to more closely monitor sales through EPOS systems, alter their marketing strategies and make better use of their available resources; together these have had a major impact on recruitment.

The number of available retail jobs has fallen by 14% in the space of one year, with numbers dropping to the lowest levels since 2009. This four year low is represented across the industry, with available positions in management, visual merchandising and even general shop floor staff all falling over the past twelve months.

Competition for these available positions has actually increased over the same period, with general management positions receiving a 19% higher volume of applicants than this time in 2012.

A direct result of the recession, the drop in retail recruitment has come about as high street merchants seek to do more with less. In an attempt to increase efficiency and reduce overheads, many outlets are striving to operate with reduced volumes of staff whilst still maintaining high standards of service.

Merchants software can help UK retailers to achieve those aims. With the help of EPOS systems and automated retail software, retailers can maintain accurate stock levels without having to sacrifice many man-hours to do so, whilst simultaneously performing management tasks that would otherwise have required the input of dedicated staff.