Health of retail report 2023

It’s been another extraordinary year in the retail world and this report gives a no-holds-barred snapshot into exactly how employees are feeling and how people leaders are responding. For anyone involved in wellbeing and engagement strategies, the insight, trends and recommended action plans in the report make for critical reading.

Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust: “Several years in the making, the mindset shift around workplace wellbeing has never been more evident than in retail in 2023. The findings in this report point to a groundswell in mental health openness with more of our colleagues than ever talking, reaching out for support and turning to their employers for help. A huge achievement by the people leaders in retail to spearhead such a seismic shift.

“But our mission is not over. There are still thousands of retail workers in the UK who continue to face ongoing uncertainty, stress and risk of burnout, and still aren’t receiving the support they need. We must work together to change this reality. Raise awareness of where to get support, train more managers in knowing how to support their teams and give people the tools to support themselves. And above all? We must listen. Retailers who are prepared to ask the big questions and understand how people are really feeling in their organisation – and then act on this data – will be the ones who succeed in having an engaged, happy workforce.”