Retail People Index

A snapshot into the wellbeing of the sector, powered by extensive data from our happiness dashboard, as well as our happiness assessment which is delivered with WorkL.

The Retail People Index is critical reading for the industry as it provides data-driven insights into employee wellbeing, linking it to business performance, retention, and productivity. Understanding these factors is essential for retailers to stay competitive, reduce costs related to turnover and absenteeism, and create a healthier, happier, more engaged workforce.

Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust, said: “Retail has always built its biggest successes on the strengths of its people, but we’ve found a worrying wellbeing gap risks pushing younger, LGBTQ+ and frontline retail colleagues out of the sector. These are people the sector cannot afford to do without when it comes to keeping the industry running now and developing the leaders of the future, so we must take steps to close this gap.”

Laura Bond, director of AlixPartners, said: “Retail leaders must ensure all employees – irrespective of role, function, or location – are adequately supported. They also must bring clarity and frequency of communication and employee engagement to the fore; voids of silence and an absence of company dialogue can be unnerving, even if there is no cause for alarm. Fostering resilience and high performance of employees in areas at the highest risk of presenteeism – on the frontline and working in distribution in particular – will be critical in helping their companies succeed amid the current market challenges.”

The index will also delve into flight risk, and wellbeing and presenteeism indicators to highlight the further potential impact disengaged colleagues have on a business.

Retail People Index - June 2025

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