Retail’s silly season has well and truly arrived and it’s having a big impact around the world. Australian retailers reported a record Halloween, UK consumers have already spent over £17 million on mince pies, and ‘Singles Day’ (11 November) has rapidly become Asia’s biggest retail event.

If these early trends are anything to go by, retailers could be in for a record Black Friday to Cyber Monday weekend. The four-day shopping period originates from America’s Thanksgiving holiday; however, in recent years it has taken flight worldwide and been embraced by retailers and consumers alike.

While the prospect of a surge in foot traffic and spending from 26 to 29 November may excite retailers (especially as much of the world prepares for a lockdown-free festive period), it bears the question – are retailers overlooking the demands and strain it could put on their workforce?

Here are four key tips to ensure your workforce is prepared ahead of the silly season:

Schedule staff according to demand

There’s nothing worse than being understaffed during peak hours or overstaffed during the downtime. Being able to align your rota to perfectly cater for the footfall coming through the door ensures you can maximise your sales potential and limit any cost blow-outs.

Roubler’s demand-based scheduling feature will automatically schedule the right number of staff and roles, based on predicted demand.

Free up managers’ time with AI rotas

With busy periods approaching, managers will be feeling the pressure more than ever. Why should they spend hours handpicking employees for the rota when the entire process can be automated?

Roubler’s smart rota feature leverages the latest AI techniques to create rosters with a single click, choosing the right staff for each shift based on criteria such as qualifications, training, availability and seniority.

Upskill your workforce

The best way to capitalise on peak periods is to ensure no sale (or potential sale) is missed! The best way to do this is to ensure your workforce is prepared and up-to-speed with the latest training, techniques and best practice.

Roubler’s partnership with e-learning platform Go1 enables you to unlock your team’s full potential by providing access to a comprehensive online training experience.

Onboard new team members

Being short-staffed ahead of the busy period can be a manager’s worst nightmare. With the clock ticking, a risk of missing out on sales potential and the worry of overworking existing employees, the thought of a long recruitment and onboarding process is cause for many a headache.

Roubler helps businesses automate the entire employee onboarding process. You can even incorporate online employee induction training into the process to help new hires get up-to-speed with their role and requirements quicker than ever before.

If you would like to discover these features AND MORE – then please watch our quick online interactive demo by clicking here.