Scheduling for Retail Productivity: Do you schedule according to the staff you have or according to the needs of your business? It’s a fair question. Most Store Managers would answer that they schedule according to the needs of the business within the hours or wage cost % they are allowed. They might also say that they try to accommodate their employees whenever possible. I propose that many, many Store Managers schedule according to the availability of their employees. That is where scheduling productively goes by the wayside. Unless the majority of your employees have completely open availability, it is next to impossible to schedule productively. Scheduling productively means: • You use the appropriate number of hours to handle the anticipated traffic and sales volume • You schedule your top performers during peak traffic periods • You schedule your top performers during off peak periods (to get the most out of slow periods) • You schedule tasks to be done by your least productive employees during off peak periods • You ensure time is allotted for regular refilling and maintenance of the sales floor • You schedule time for recruiting, planning and administrative tasks The schedule is the backbone of a retail store. Its importance must be understood.   When scheduling, the question is not who can work when or who can open and who can close but, rather, what results can we reasonably expect from this schedule.   Do you want more tips and advice? Sign up for our free newsletter: Your Name: Your E-Mail: You can find more success tips and tools in the Super Retail Success Bundle!     Retail Math Made Simple - Webinar What Is A Webinar? "Webinar" is short for "web-based seminar", and is an online seminar that you watch from the comfort of your own computer. You dial in to a phone number to hear the audio.   "How You Can Reach the Maximum Potential of Your Store(s)" with DMSRetail's Mega Retail Success Bundle And Beat the Performance Curve, FAST  Management Blueprint to Create Your Own Retail Success Machine New! 5 more Success Tools and 5 Awesome Bonuses added! Save even more! Super Retail Success Bundle   Retail Management Training Programs The Retail Management Workshop Highly rated 3-day Training Workshop for Senior Retail Managers and Retail Business Owners who are interested in cutting edge information and advanced concepts in Retail Management. Join us for 3 days of top retail management training and workshop to enlighten and energize yourself to perform at the leading edge of the profession. This is one of the best investments you can make in your business, professional and personal development. Click below for more information and registration: Best Practices for Managing a Multi-Unit Retail Operation Now You Can Get Quality Training Wherever You Are! If you own or are in charge of multiple stores, this is the ultimate training to get. Everything you need to know to make sure your stores are firing in all cylinders and zooming fast to success you have not seen before. Click below for more information and registration:   The Retail Management Power Club Please click on the banner for Information   Send to a Friend