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July 15, 2021

Understaffed: Combatting the Grocery Store Labor Shortage

Grocers nationwide are experiencing a dramatic decline in employee retention. At the same time that the industry is battling competition to hire more employees, they’re also working to retain shoppers who are concerned about rising prices. These changes are a sudden shift for grocery stores who were among the few retailers who were thriving throughout 2020.

Hiring events and raises in wages are among the many efforts grocers are taking to draw in more workers. Kroger pledged in March, 2021, that they would increase their average hourly wage to $16 by the end of the year. Similarly, in its Philadelphia-areas stores, Lidl stated that they would increase their starting pay for workers to $15 per hour.

Though grocers remain under pressure with employee shortages, the downward trend does seem to be slowing. Position losses in June were less when compared to May and April, with 13,000, 26,000 and 47,000 dropped positions respectively. This could be a clue that suggests the extra hiring efforts and incentives by grocers may be working.

Unemployment benefits seem to be a key culprit for hiring shortages across the nation. Several states are now looking to end extended unemployment benefits that were offered to some during the pandemic. This change could benefit grocers and their hiring efforts as well. According to the National Grocers Association, benefits that were offered in the American Rescue Plan were encouraging people to remain unemployed.

Grocers know the challenge of keeping shelves conditioned and having an efficient inventory management process when they’re low on staff. That’s especially true today, as customers are looking to find all items on their shopping list at one store, with 40% of customers saying they are shopping in fewer stores for groceries.

Keeping shelves fully stocked and organized can increase sales and significantly improve customer loyalty. Retail Space Solutions designs, develops and produces a full line of pusher display systems that enhance your product presentation, positively impact the in-store experience and deliver real results.

Pusher display systems automatically keep products on the shelf organized and front-faced, reducing or eliminating false out-of-stocks. Built to simplify restocking and improve labor efficiency, pusher display systems feature trays that quickly slide out for effortless backfilling – saving short-staffed grocers time and money.

Bringing products to the front of the shelf to create a new-store opening feel daily, pusher display systems from Retail Space Solutions require minimal conditioning and encourage labor savings – all while making purchasing decisions easier for shoppers.

For more information on pusher display systems from Retail Space Solutions, visit www.retailspacesolutions.com or call 1-800-279-5291.