Winning Through People Exploring HR Challenges in the Online Retail sector

Success Through People - the factors

The shift to e-commerce, which was underway well before the COVID 19 pandemic, has greatly accelerated due to the prolonged closure of high street retailers. In 2020, UK Retail e-commerce exceeded 30% of total retail sales, a massive 35% increase from 2019. There is little doubt that these changes will be irreversible. This means that the required skill profile of employees in the retail sector has changed for ever, with the need for traditional sales roles greatly reduced and a range of more niche expertise in high demand.

Furthermore, the increased amount of people shopping online has put significant strain on retailers and e-commerce platforms. Throughout 2020 there were multiple occasions when supermarket apps simply could not cope with the demands of the population vying for scant deliveries slots.

In the following industry overview, we discuss these challenges and each of the 9 factors that science has shown to determine success through people. Join us as we explore these in the context of the unique challenges currently being faced by employers in the online retail sector.