Results on the shop floor

The difference between stores lies in what employees do

A customer hesitates. One employee asks a follow-up question and closes with the right product. The other keeps it short and lets it go. Same training. Different result. You see that difference in sales, service and retention.

Start the Performance CheckSee the 5 result areas
Store employee helps a customer with product advice in an electronics store

These retailers already see it

The pattern

Same training, different result

Two stores in the same chain. The same staff training. Yet one store performs better, week after week.

Store B

The employee keeps it short

Same situation. The employee points to the shelf, mentions the promotion and walks on. The campaign hangs in the store, but it never reaches the conversation. Nobody steps in.

Store A

The employee asks a follow-up question

A customer hesitates between two products. The employee asks a targeted question, gives concrete advice and closes the sale. The manager sees it and names what went well.

The training is not the difference. What happens on the floor is.

Where you see it

5 areas where behaviour drives your numbers

01Sales

Higher sales per store

A campaign runs in the store. One employee brings it into the conversation and makes a fitting suggestion. The other leaves it out. The campaign is there, but it does not live in every conversation. That difference adds up. Per day, per week, per store.

Where you see it

  • higher average transaction value
  • more add-on sales
  • fewer missed chances with hesitant customers

Recognisable at

MR MARVISDe Bijenkorf

02Onboarding

Working independently on the floor, sooner

A new colleague watches, hesitates in conversations and leans on experienced colleagues. Without clear direction, it takes weeks before someone leads the conversation alone. With support from day one, that changes. New employees practise on the job and work independently on the floor sooner.

Where you see it

  • shorter onboarding time
  • less pressure on experienced colleagues
  • productive in the real work sooner

Recognisable at

HEMA

03Service

Service that holds up when it gets busy

A customer asks a tricky question. The employee hesitates and the answer comes too late or stays vague. As soon as it gets busy, this happens more often. Conversations get shorter and attention slips. When it is clear what that moment needs, service holds. Even when it is busy.

Where you see it

  • more stable customer satisfaction
  • fewer complaints on busy days
  • a more consistent experience

Recognisable at

De BijenkorfG-Star RAW

04Errors

Fewer errors, less rework

It is busy. A step gets skipped or done slightly differently. At that moment it seems small. Only later does it turn out something is wrong. A return. A complaint. A customer who does not come back. When you see earlier where things go wrong, a manager can correct course right away. Correcting is always cheaper than repairing.

Where you see it

  • fewer returns
  • fewer complaints
  • lower repair costs per store

Recognisable at

G-Star RAWEDG

05Retention

More stable teams, lower staff turnover

An employee carries doubt or stress for too long. The manager only notices when that person calls in sick or leaves. When you see earlier where someone gets stuck, a manager can step in sooner. That means lower turnover, less onboarding time and more stable teams.

Where you see it

  • lower absenteeism
  • lower staff turnover
  • more stable rosters
  • less onboarding time

Recognisable at

DHLbol

The approach

What successful retailers do differently

Not harder training. Not more rules. Instead: see what happens on the floor and act on it right away.

HEMA

A manager sees a conversation go differently and acts on it straight away. On the floor. In the moment. Not at the next review.

PVH

After two weeks, a new employee leads the conversation alone. Not from a handbook, but by practising on the job.

Gall & Gall

You see which store consistently does better. And where things go wrong. So you know where to step in.

How it works

How to make it work on the floor

Not with one training or a few strong employees. By looking at what happens every day and responding to it.

Every day
1

See what happens every day

What happens in the conversation? Who asks the follow-up question? Where does it slip? Not afterwards in reports, but while it happens.

2

Act while it is fresh

A manager sees it go differently and steps in. A colleague tries again after a tough moment. No review cycle, but direct action.

3

Repeat until it is the norm

Day after day. That is how good behaviour becomes second nature. Whoever is on shift, however busy it is.

See how the Retail Academy sets this up

Step 1

See where things get stuck on the floor

Where do employees miss opportunities? Where does service slip when it gets busy? The Performance Check shows where the difference lies.

Performance CheckFree · 30 min
  1. 1You answer a few short questions
  2. 2You see where the difference lies
  3. 3Together we decide where to start

After 30 minutes you know where the work is strong, and where it can improve.

Elmer from TinQwise, your contact for the Performance Check

CelestineYour contact for the Performance Check

Start the Performance Check

HEMA, MR MARVIS, PVH and more have joined

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In 30 minutes we look together at the moments when practice differs from the plan.

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