77% of Retail Workers Say Labor Planning Gaps Are Hurting Store Performance, Logile Survey Finds

New research reveals how inconsistent scheduling and labor misalignment are impacting retail operations and employee well-being

DALLAS—Retailers are facing increasing pressure to optimize staffing amid rising labor challenges and tighter margins. According to new research from Logile, many are still struggling to align their labor plans with actual store needs, resulting in missed revenue opportunities and low associate morale.

The 2025 Logile Labor Planning & Optimization Report, conducted via the third-party platform Pollfish, surveyed 500 U.S. retail store associates to understand how scheduling gaps and workforce management challenges are impacting frontline performance. The findings show that retailers’ labor planning, forecasting and execution actions often fall short on the ground, leading to staffing mismatches, associate stress and operational inefficiencies.

Key Findings Include:

• 77% of retail workers say their store regularly loses sales due to poor scheduling or staffing decisions.
• 80% say unpredictable schedules and short-staffing add stress to their jobs, with 82% feeling regularly overwhelmed at work.
• 51% report their store is short-staffed during busy periods most of the time, with 25% saying this happens almost every time their store gets busy.
• 31% of frontline workers are actively considering quitting due to poor scheduling or lack of hours, with another 22% saying they’re close to that point if conditions don’t improve.
• 74% of frontline associates say they’re open to automated, traffic-based scheduling tools, but adoption hinges on trust—systems must consistently deliver accurate, fair schedules that earn buy-in over time.

“There’s a clear disconnect between plan and practice. Retailers have made meaningful strides in prioritizing workforce initiatives, but our research shows that many are still missing the opportunity to fully connect their planning efforts with store-level reality,” said Purna Mishra, Founder and CEO, Logile. “By integrating real-time demand data and modeling store-specific labor needs more accurately, retailers can close the loop between planning and execution—improving service, supporting staff and strengthening the bottom line.”

Visit the 2025 Labor Planning & Optimization Report at Logile’s website for the complete survey results.