Indigo is Canada's leading book and lifestyle retailer that offers a curated assortment of books, gifts, children's, wellness, and lifestyle products, that support their customers every day and at key life stages by simplifying their journey to live life on purpose. Indigo believes in real books, in living life fully and generously, and finally, that stories – big and small – connect us.
To support them, Indigo needed a workforce system that felt as intuitive as the store experience itself. Today, their teams rely on the Quinyx mobile app as part of their daily work. 93% of their retail employees have it installed, 99% of them log in weekly, and 88% check it on the day of their shift.
That level of engagement gives leaders something retailers rarely get: clarity. With better visibility, less admin, and a smoother experience for new hires, Indigo is making labour planning feel less like guesswork – and more like a natural part of their day-to-day.
Here’s a closer look at how Indigo is using Quinyx, and what’s changed inside their stores.
A workforce system built for modern retail
A few years ago, Indigo began modernising its digital architecture. Workforce management was the first priority. Their previous system created tech debt, required excessive manual intervention, and lacked a mobile app. This was critical.
Upgrading their WFM became the foundation for a broader transformation. Quinyx gave Indigo:
- A mobile-first scheduling system
- Faster, easier shift management
- Less manual admin for store managers
- Single sign-on that simplified onboarding for new hires
Indigo is still on a transformation journey, but upgrading their WFM early set the stage for everything from integrating task management tools to better communication across teams.
Mobile adoption that strengthens planning and control
High mobile engagement is more than a sign that Indigo employees like the Quinyx app. It’s also a great start for accurate, real-time labour planning.
"Our mobile adoption is incredible – upwards of 95% of our workforce use the app, and if you remove corporate and DC teams, it’s closer to 98%."
– Lisa Nordin, Indigo
With most store associates using the app weekly, Indigo has a reliable view of availability, shift swaps, and staffing needs. That makes it easier to react to the rhythm of retail: slow mornings, busy afternoons, unexpected surges, and seasonal peaks.
Keeping stores running smooth
Quinyx gives store leaders and operations teams better visibility. When conditions change stores can respond quickly without reshuffling entire rotas.
Taking the guesswork out of labour costs
Fewer manual edits and fewer surprises mean tighter labour cost control. With employees updating availability and swaps in real-time, schedules remain accurate and easier to manage across locations.
Giving new hires a better start
Through single sign-on, new employees get immediate access to their schedule, information about their store, and the ability to swap shifts early. This makes for a clearer, more confidence-building first week. A big plus to retention in a competitive labour market.
Greater engagement
Indigo has also seen a measurable improvement in engagement. In the year Quinyx launched, the score for the annual employee survey question “tools to do your job", increased from 3.8 to 4.2 out of 5.
Helping stores adapt to changing retail demand
Indigo’s footfall patterns have changed significantly i recent years. Downtown stores recovered at different speeds after the pandemic. Daytime traffic increased as more customers worked from home, while weekend peaks became flatter. Online orders and pickup stores have also continued to grow.
That means staffing needs can shift faster – and in other ways – than they used to.
Quinyx helps Indigo stay flexible with features like shift swapping. When skills match, swaps are automatically approved, reducing manager involvement and helping cover sick calls without needing to call in backup staff or create unnecessary overtime.
Quinyx also allows Indigo to schedule labour differently across departments. Teams can align coverage to areas that require higher service levels, margin protection, or greater shrink control – helping improve both customer experience and profitability.
Reducing admin time – increasing floor time
One of Indigo’s biggest wins has been a significant reduction in manager admin time.
During peak periods like Christmas, store managers previously spent nearly a full day building schedules. With Quinyx, that time has been reduced to around one hour.
Schedules are easier to build, forecasting is more reliable, and shift swaps require far fewer manual adjustments. This frees managers to focus on what matters most: supporting their teams and connecting with customers.
Less admin also brings benefits for finance and HR – fewer errors, clearer records, and more consistent decisions across stores.
"Quinyx's forecasting capabilities will help us allocate the right labour to the right projects at the right time so that we can have our associates working where they are needed most."
– Lisa Nordin, Indigo
Removing friction for a better employee experience
While broader labour market trends still influence turnover, Indigo has strengthened the parts of the employee journey they can control.
Their frontline teams now have:
- Instant access to their schedules
- A single place for updates and information
- Seamless shift swapping across stores
- Fast, simple onboarding
It’s a clearer, more uniform experience – especially during busy periods when it matters most.
What’s next for Indigo
For Indigo, the partnership with Quinyx is a key differentiator – from direct access to the product team to fast issue resolution and the opportunity to contribute to the roadmap.
Indigo is still evolving how they use workforce data and store insights. Here’s what’s on the horizon:
- Exploring deeper integration of Quinyx into store devices
- Refining communication flows through Quinyx Employee Hub
- Expanding how shift insights support planning and reporting
A clearer path to better labour planning
Indigo’s experience shows what’s possible when workforce management is easy to use and widely adopted. High mobile engagement, simpler scheduling, and less admin time give store teams the flexibility they need – and give leaders clearer insight into how labour is planned and deployed.
While Indigo is still on its transformation journey, upgrading Workforce Management early has helped create consistency across stores, support a better onboarding experience, and reduce friction in day-to-day operations. A practical example of how the right retail workforce management software can support both people and performance.
Want to learn more about how Quinyx supports retail workforce management?
