Peak season pushes one in three retail workers to consider quitting

Research from workforce management platform Quinyx exposes the workforce pressures retailers can fix in a make or break summer

11th June 2026: The World Cup presents a £2.9 billion opportunity for retailers. But peak moments bring significant operational strain - a workforce under stress, and a leadership team navigating irregular forecasting.

According to research from Quinyx, peak seasons and peak moments leave 37% of shopfloor workers wanting to quit their job - a problem retailers cannot afford to carry into a golden summer.

The research reveals an industry already under pressure. Two in five (43%) shopfloor workers reported high to very high stress levels during the last peak season. The causes are operational. Over half (58%) cite understaffing as their top stress driver, and nearly half (49%) point to unpredictable customer demand.

Scheduling is an influential solution to both understaffing, and predicting demand, but many retailers neglect it. Just 19% of shopfloor staff are confident their company's scheduling accurately reflects customer demand, against 40% of leadership. One in five (20%) workers say shift changes frequently or constantly disrupt their work or personal plans. And 39% still rely on WhatsApp or informal group chats to receive shift updates during the most demanding trading periods of the year.

Despite alarming figures for leadership teams, there is a path to better managing peak season stress and seizing the summer of sport opportunity.

Ned Gammell, Head of UK & Ireland at Quinyx said: "The World Cup is a huge commercial opportunity for UK retail, but the strain of big peak events can also harm long-term growth and retention. Peak moments require operational readiness that the data suggests many retailers don't yet have. Shopfloor teams and leadership both need clarity in handling scheduling and shift changes while reducing workforce stress – giving the retailer lower attrition, stronger productivity and a real advantage this summer and beyond.”

Methodology

Research was conducted by Walr in January 2026 following the Christmas peak period, surveying 1,000 respondents across the UK retail sector. The sample was split between leadership (30%) and shopfloor workers (70%).

About Quinyx

Quinyx is a leading workforce management platform for frontline industries, trusted by organisations worldwide to manage compliance, scheduling, and employee engagement at scale. With AI-powered forecasting, automation, and mobile-first tools, Quinyx empowers businesses to simplify complex workforce needs across countries and regions. Customers include leading global brands such as McDonald’s, Deutsche Post, Rituals, and ISS, demonstrating our proven track record of supporting growth, reducing risk, and improving employee experience. Quinyx delivers better business outcomes and better work for millions of frontline employees worldwide.