![<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Read the 2026 WFM IDC MarketScape</p>](https://hubspot-no-cache-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/1545537/interactive-349211208934.png)
Recognised in the Gartner® Market Guide for Retail Workforce Management Technology
Retailers are facing increasing pressure to balance operational efficiency with delivering strong customer and employee experiences. The Gartner® Market Guide for Retail Workforce Transformation provides an overview of how organisations are evolving their workforce management approaches to address these challenges.
In this report, you can learn about:
- Approaches to managing labour costs while aligning staffing with demand
- The role of data-driven scheduling in supporting workforce productivity
- The importance of real-time visibility for informed operational decision-making
Explore key trends shaping retail workforce transformation and considerations for organisations looking to modernise their workforce strategies.
Why retail WFM is no longer just about the schedule
Retail has fundamentally changed. Stores now play a critical role in fulfillment, while associates are expected to manage increasingly complex tasks through connected tools and workflows. Legacy systems are struggling to keep up.
This Gartner® Market Guide outlines how CIOs and operations leaders can evolve workforce management to improve both operational performance and the associate experience.
What’s inside the 2026 retail Market Guide
This report explores the evolving vendor landscape and highlights key shifts shaping retail workforce management:
- AI in store operations: Build a modern labour optimisation foundation by deploying AI-driven forecasting, schedule automation and skills‐based matching.
- Associate augmentation: 67% of CIOs plan to increase their investments in associate-facing GenAI assistants this year
- Unified commerce execution: Integrate WFM with POS, traffic counters, IoT sensors, inventory updates and fulfilment signals so the system can detect demand shifts and trigger intraday labour adjustments.
- More autonomous operations: By 2028, AI-enabled skills management will allow 40% of open shifts to be filled autonomously by matching specific certifications (e.g bakery, pharmacy) to associate preferences without manager intervention.
Why Quinyx for retail
Recognised in Gartner® Market Guides for five consecutive times, Quinyx is built to handle the realities of modern frontline retail.
Volatile foot traffic
AI-driven forecasting uses real-time signals to predict staffing needs with greater accuracy.
Complex store tasks
Skills-aware scheduling ensures the right people are assigned to the right work, from click and collect to merchandising.
High staff turnover
Flexible self-service, shift swapping, and mobile-first communication help improve retention and engagement.
Operational silos
Seamless integrations with POS and IoT systems enable real-time labour adjustments throughout the day.
Get the strategic recommendations for 2026
Rigid scheduling can’t support today’s retail environment. Access the insights you need to build a more responsive, efficient, and people-centered workforce.
