Retail Trends 2026: How the Industry Is Coping with the Frontline Workforce Shortage
Retail remains one of the country’s largest employers, providing jobs for thousands of cashiers, sales associates, merchandisers, and warehouse staff. In 2026, unemployment stays low and the labor shortage persists.
Inflation and macro‑economic uncertainty add further complexity. As the cost of living rises, retail companies will have to balance retaining staff with controlling costs. On the one hand, wages must be increased to keep employees; on the other hand, any wage increase directly reflects in the cost of goods and prices for consumers.
In our study of the personnel component of the retail market we decided to look at global trends and assess which of them are relevant to the Russian labor market according to the participants of our research.
Trend 1 – Focus on productivity
For Russian retail this trend is relevant. Companies are automating warehouse operations; in many food and some cosmetics chains self‑checkout registers are already the norm, and retailers are introducing standards for the number of operations not only for salespeople (for whom sales volume has long been a performance criterion) but also for other store workers.
Trend 2 – Growth of labor mobility
This trend has emerged over the past few years. In Russia gig‑platforms are actively developing, allowing people to take on side‑jobs at convenient times. This gives retailers access to temporary resources, but it does not solve the global staff shortage problem. Often, people who come to work in a store via a platform lack the necessary experience, and other employees or the manager must spend time each day training newcomers.
Trend 3 – International recruitment
In retail there are restrictions on hiring foreign workers. For positions that involve interacting with customers, the Russian‑language requirements are fairly high, which prevents hiring people from far‑abroad who do not speak Russian well enough to consult customers.
Trend 4 – Competition for front‑line staff with other industries
In my view, in 2026 the active competition for low‑skilled personnel will continue. While in pre‑pandemic times retail chains competed with each other for cashiers and merchandisers, now they also compete with delivery services and even manufacturing firms for workers. Under these conditions poaching employees is almost impossible, and differentiating oneself from competitors is quite difficult.
Trend 5 – Cooperation with professional employers (outsourcing companies)
This global trend is also relevant for Russia. When employees are hard to attract and easy to lose, yet work still needs to be done, retailers readily engage outsourcing firms that can take on the required volume of operations both on the sales floor and in the warehouse.
Trend 6 – Attracting “silver‑age” employees
Pensioners could become a strategic labor reserve. Older workers often demonstrate stability, low turnover, and a high sense of responsibility. However, in Russia representatives of various business sectors – and retailers in particular – are not rushing to hire pensioners. In food retail and DIY (home‑improvement) chains the work is often physically demanding, while in fashion and perfume‑cosmetics retail there is usually a clear idea of how the average store employee should look. Such employers rarely hire silver‑age staff, although doing so could alleviate the staff shortage for companies and provide pensioners with an opportunity to supplement their income and remain socially engaged.
One well‑tested old method of dealing with staff shortages is rehiring former employees. Sometimes a person did not fit in or could not find common ground with a team in a particular store, but that does not mean the door to the entire chain is closed. On the contrary, in many retail networks people who previously performed well can easily return. Some companies even create special “reserves” where they keep information about former employees and periodically reach out to them with offers for current vacancies.
The key question for retail in 2026 – the ability to retain people while simultaneously adapting to economic and demographic realities.
Companies that can combine sound HR strategies, flexible employment forms, automation, and socially‑oriented initiatives will come out ahead. They will be able to ensure sustainable development, retain staff, and adapt to the changing economic environment.
Ekaterina Hatskevich, Head of “Outsourcing in Retail Chains” Direction, ANCOR Industry