It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Delicious food, piles of presents, and for retail businesses, crowds of shoppers through the doors!

Now, last year’s holiday season wasn’t quite as bumper as usual. But there’s reason for retailers to be cautiously optimistic this time around.

Black Friday 2021 saw brick and mortar stores bouncing back from lockdowns. Compared to the same period in 2020, spending in shops was up. Restrictions are ever evolving, but currently December is predicted to see a return to pre-pandemic sales figures.

Retailers need to meet this demand with perfectly balanced schedules. Understaff your shops and you run the risk of missing sales targets. But overstaff, and wage costs will start to spiral.

A shift planning app can prove invaluable for finding this balance. Let’s take a closer look.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Delicious food, piles of presents, and for retail businesses, crowds of shoppers through the doors!

Now, last year’s holiday season wasn’t quite as bumper as usual. But there’s reason for retailers to be cautiously optimistic this time around.

In some cases, a shift planning app is standalone. In others, like tamigo, it’s a mobile-first version of our workforce management (WFM) solution, which can accessed through a browser (learn more about WFM solutions here).

The two versions share a lot of features, but the app has the benefit of being accessible on the go. And this translates to a bunch of advantages around scheduling.

With staff wanting more flexibility over their holiday hours, a shift planning app can make them real collaborators in the scheduling process.

The week always has surprises up its sleeve: an extra busy day on Tuesday, two employees calling in sick on Thursday. Add to that the extra headache over the holidays of delayed deliveries or low inventory.

All these scenarios require quick, agile scheduling. With a shift app, you can adapt to this whirlwind in a couple of taps on your smartphone. Edit and add shifts, approve shift swaps, find out who’s available to come in on short notice.

No matter what changes are made, everything’s saved in real-time. So everyone throughout the company always has the most up to date schedule at their fingertips.

A shift planning app like tamigo eliminates the need for emails or calls every time the schedule changes. Instead, employees are notified instantly through the app. Managers save so much time, while staff can trust they’re being kept in the loop.

And if managers do need to get in touch with someone, the app has a complete directory of staff’s contact details — accessible on the go, not just stored on the computer in the back office.

tamigo can also serve as the place for company-wide communication. The first page that staff see on opening the app is the ‘Info’ page. It’s where admins and managers can post up important messages. It could be a reminder about the week’s in-store discounts or a new company policy.