As retail leaders close out another demanding year, planning ahead for 2026 isn’t just advantageous, it’s essential.
Retailers grapple with ever-shifting consumer patterns, supply chain pressures, and evolving workforce demands. The strategies that win in 2026 will be those built on proactive planning, agile execution, and strategic partnerships that help brands stay ahead of curveballs before they arrive.
At InDemand Services, we help retailers plan smarter. We prepare stores and teams so they’re ready for every seasonal surge, reset, remodel, and merchandising opportunity ahead.
Retail seasonality isn’t random; it follows observable patterns.
A detailed seasonal planning calendar illustrates how demand fluctuates month by month. This includes January post-holiday returns to back-to-school spikes and major holiday shopping peaks later in the year. Understanding these patterns is foundational to staffing smarter rather than scrambling reactively.
What this means for retailers:
With a predictable rhythm of customer traffic and seasonal peaks, retailers must align workforce planning with these predictable demand cycles or risk being understaffed when it matters most.
Planning now for 2026 ensures your merchandising efforts are supported by the right number of experienced staff at the right time.
Recent labor market trends illustrate that seasonal hiring isn’t guaranteed to fill itself.
According to the Indeed Hiring Lab, U.S. retail-related job postings dropped about 16% in October 2025 compared to the prior year, signaling fewer seasonal job opportunities being advertised.
Even more telling, The National Retail Federation projected between 265,000 and 365,000 seasonal jobs for the 2025 holiday season—down from earlier years.
What this means for retailers:
Diminished seasonal job postings and cautious hiring plans from major retailers suggest that labor availability may tighten, making it harder to find reliable staff at the moment of peak need.
This heightens the value of a strategic workforce partner like InDemand Services. At InDemand, we can deliver an experienced team of professionals exactly when you need them, without the uncertainty of the broader job market.
Seasonal planning isn’t just about forecasting inventory demand. Seasonal planning includes preparing your frontline workforce to execute merchandising, resets, remodels, and customer-facing store tasks consistently and effectively.
Industry guidance highlights that workforce readiness matters just as much as inventory or promotional planning in retail success. Execution on the floor turns strategy into sales, and without sufficient, skilled support, even the best plans fall short.
What proactive workforce planning unlocks:
Retailers that staff smarter before demand spikes can maintain excellent brand standards while preserving labor efficiency.
Third-party support teams are no longer a “nice to have.” They offer a strategic advantage that many successful retailers are adopting to stay agile.
As store demands grow more complex and timelines tighten, having a flexible, experienced workforce becomes critical to maintaining consistency across every location.
At InDemand Services, we provide expert third-party teams that integrate with your retail operations seamlessly.
Our workforce handles everything from merchandising and resets to remodels, inventory support, warehouse tasks, and new store setups, all with flawless execution and adherence to brand standards.
Here’s how our services help retailers plan smarter for 2026:
Scalable Staffing for Peak Seasonal Demands
Rather than reacting to labor shortages, your stores can have flexible staffing plans ready for every seasonal peak. This includes post-holiday markdown resets, spring promotions, back-to-school updates, and holiday floor resets.
InDemand can scale teams up or down to match demand without the overhead and time required for in-house hiring.
Flawless Execution of Store Resets, Remodels & Launches
Changes in store layout, seasonal merchandising environments, and new promotional displays all benefit from teams who are ready to handle those specific tasks.
Instead of pulling internal staff away from customer-facing responsibilities, your operations rely on a specialized workforce that knows how to execute at the store level with precision.
Real-Time Tracking & Predictive Visibility
With tools like Cruxos, our proprietary project management platform, you gain real-time insight into staffing deployment, project progress, and task completion across locations.
This extends beyond “just getting the work done,” offering visibility that improves planning and reporting.
Cost-Efficient Workforce Management
By partnering with a third-party specialist, retailers reduce expensive hiring cycles and training investments. Companies using flexible workforce partners are much more likely to see reductions in operational costs and logistical overhead.
This frees your internal team to focus on strategy, customer experience, and revenue-driving activities.
A central challenge in retail staffing is balancing labor costs with customer expectations. Reports show that 86% of buyers will pay more for an exceptional customer experience, while a similar percentage will abandon a brand after multiple negative encounters.
In practical terms:
These aren’t achieved by luck. They are the product of a workforce that is in place, empowered, and ready.
By planning seasonal staffing now for 2026, you safeguard not only execution but also your brand reputation in every customer interaction.
Seasonality in retail doesn’t wait, and neither should your workforce strategy.
Whether your peak times are driven by holidays, fiscal quarters, or planned product drops, proactive planning with InDemand Services ensures you’re ready.
Aligning your seasonal workforce strategy with broader retail planning gives you:
Retail in 2026 will reward those who staff smarter, not harder. Start building that advantage today with InDemand Services.
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