In stores, pressure has become a daily reality. Managers must hit their targets, maintain a level of operational excellence and cope with teams that are sometimes understaffed. For their part, human resources departments are multiplying recruitments and replacements, in a context where talent is increasingly in demand.
This situation raises an essential question: how can sustainable performance be built when the people delivering it are themselves under pressure?
Today, the success of a store can no longer be measured solely by its revenue.
When pressure becomes counterproductive
Faced with insufficient results, some managers tend to tighten control, multiply instructions and exert more pressure on their teams.
Yet this approach can quickly produce the opposite effect: a loss of autonomy, a decline in engagement and, in time, departures.
Micromanagement is a perfect illustration of this. By wanting to oversee everything, the manager ends up making their staff dependent on them, at the expense of their ability to take initiative.
A good manager is not measured by their ability to control everything, but by their ability to help their team grow.
The distinction between demand and pressure is fundamental. Demand provides direction and encourages progress. Excessive pressure, on the other hand, can undermine confidence and the desire to get involved.
Recognition, a still underestimated lever
In retail, mistakes are often pointed out immediately, while successes sometimes go unnoticed.
A good sale, a tricky customer situation handled perfectly, or a collective initiative nonetheless deserve to be acknowledged.
Recognition does not mean systematically offering praise. It relies on sincere, precise and regular feedback.
Correct in private, praise in public: a simple management practice that can profoundly transform a team's dynamic.
Beyond commercial results, companies would also benefit from tracking more qualitative indicators: customer satisfaction, retention, staff engagement or team stability.
A store can hit its targets today while undermining tomorrow's performance if its staff burn out or leave the company.
Training differently to perform sustainably
Training is another major lever.
In luxury, fashion and beauty, teams regularly receive training focused on products, collections and new releases.
This knowledge is essential, but it is no longer enough.
Active listening, professional posture, communication, handling objections and emotional intelligence all play a decisive role in the quality of the customer experience.
These behavioural skills, soft skills, must be developed on an equal footing with technical skills.
Role-playing, simulated situations and communication workshops in particular help turn knowledge into concrete behaviours on the ground.
Training is no longer just about passing on knowledge, but also about developing interpersonal skills.
Towards a new retail management model?
Several developments could gradually transform practices in the sector.
Measuring employee engagement, notably through the eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score), could take on a greater role in steering organisations.
The manager's role should also evolve towards more coaching, knowledge transfer and individual support.
Finally, recruitment strategies could place growing importance on potential, learning ability and interpersonal qualities, beyond the experience listed on a CV alone.
These developments reflect a conviction: commercial performance can no longer be sustainably separated from employee experience.
People, retail's foremost asset
Retail will remain a sector of demands, results and performance, but this ambition must be accompanied by thought given to the means provided to teams to succeed.
Empowering rather than controlling, recognising rather than merely correcting, training rather than merely demanding: these are all practices that help build stronger organisations.
Sustainable performance is not about asking ever more of teams, but about giving them the means to keep doing better.
