Retail Expansion Is About the Right People. We helped a well-known fashion brand open 5 stores

A Polish fashion chain planned to open up to ten new stores within just three months by the end of 2024. With a shortage of quality candidates and the busy pre-Christmas season approaching, it was a race against time – one we helped win.

Retail Is a Very Specific Environment

A major challenge in retail recruitment is the very nature of this industry. Weekend shifts, holidays, and opening hours often from 9 AM to 9 PM. On top of that, work before opening and after closing hours. These are all factors that reduce the attractiveness of retail positions.

“Speed of recruitment versus quality – time often plays a crucial role. But there are limits, because a store can’t function without staff. If you don’t have people, you can’t open, and if you’re understaffed, you face losses – theft, poor customer service, and other risks,” explains Martina Pavelková (S&you HR Consultant).

Another important factor is the store location. In smaller towns, it is harder to find experienced store managers, who are both fewer in number and less willing to change jobs.

Rapid Expansion Met With Staffing Shortages

In this case, a renowned fashion brand that has been on the market since 2013 was planning significant expansion. The brand operates over 110 stores in Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, employing more than a thousand people. It focuses on a creative approach to fashion, working with artists and designers to create limited collections.

In 2024, it planned a major expansion – opening up to ten new stores within just three months. It’s worth noting that this took place during the pre-Christmas season. The first wave seemed successful, with a store in Jihlava opened using the company’s own recruitment efforts.

The issue arose in Ostrava, where the company struggled to fill the key position of store manager. That’s when the client turned to us for help. The fashion chain chose our recruitment agency based on a recommendation from another client. According to them, we were referred to as “the best retail specialists in the Czech Republic.” And we lived up to the name.

“The client contacted us only at the end of September 2024, which meant extremely limited time for recruitment, as the first stores were supposed to open in October,” explains Christophe Beaujard, S&you Director CZ+SK.

We Met the Client’s Expectations for Candidates

Thanks to our candidate database and intensive research, we were able to fill the store manager and deputy manager positions for the Ostrava store within two weeks.

We gained the client’s trust and gradually became involved in recruitment efforts for other locations, including Zlín, Opava, and more. The situation became more complicated in Slovakia, where the store manager and several staff members suddenly left a shopping center store in Bratislava.

We developed an action plan and involved not only our consultants (focusing on managerial positions) but also colleagues from the SYNERGIE division, who helped fill sales assistant roles.

Results of the Collaboration

7 new stores opened – We supported the recruitment process in 5 of them
9 managerial positions filled – We found store and deputy managers
22 sales assistants hired – Recruitment in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia
Assessment center – For group interviews of sales assistants

“Thanks to the assessment center, store managers were able to directly choose sales assistants for their stores and complete personal questionnaires on the spot to prepare employment contracts,” adds Martina Pavelková.

The Key Advantage Was the Expertise of Our Consultants

Our consultants have direct experience in retail and understand its specific needs.

“Our consultants are professionals from the fashion retail world, they know how things work in stores and what key qualities candidates should have,” says Martina.

This Case Clearly Illustrates Our Philosophy

Imagine the right person for your position – and we’ll find them for you.

Flexibility and the ability to recruit a large number of employees in a short time frame is a skill we offer to any company planning expansion or facing a sudden staff shortage.