Who's Your Best Manager? Four In Ten Retail Execs Have No Idea

By Matt Pillar, chief editor

Retailers need to pay closer attention to their managers and non-managerial skilled professionals. New research indicates they’re ready to bail, and they’re likely to find more gainful employment elsewhere.

Recruiting firm 24 Seven boasts a pretty impressive retail client list, with a particular knack for landing high- and fast-fashion retail brands. Its portfolio offers a veritable who’s who in the space; Banana Republic, Burberry, Diesel, Guess, Nordstrom, Sephora, and True Religion offer a small representative sampling.

I’ve always been under the impression that managerial and skilled non-managerial workers (think Web and graphic designers, e-commerce pros, merchandisers and store planners, etc.) in high-fashion retail were a happy lot. Maybe that notion is a product of Hollywood romanticism. On television, the retail and fashion industries offer fast-paced, vibrant, colorful work environments, for almost exclusively beautiful people.

Turns out that in the real world, managerial and non-managerial skilled workers in retail and fashion are quite disenchanted with their jobs.

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