Plenty of frontline retail workers punched in on Labor Day recently, but when the holiday rolls around next year, half of them expect to be working somewhere else.

Asked when they are most likely to look for a new job, 10% of hourly employees said they planned to start their job search immediately, 23% in three to six months, and 17% within the next 12 months. To put it more glass half full, 50% of hourly workers don’t plan to leave in the next year.

Younger workers are even more likely to sing along with a certain Johnny Paycheck earworm, with more than three in four (76%) of those 18–24 planning to leave their jobs in the next 12 months.

The findings are from the latest annual report on the hourly workforce from workforce management platform Legion. It polled 1,569 hourly workers and 557 managers in North America. Among respondents, 62.2% work in non-grocery retail and 26.3% work in food and beverage, which includes supermarkets and liquor stores.

Keep reading here.—AAN

Retail is undergoing a lotta changes, including AI advancements, the rise of social platforms over search engines, the return of circularity, and Gen Alpha’s emergence as a key consumer force—just to name a few.

It takes a game changer to keep up. And from January 12–14, 2025, you’ll find all the game changers of retail in one place: NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC. At NRF 2025, you’ll get to:

• Connect with industry leaders.
• Explore cutting-edge innovations.
• Gain insights that empower you to drive change in your businesses and the industry.

Retailers, register today for your free Expo Pass, or get an All-Access Pass by October 4 to save $300.

Be a game changer.

Last week, Shopify President Harley Finkelstein showed up on social media looking like he was straight out of a comic book. To be clear, Finkelstein showed up as an animated version of himself in, well, drumroll please, Roblox.

This was to announce that Shopify had become the first official commerce platform partner of the gaming platform. The move, Shopify said in a release, was part of its plan to shape the future of immersive commerce and shopping. Roblox said it will pilot its Shopify integration in Q4.

“​​This means that developers, creators, and brands who are on Shopify can sell directly within their Roblox games,” Finkelstein tweeted. Roblox users will soon be able to shop for physical products like clothing, accessories, and collectables designed by Roblox creators, and branded items from other sellers that have a Shopify storefront.

Keep reading here.—VC

On Wednesdays, we wear pink spotlight Retail Brew’s readers. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to introduce yourself.

Kristina Rudzinskaya is founder and CEO of posture apparel brand Etalon.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? As the founder of Etalon, my role is multifaceted. I design the products and write all the product documentation, including marketing materials. I handle our intellectual property, including patents and trademarks, as well as other legal aspects of the business. I co-create our marketing strategy, manage manufacturing, oversee operations and customer support, ensure we have the necessary resources, and manage the team to ensure we deliver the best work possible.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? I am a deeply spiritual person, which is not something I share publicly on social media. I rely heavily on my intuition, even when it contradicts expert opinions. Staying true to myself and maintaining a strong connection to my inner values is crucial as I run my company.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? I am the kind of person who loves to create something out of nothing. I call it “solve blank canvas” problems, which is frequently the case during the entrepreneurship journey. That’s why I absolutely love new product launches.

Keep reading here.—EC