Prepare Your Teams Before Peak Season Hits

Retailers are heading into the 2025 holiday season under pressure. While the economy shows signs of stabilization after the inflation-driven challenges of previous years, consumers remain cautious and selective. According to the latest data from the National Retail Federation, projections for this year suggest moderate growth, but nowhere near the explosive spending of earlier decades. As competition tightens and expectations shift, retailers must ask themselves one key question: are their frontline teams equipped to meet demand, deliver excellent service, and drive results?

Many aren’t. And the gap often lies in how learning and development is delivered.

Retailers Still Overlooking the Frontline

Since 2023, retailers have doubled down on improving digital experiences, streamlining ecommerce, and refining logistics. Yet the stores themselves still account for a large portion of sales, particularly during the holiday season. This is where many companies fall short. The investment in tools to support the in-store workforce continues to lag behind other priorities.

Take a look at what has typically been offered to seasonal associates in recent years. Static onboarding modules, fragmented apps for communication and incentives, outdated training videos, and little real-time guidance. This leads to inconsistent customer experiences, missed opportunities, and low associate engagement.

This year, things need to change. Companies cannot afford to treat the frontline as an afterthought.

Modern eLearning Is a Business Driver

Retailers who are serious about performance have already begun shifting from legacy systems to modern eLearning platforms designed for agility and scale. These tools are not just about compliance or product knowledge. They serve as real-time performance support systems that enable associates to learn, adapt, and sell more effectively.

Integrated platforms are now consolidating training, communication, performance tracking, and incentives into a single app. This streamlines the associate experience and reduces the time spent switching between disconnected tools. And when every minute counts during peak hours, that time saved matters.

More importantly, these systems use data to personalize the learning experience. That means each associate receives training aligned with their goals, behavior, and performance patterns. This leads to stronger engagement, better knowledge retention, and more confident interactions with customers.

Driving Revenue While Reducing Costs

The benefits are clear. Modern eLearning tools help retailers avoid the cost of maintaining multiple disconnected systems. They also reduce training overhead by offering intuitive, just-in-time learning that fits into the flow of work. At the same time, they help drive measurable outcomes, from faster onboarding and higher conversion rates to stronger upselling and more effective inventory movement.

In short, investing in the right eLearning platform is no longer a nice-to-have. It is a strategic decision that directly supports revenue growth during critical sales periods like the holidays.

Retailers Need to Act Now

The 2025 holiday season will reward retailers who have prepared their frontline to be fast, flexible, and customer focused. The ones who succeed will have already invested in tools that support this readiness. That means giving associates clear guidance, smarter training, and more control over their learning journey.

Technology is not a substitute for people. But when used effectively, it empowers people to perform at their best. Retailers that understand this will stand out in crowded markets, improve customer satisfaction, and hit their seasonal targets.

There’s still time to get ahead. But waiting until November is not an option.