Over the years, the initiative has grown to a global scale with countries like the Philippines, Bangladesh, India, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates among several other countries adopting the practice
Mumbai: Over 22 million employees across 33 countries celebrated Retail Employees’ Day (RED) on 12 December last year, with the number expected to increase this year as more and more retail businesses realise the need to appreciate their employees for their efforts and contribution, according to Ameesha Prabhu, co-founder & CEO, Trust for Retailers and Retail Associates of India (TRRAIN), that conceptualised RED back in 2011.
Over the years, the initiative has grown to a global scale with countries like the Philippines, Bangladesh, India, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates among several other countries adopting the practice.
“The consumer has changed from physical shopping to digital shopping. Retail has changed from offline to online to omni-channel. However, the retail employees’ role has become much more impactful as they create the last mile experience. When we take care of our retail employees, they take care of our customers and the retail ecosystem becomes happy, productive and profitable,” said B.S Nagesh, Founder, TRRAIN explaining the impact of RED.
Even the officials representing several state governments take the opportunity on this day to express their gratitude and acknowledge the efforts of the 46 million people employed in India’s retail industry. These include esteemed government figures such as Piyush Goyal (Minister of Industry and Supply), Bhupendra Patel (Chief Minister of Gujarat), and Pramod Sawant (Chief Minister of Goa).
The significance of shop floor employees among retail employees is undeniable as they are essentially the ‘face’ of the business. They hold a relationship with the customer, and the effective engagement of these employees is a fundamental part of successful workforce management.
The heart and soul of every retail outlet store is customer service and the experience delivered to them, which makes it even more important to recognize their efforts.
RED is celebrated on 12 December every year in partnership with the Retailers Association of India (RAI), with TRRAIN and RAI working hand-in-glove encouraging employers and customers to recognize the efforts of retail associates and express gratitude to them.
“This is a day when retailers not just in India but also in about 33 countries across the world come together in spirit to celebrate their employees in their unique ways—turning an idea into a global movement. Moreover, it is heartening to see customers joining the festivities to wish retail associates on the floor, which lights up their faces. That’s the power of this day,” said Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, RAI.
RED recognizes the critical role of shop-floor employees who serve as the ‘face’ of businesses, holding key relationships with customers. Notably, organizations such as the Philippines Retail Association and the Intercontinental Group of Department Stores (IGDS) have formally adopted this day, further expanding its global reach.
“Wishing everyone a very Happy Retail Employees Day! It is a day to recognise and honour the dedication, hard work, and unwavering spirit of the people who form the backbone of the retail industry. What began as a simple yet powerful idea of saying ‘thank you’ to retail employees has today transformed into a global movement, celebrated by retailers, malls, and countries worldwide,” said Prabhu, who was recently honoured with the Helen Kellar Award for her work in promoting inclusion of persons with disability in retail.
Participating Brands include international companies like de Bijenkorf (Netherlands), Brown Thomas Arnotts (Ireland), Selfridges (UK), Globus (Switzerland), Jelmoli (Switzerland), Colins (Turkey), Supercare Pharmacy (UAE), Mart 1 (Philippines) and Dubai Mall.
In India leading organisations such as Shoppers Stop, Kaya Skin Clinic, Raymond, FabIndia, Paytm, Welspun, Reliance Retail, Titan, Tata Trent, Lifestyle, D-Mart, Max Fashion, Big Bazaar, Apollo Pharmacy, Croma, and Decathlon, as well as malls like Inorbit, Nexus, and Phoenix Malls, actively celebrate RED.
Non-retail partners celebrating RED like Multiplier and Kredo have also extended appreciation to retail associates.
“Let us continue to celebrate, appreciate, and express our gratitude to these heroes who make every shopping experience meaningful and memorable,” the TRRAIN CEO added.
