Younger, LGBTQ+ and frontline staff the unhappiest in retail

The latest Retail People Index, compiled by the Retail Trust and consulting firm AlixPartners, has found that young, LGBTQ+ and frontline staff “consistently felt unhappier, less safe and more anxious than people working retail head offices or manager roles” between April 2023 and March 2025.

The survey of 8,975 retail staff asked about their mental and physical health and how valued and fulfilled they feel at work, creating an overall wellbeing score out of 100.

The national average during the first quarter of the year across retail was 61, but LGBTQ+ staff scored just 54 on average, compared to a score of 63 for heterosexual workers.

Employees aged 25 to 34 scored 57, a full 12 points behind over-55s in the first quarter of the year, while those working in stores, customer services and distribution centres scored 59 on average – making them six points unhappier than their head office colleagues.

The Retail People index also found that 47% of all retail staff were at risk of leaving their jobs at the start of the year, driven by an increase in the sense that their career development had stalled.

Chris Brook-Carter, chief executive of the Retail Trust, said: “Retail has always built its biggest successes on the strengths of its people, but we’ve found a worrying wellbeing gap risks pushing younger, LGBTQ+ and frontline retail colleagues out of the sector. These are people the sector cannot afford to do without when it comes to keeping the industry running now and developing the leaders of the future, so we must take steps to close this gap.

“Fewer retail staff than usual also felt they were being adequately developed at the start of the year and this is something else we need to address to prevent even more talented people leaving the industry. Our data shows that overall wellbeing tends to improve during the spring and summer months before pressures once again intensify going into the autumn, so the most forward-thinking employers will make the most of this time to provide more proactive support.

“That could include investing in training, bolstering mental-health resources, or clearly communicating where help can be found before anyone reaches crisis point.”

Laura Bond, director at AlixPartners, said: “Many retail brands are wrestling with the localised impacts of geopolitical shifts, tariff developments, and the associated effects on consumer confidence. Uncertainty of this kind can affect anyone’s overall wellbeing, not to mention anxiety about their own futures in an industry that is often impacted by the macro disruption that we see emerge every year.

“Retail leaders must ensure that all employees, irrespective of role, function, or location, are adequately supported, paying particular attention to those highlighted groups that are struggling the most, and that clear and frequent employee engagement is prioritised. An absence of company dialogue can be unnerving, even if there is no cause for alarm. Fostering resilience and high performance amongst employees in areas at the highest risk of presenteeism, such as on the frontline and in distribution, will be critical in helping their companies to succeed amid the current market challenges.”