How Aesop Reinvented Labor Planning to Drive Sales and Drop Wage Costs

The Problem 

Like many Retailers, Aesop’s labor planning started from the bottom up. 

Each store estimated its needs, finance translated those into budgets, and wage percentage acted as the primary anchor. It worked, until it didn’t. 

The inefficiencies were hard to ignore.  

– Stores were operating in silos.  

– Coverage assumptions weren’t grounded in traffic patterns or sales behaviors.  

– And their tools become disconnected, inconsistent, and manual.  

Aesop’s Retail leaders knew they needed a better way. The transformation required clarity, collaboration, and above all, trust in one another. 

Recognizing the Need to Evolve 

The shift toward a more data-informed labor strategy came from both experience and necessity. For leaders like Pauline Notari, Director of Retail Operations, and David Farrugia, Head of Commercial Retail North America, the shift wasn’t theoretical.  

They had led payroll transformations in previous roles, but this time, the stakes were higher. “We were using five different tools,” said Pauline. “Payroll was based on sales assumptions, and the system felt disjointed. StoreForce didn’t just streamline the process, it helped us ask better questions.” 

Aesop began shifting away from static wage percentage allocations toward more responsive, store-specific models. But this wasn’t about turning operations into spreadsheets, it was about building a system that reflected the reality of the business in the field. 

The Solution 

Unlike grab-and-go Retail, where speed is everything, Specialty Retail is built on connection. In categories like apparel, footwear, and home décor, shoppers don’t just want to buy, they want to be guided. Personalized service, thoughtful recommendations, and a sense of trust all play a critical role in the path to purchase. 

That’s why effective labor planning in Specialty Retail must start with the shopper. Bottom-up scheduling handles execution. Top-down planning beginning with holistically visualizing traffic patterns and layering in the people who bring the brand to life. 

StoreForce became the platform that kick-started Aesop’s labor transformation. Not by dictating a new philosophy, but by giving their teams the validation to evolve their approach. 

Key shifts included: 

– Bringing all stakeholders into one system: finance, HR, commercial ops, and store leadership. 

– Building a payroll model based on data and impact, not just inherited percentages. 

– Driving golden hour planning using real-time traffic and performance insights. 

– Capturing non-sell activity with clarity, making non-selling hours visible and meaningful. 

“The math is the math,” said David. “StoreForce helped depersonalize the conversation between departments. It became a neutral ground where we could see the data and work together.” 

Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast

and Then Builds a Better One 

From the start, Aesop approached this as a people-first transformation.  

“We knew we had to involve our Store Managers during the solution roll-out,” Pauline explained. “They’re used to running a business. If they feel like they’re part of the process, the buy-in is real.” 

This meant training, dialogue, dry runs, and the launch of a Super User Program; a group of field leaders who could coach peers, gain insights, and reinforce education at scale. 

This helped reframe how scheduling decisions are made: 

– Store Managers began asking, “How can I be profitable with the hours I have?” 

– District Managers started owning their P&Ls, using StoreForce data to dynamically adjust schedules. 

– Teams across Canada reported clearer, more efficient weekend coverage, resulting in stronger, more focused customer experiences without overstaffing. 

Aesop’s transition was a mindset shift. Store Managers became more financially fluent. District Managers leaned into strategic coaching. And leadership stopped working in silos.  

What happened when all the stars were aligned? 

– Sales increased even as wage costs dropped, helping Aesop balance its Q1 budget despite unexpected PTO surges. 

– Commercial, finance, and field ops now operate from a shared playbook, driven by real-time insights. 

– The customer experience improved, with leaner, more intentional staffing leading to elevated 1-on-1 interactions. 

“We used to operate in silos,” one leader said. “Now, we’re building a web.” 

In an industry where corporate strategy often conflicts with store reality, Aesop has chosen integration over control. Their case proves that when you lead with clarity, data, and empathy, transformation doesn’t feel forced, it feels natural. 

Join us at the StoreForce Road Show in New York City, where Aesop’s leadership will share how they reimagined labor planning across North America, and why the change is built to last. 

Register Today! FREE for Retail leaders | Seats are limited.