How Steve Madden Optimized Peak Performance with Real-Time Retail Scheduling 

We spoke with Robyn Anderson, Regional Manager for the West Coast at Steve Madden, about how real-time scheduling and performance visibility helped the brand maximize peak hours, improve labor alignment, and streamline operations across multiple stores.  

About Steve Madden 

Steve Madden is a leading footwear and fashion brand with a strong retail presence across the United States. Known for trend-forward designs and high-energy retail experiences, the company manages a mix of high-volume stores and seasonal peak periods, making efficient scheduling and real-time operational insights critical to consistent performance.  

1. Optimizing scheduling for peak performance  

Before adopting a real-time scheduling solution, Steve Madden relied on manual spreadsheets to build store schedules, often aligning staff based on perceived busy hours rather than actual traffic data. 

Robyn explained: 

By visualizing coverage in real time, managers can now ensure proper staffing during high-traffic periods while keeping breaks compliant with labor laws. This optimization reduces missed opportunities and ensures customers are always supported. 

2. Managing 30 stores with real-time visibility 

Robyn highlighted how the system allowed her to oversee her region efficiently: 

Real-time visibility gave leaders actionable insights to: 

– Monitor staffing across 30 stores 

– Track peak-hour coverage and lunch breaks 

– Align labor with customer traffic 

– Quickly identify and fill open shifts 

3. Streamlining labor management and reducing administrative work 

Building a manual schedule used to involve pulling traffic data from multiple sources and combining them in Excel. Now, all scheduling, performance, and peak-hour data are centralized, making it easier to: 

– Build accurate schedules quickly 

– Track employee performance and zone assignments 

– Maintain optimal customer-to-employee ratios 

– Adjust staffing in real time to meet traffic trends 

Robyn noted: 

This consolidation allows field leaders to focus on coaching and operational improvements rather than administrative tasks. 

4. Driving adoption and measurable results 

The success of any operational change depends on team adoption. Robin emphasized the importance of engagement from both field leaders and stores: 

By rolling out the system across all regions and driving buy-in, Steve Madden established a consistent, scalable scheduling process that improves operational performance across the entire footprint. 

Why real-time scheduling matters for retail operations 

For Steve Madden, real-time scheduling and operational insights have transformed how leaders manage store execution. Benefits include: 

– Aligning labor with actual peak hours 

– Ensuring consistent coverage across 30 stores 

– Reducing administrative workload for regional and store managers 

– Quickly identifying and correcting underperformance during peak times 

– Supporting scalable and repeatable operational processes 

For retail executives, this is more than operational efficiency—it’s about maximizing revenue and giving store teams the tools they need to succeed. 

See how Steve Madden did it 

Get the full scoop here and watch the complete interview with Robin to hear how Steve Madden optimized coverage and execution across 30 stores.