How Data-Driven Workforce Management Drives Profitability

What if your business could drive top-line sales growth without increasing labour costs? 

Cape Union Mart, one of South Africa’s most respected speciality retailers, has done exactly that. Their approach to workforce optimisation, enabled by StoreForce, offers a blueprint for African retailers ready to modernise operations without compromising service. 

At the Cape Town Road Show, Cape Union Mart’s leadership revealed exactly how they’ve turned workforce management into a profit centre; not a cost centre. 

The Challenge: Breaking Free from Outdated Labour Planning 

Across South Africa, many retailers are still operating under outdated assumptions: 

“If sales go up, headcount must also go up.” 

It’s a familiar cycle, sales increase by 3–5% annually, so staffing costs rise in parallel. But as Cape Union Mart pointed out, this blanket uplift in labour spend often results in wasted budget, not better service. 

What most retailers lack is real-time visibility. What happens today is Store Managers waiting until the end of the day, or even the next, to analyse performance. By then, it’s too late to take corrective action. That’s where StoreForce changes the game. 

The Shift 

Cape Union Mart used StoreForce to rewire their workforce strategy. Instead of increasing headcount with every sales uptick, they created efficiency at scale: 

Flat Labour Costs with Sustained Sales Growth 
While most South African retailers see labour costs rise in tandem with sales, Cape Union Mart kept them flat — even while achieving consistent growth. 

Real-Time Operational Insights 
Using StoreForce, the team could immediately identify underperformance, staffing gaps, or conversion issues as they were happening. As one executive shared: 

“Before, the data would come in either at the end of the day or the next day. Now, we get the full picture in the moment.” 

Dynamic Labour Allocation 
Staff were no longer locked into static shifts. With accurate traffic forecasting, they dynamically moved associates between nearby stores — even within the same mall — to align labour with real-time demand. 

Key Enablers 

Cape Union Mart’s results weren’t just about tools — they came from strategic behaviours enabled by StoreForce: 

– Leadership Buy-In from the Start 
Executives didn’t just delegate the tech rollout — they used the system themselves, reinforcing trust and leading by example. 

– In-Store Accountability and Incentives 
StoreForce helped tie performance data to real incentives. Teams competed to deliver the highest average transaction value, and managers adjusted targets based on real-time trends. 

– Omnichannel Visibility 
Cape Union Mart used StoreForce to integrate sales data across multiple brands (including Old Khaki and Poetry), enabling insights and labour planning across banners; not just store-by-store. 

– Forecasting for Customer Experience, Not Just Efficiency 
Unlike traditional task-based scheduling models (such as Kronos or Excel templates), StoreForce emphasises top-down planning that begins with customer traffic patterns — ensuring the brand experience is protected during peak hours. 

The Impact 

By rethinking their workforce strategy through a customer-experience lens, Cape Union Mart unlocked a powerful dual outcome: sales growth and operational efficiency. 

– 3–5% annual sales growth, achieved without additional labour spend 

– Labour costs held flat, even as store volumes increased 

– R250 million (~£10 million) in savings through smarter scheduling and reduced waste 

– Significant uplift in customer satisfaction, driven by consistent, high-touch service across all brands 

This wasn’t just about cutting costs, it was about investing where it mattered most: in the moments that influence buying decisions. 

By striving to meet 90%+ peak coverage during Golden Hours, Cape Union Mart maximised customer-facing time, increased basket size, and converted more foot traffic — without burning through budget. 

“It’s not about the number of hours. It’s about the right coverage, during the right hours, with the right people.” 

By prioritising service when it matters most, they protected, scaled, and profited. 

A Wake-Up Call for African Retail 

If you’re still scheduling manually, relying on Excel sheets, and reviewing yesterday’s results to fix today’s problems, you’re falling behind. 

The Cape Union Mart playbook proves that profitability doesn’t require more labour, it requires smarter planning. 

Here’s how to start: 

– Replace outdated workforce models with retail-specific solutions 

– Schedule to meet customer demand, not just tasks 

– Empower store teams with performance visibility and dynamic goals 

Book a meeting with our team and see how smarter workforce planning can boost your profitability.