Retail worker wellbeing has held broadly steady following a difficult 2025, but employees aged 25 to 44 are now the only age group in the struggling range, according to the latest Retail People Index from the Retail Trust and AlixPartners.
The Retail People Index, produced with global consulting firm AlixPartners, scores the wellbeing of retail workers out of 100, with a score below 60 indicating that people are struggling. The overall score for April to June 2026 was 61%, one point lower than the previous quarter and two points higher than the same period last year.
Workers aged 25 to 44 recorded a score of 58%, down one point on the previous quarter and the lowest of any age group. By comparison, those aged 19 to 24 scored 64% and 45 to 64-year-olds scored 65%. Stress and anxiety have continued to affect employees across the industry, with this age group facing the greatest challenges.
The Retail Trust has been extending its support for retail workers through partnerships with employers, including a wellbeing programme for Currys’ 15,000 employees and Landsec’s roll-out of abuse-response training and support across its shopping destinations.
The Index found that 39% of retail workers remain at risk of working while unwell, an improvement on the same period last year. The figure rises to 46% among customer service workers, who are also more likely to report anxiety.
Women are more at risk than men, at 40% compared with 36%, despite reporting better manager support, recognition and ability to manage stress at work. They are also more likely to report anxiety, with pressures outside work potentially contributing.
Flight risk, which measures how many workers may be looking to leave their jobs, has fallen by seven points over the year to 47%, although it has risen from 45% in the previous quarter, with higher anxiety potentially contributing.
Flight risk is highest among distribution centre staff at 59%, followed by store workers at 49%, head office employees at 39% and customer services staff at 38%. Managers are more likely than non-managers to be considering leaving, at 49% compared with 46%, with stress the biggest differentiator, suggesting that leadership pressures may be influencing intentions to leave.
The Retail People Index is produced quarterly by the Retail Trust and AlixPartners to track wellbeing across the retail workforce.
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