Leaders can strengthen team connections by creating regular opportunities to share feedback, ask questions and stay informed about company updates. Regular touchpoints, from team huddles to feedback surveys and internal messaging tools, keep frontline employees informed and connected.

The typical holiday shopper is buying presents on a deadline and got pulled in by a purported deal. It’s what borrowed traffic looks like, and borrowed traffic leaves once the reason it came (or the deal) is gone.

In a store of any real size, customers orient themselves using signage the same way they’d use it in an airport or a parking garage. Overhead department signs, aisle markers, and directional signage reduce the friction of “where do I find X” — and every extra minute a customer spends searching is a minute where they might decide to leave instead.

September has always been an important reset for retail. But this year, it offers a useful reminder that consumers increasingly dictate their own shopping calendar.