Staffing stores to serve our customers is one of the most important jobs we have. We know our employees are critical to ensuring customers leave our stores satisfied and stay loyal to the Safeway brand. To make sure we get that right balance we work with our Department Managers, Store Managers and Directors of Operations. In addition, we also rely on technology.

We use a sophisticated tool called “Workforce Management” (WFM) to connect the right number of employees to the tasks that require their skills at the right time to meet our customers’ needs.

It is our goal to balance the right level of staff to provide the customer service we expect while managing our labour costs. Even though we have the tools to help us manage our workforce, the reality is that scheduling is tied to the financials of our stores. We face a competitive market – with constant pressures on costs. And our labour costs are still too high for industry standards. We must address our labour costs and sales performance to improve our viability. We have to be the best place to shop, again.

If we do not address these challenges, we will not be able to make our stores profitable.