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Office visits increased in frequency in the first quarter of 2024, but utilization is still far from uniform. Are RTO strategies that require or entice employees back to the office working, or is employee behavior a stronger factor? Join Basking and special guest Derrick J Bock, Director of Workplace Strategy for HelloFresh for a first look at the Q1 global benchmarks and occupancy trends. He will join Basking CEO Dr. Eldar Gizzatov and Head of Data Analytics Anjali Grover to discuss: • Which region has seen the biggest shift in office visit frequency patterns • Why RTO policy is not one-size-fits-all • Which Mobility Personas dominate utilization by region • How behavioral insights can help optimize the employee experience and CapEx strategy 🗓️ Tuesday, May 7, 2024 - 11am EST/5pm CEST Reserve your spot now: https://lnkd.in/eGPxUZyT #occupancyplanning #facilitymanagement #workplacestrategy #employeeexperience #futureofwork

One of the long lasting impacts of Covid-19 is working patterns. Retailers in particular are dealing with the effect of work-from-home (WFH) on their own employees and how this impacts general shopping behaviour. My column for The Retail Bulletin explores the ramifications of WFH on retail:

Retail footfall rebounded last week largely driven by a buoyant performance from the high street and follows 2 weeks of decline. Shopping centres and retail parks are still lagging behind however as they are not seeing the benefit from colleagues returning to the office. In fact high streets tracked nearly 5% up vs last year, whereas the centres and parks experienced marginal drops. The boost in footfall was especially marked in regional cities outside of London and office dense locations within the city reflecting a much stronger return to office compared to this time last year. Companies are increasingly wanting to see colleagues more visible, trying to wean employees off hybrid and the classic 2/3 day split. Time will tell whether the stats will change as companies need to demonstrate some degree of flexibility to avoid churn and low retention. Office space may need to be reviewed again to cater for the larger workforce. I’m hearing challenges with productivity from remote working where colleagues can get very easily distracted, losing focus and output. We are all social animals whether extrovert or introvert, so just being surrounded by colleagues will be beneficial to our mental health. The week remained strong for high streets with footfall rising each day last week from the week prior. Tuesday and Wednesday emerged as the strongest days with footfall rising by +12.7% and +8.4%, respectively, which may tie in with when many employees are now travelling back into the office. Amazon recently announced it has ordered staff back to the office five days a week as it ends its hybrid work policy. Who will be next I wonder?

After analyzing pantry budgets across 300+ offices, here's what we found… → The pendulum has settled, with 75% of US employers now recognizing hybrid work as the optimal workplace strategy. → The shared experience of food is a critical driver of making the office experience worth the commute. Companies that invest in strategic pantry programs see higher employee satisfaction, productivity and output. → Many pantry budgets start at the top, where workplace teams receive a fixed budget that isn't driven by data around the experience. → Workplace teams then face the challenge of the Perk Paradox—balancing the desire to enrich the in-office experience for optimal output alongside the pressure to keep costs low. _______ They say money talks, so we listened! We crunched the numbers and rounded up ways to maximize your budget so that it works with you instead of against you. Take a bottoms-up approach to craft your budget around your employees’ daily needs: 📸 Picture what your employees will consume in an average day. 🤔 Imagine the types of products you want to see on the shelves to deliver that. 💵 Choose a cost per employee per day that reflects that vision. 🤓 Start doing the math based on headcount and working days. Unpack the formula, the benchmarks and real-life examples to help you craft a budget that actually aligns with your experience all found in our latest report: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/etuXgThC #FutureOfTheWorkplace #OfficePantryPrograms #OfficeSnackBudgetPrograms #PantryBudgeting2025

Organizations need to balance the need to control their expenses while also making strategic investments in the employee experience. The spend data we collect helps Crafty evolve the ways we manage our clients pantry budgets, and instead of keeping this data to ourselves, we want to share it with the world 🌍 I'm very excited to share our Ultimate Guide to Office Pantry Budgeting! No email required, just click the link below to dive in. A few of key learnings from the data: 1️⃣ Snack and beverage spend is growing as a share of the total budget, while categories like coffee and supplies are consistent. This is consistent with an increase in snacking across all channels - in the office and at home! 2️⃣ Cities that have larger concentrations of hybrid workforces tend to invest more in their pantry programs. Pantry is a great way to improve the in-office experience, and we see organizations offering these perks as a way to ensure the time you spend in-office delights your team. 3️⃣ Breaking down your pantry budget into a cost per person per day is essential to budget management and optimization. Calculating exactly how many items you plan for your team to consume, as well as the average cost per unit, will ensure your budget aligns to the experience you want to create. Click below for the full scoop 👇 🔗 https://lnkd.in/etuXgThC

For classic retail, there is a glimmer of positivity (besides disinflation) on the horizon: the resurgence of in-office work arrangements ✨ This trend, alignin closely with the expectations of both employers and employees, signifies a convergence in work practices. According to insights from McKinsey Global Institute, there's a compelling link (not surprisingly) between physical office presence and brick & mortar shopping habits. Individuals who regularly engage in office environments demonstrate a greater inclination towards in-person retail experiences, contrasting with the preferences of remote workers, who tend to favor online shopping. This development is promising not only for office segment of real estate, but also for the retail sector. 😊 #realestate #hybridwork #cee #slovakia

**OFFICE SNACK BUDGET HACKS** I hear from workplace teams constantly about the office F&B "perk paradox"- wanting to provide an inviting experience without breaking the bank. Crafty is leading the industry in approaching this problem with tools, reports, and thoughtful budget management strategies- the report below is FULL of them. If you're curious to learn what this would look like in your office, feel free to DM me! 😊

Did you know that 30% of departures in 2023 could have been prevented if retail management better met the flexible scheduling needs of their teams? We surveyed 500 retail frontline workers in the US and found that a quarter of retail workers surveyed had changed jobs in the last year. Nearly a third reported doing so to pursue more flexibility - either more adaptable schedules, or to better fit their family needs.    So what does this mean in practice? Communication about schedules further in advance, and making it easier to pick up or swap shifts. Learn more in the 2024 State of the Frontline Workforce - US Retail Report: https://lnkd.in/eJyDY6kp

a very interesting article by Nicole Larson from Colliers USA #Retail #Advisory, a good insight for #MiddleEast #Retailers #WeekdayShoppingTrends: How #HybridWork is #Changing #RetailPatterns #HybridWork #Growth and its #Impact In the post-pandemic world, hybrid work models have transformed where and how people work and their shopping habits. With more flexible schedules, many workers are shifting their errands, including grocery shopping, to weekdays rather than the traditionally busy weekends. Flexibility in working from home has allowed consumers to shop more on traditionally less busy weekdays, with about 35% of workers in remote-capable jobs still working from home full-time, up from 7% pre-pandemic. With nearly 60% of hybrid workers working from home three or more days, weekdays have opened for activities typically reserved for weekends. According to J.P. Morgan, the return to office rates in the U.S. shows notable regional differences. While 69% of respondents from major U.S. cities are now back in the office regularly - lagging behind the global average of 79%. These trends reflect the dominance of tech tenants on the West Coast, who favor hybrid work models, and the slower push for in-office mandates in D.C.’s government sector. #Weekday #Retail #Visits on the #Rise The data shows a shift in patterns in retail properties across the U.S., with recent visits on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays rising, especially as workers leverage their hybrid schedules. In 2023, retail store visits saw notable growth on weekdays. This uptick reflects the changing shopping behaviors as consumers spread their visits more evenly throughout the week. These trends show that more workers are utilizing their weekdays for shopping, avoiding the crowded weekend rush, and we anticipate that holiday shopping will further boost these figures as the year progresses. #Shifting #Shopping #Patterns Many hybrid workers report that working from home helps them balance their work and personal lives, making it easier to run errands, such as shopping, during their lunch breaks or on days when they aren’t commuting to the office. This positive impact on work-life balance is a promising sign for brick-and-mortar retail. #Retailers #Adjust to the #NewNormal Retailers are responding to the increase in weekday foot traffic by expanding product offerings and tailoring promotions to attract customers during traditionally quieter periods. The rise of hybrid work schedules has shifted consumer habits, with more shoppers taking advantage of flexible hours to visit stores between Monday and Thursday. Target and Costco Wholesale capitalize on this trend by offering exclusive in-store promotions and early product releases, creating a sense of urgency for weekday visits. By strategically optimizing operations and promotions, these retailers are successfully capturing a larger share of weekday shoppers and adapting to evolving consumer behavior.

The rise of WFH and TW&Ts Covid was a unique event in human history. Whilst the last lockdown ended nearly 4 years ago, the way of life we knew is not likely to return. The transformation from working together in spaces collaboratively, to donning headsets at improvised home offices during lockdown has, to an extent, become the new normal. The initial move to flexible working that we saw prior to the pandemic has been accelerated, with employers bowing to demands to WFH. Without getting into the pros and cons of this change to the workplace and working culture here, more broadly, I see a tangible reduction of people in Central London on Mondays and Fridays, likely due to people either working a 3 (TW&Ts = Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays) or 4 day week in the office. Whilst you are more likely to be able to get a seat on the Tube, the damage caused to small independent businesses (sandwich shops, newsagents, cobblers, pubs, bars, restaurants…) that are reliant on a critical mass of regular footfall for 5 days a week is evident. I have been travelling in and out of Green Park for the last 15 years and there are now just a handful of these independent shops left in this small part of town, including the fantastic Le Petit Cafe, which I am pleased to report still has a healthy queue outside at lunchtime. The high street is changing, and it is becoming less engaging, diverse and activated as a result.