How Time and Motion Studies Improve Retail Efficiency and Performance

There’s effort everywhere from team huddles to last-minute stock checks to clocking in before the doors open. But without actual data to show how that time is being spent, even the most well-intentioned, energetic teams can fall into invisible traps. Busyness can mask inefficiency. And in retail, inefficiency is expensive.

You may think your operations are running smoothly. But how much time is actually spent on value-generating activities? Which tasks consistently take longer than they should? And how much of your team’s day is quietly eaten up by tasks that could be simplified, reallocated, or automated?

In one study, SWL Group uncovered that over 25% of employee time in a DIY retail chain was devoted to non-customer-facing activities, leading to annual inefficiencies costing over £34 million. This wasn’t due to lack of effort. It was due to lack of visibility.

That’s where a Time & Motion Study changes the game. It transforms the way you understand your team’s performance, not based on assumptions, but on facts.

Efficiency Isn’t Just About Speed

It’s about focus! Retail teams aren’t short on movement but movement isn’t always momentum.

A Time & Motion Study breaks down daily work into measurable, structured steps. It doesn’t just record how long something takes. It tracks how the task is carried out, how often it’s repeated, what dependencies are involved, and what value it delivers.

These aren’t abstract reports pulled from dashboards or standardized audits. They’re rooted in on-the-ground observations, conducted by trained analysts inside your stores, during real shifts, with no disruption to operations.

What this means for retailers:

• A clear picture of how time is distributed across tasks

• Identification of bottlenecks, redundancies, and avoidable delays

• A data-backed foundation to redesign workflows and improve productivity

And the potential is significant: a study by Zenput indicates that 45% of field employees' workweek is spent on low-value tasks, time that could be better utilized on training, interacting with customers, and other high-impact activities. Multiply that across locations, and the cost adds up fast.

The Questions You Should Be Asking

Every store has a rhythm. But is it the right one?

Here are just a few questions a Time & Motion Study can answer:

• Are your employees spending too much time on administrative work?

• Is travel time between store areas or even locations slowing down productivity?

• Which tasks consume the most time and do they drive business outcomes?

• Are customers being served quickly, or is staff time being lost to internal tasks?

• How many hours a day are spent on tasks that could be automated or streamlined?

Time and Motion: Step by Step

1. Observation Analysts quietly observe daily routines without interfering. Everything from restocking to returns is tracked in context—real-time, in-store, under normal conditions.

2. Measurement Every activity is logged, timed, and categorised. How long does stock replenishment really take? How many times does a team member return to the backroom during a shift?

3. Diagnosis Data is analysed to highlight repeat loops, wait times, idle time, layout issues, misaligned staffing, or tasks that simply don’t belong in the hands of trained sales staff.

4. Optimisation Findings turn into clear, actionable changes: new task ownership, layout tweaks, adjusted shift structures, better tool use. Changes that cut waste without cutting quality.

5. Reassessment We come back. Changes are tested and measured again. The cycle is repeated where needed to make sure improvements stick—and that they continue to deliver.

This process results in more efficient workflows, less burnout, better service and ultimately, better business outcomes.

Why This Matters Now

TRetail is under pressure from all sides. Shrinking margins, staff shortages, and heightened expectations from both consumers and HQ are pushing store teams to their limits. And while businesses have embraced digital tools for sales and marketing, many are still relying on instinct, not insight, when it comes to how time is used on the ground.

That’s a costly gap.

What does this mean in practice? It means hours are spent on repetitive tasks that could be automated. It means team members are switching between roles without clear priorities. And it means that small inefficiencies spread across multiple shifts and locations can quietly erode productivity and profit.

Time and Motion Studies help close this visibility gap. They turn daily activity into measurable insight. And from there, better decisions follow: where to simplify, where to invest, and how to help employees do their best work without burnout.

The Impact: Real Results from Real Stores

One RDM retail partner suspected their team was constantly “busy,” yet sales and task completion didn’t align. We conducted a Time and Motion Study across multiple locations.

Here’s what we found:

• 2 hours per day were lost to backroom processes that had no link to sales

• 20% of shift time was spent walking between tasks due to layout inefficiencies

• Reporting systems were duplicating data entry already captured in their POS

With targeted changes like reassigning low-value tasks, improving backroom layout, and digitizing reporting, productivity rose by 18% in just one quarter. Customer wait times dropped, staff reported less burnout, and the retailer improved performance without increasing headcount.

The RDM Approach to Time and Motion

At Retail Data Monitoring (RDM), we bring a structured, field-proven methodology to Time and Motion Studies tailored for retail environments.

Our service includes:

• On-site observation across shifts and locations

• Detailed task segmentation for clear analysis

• Actionable reporting with prioritized opportunities

• Follow-up support to measure and reinforce results

Whether you're managing ten stores or two hundred, our studies give you a 360° view of how your team’s time can be better spent boosting efficiency without compromising customer experience.

Are You Ready to See Time Differently?

Your people are already working hard. A Time and Motion Study ensures they’re working smart, too.

This isn’t about shaving seconds. It’s about:

• Uncovering invisible costs

• Reducing pressure on your team

• Freeing up time for tasks that actually drive the business forward

If you’ve ever walked your store and felt like something was off but couldn’t quite put your finger on it this is the clarity you’ve been looking for.

Ready to explore your store’s status? Contact Retail Data Monitoring to learn how our Time&Motion Study services can provide the insights you need to thrive.