Seasonal stores, such as those located in seaside resorts or mountain areas, often experience activity peaks at the same time each year. These surges in activity can represent up to 60% of their annual revenue for some retailers.
However, handling this heavy influx without losing a single drop of potential turnover—while maintaining economic balance—requires adapting how work is organized.
Many factors need to be taken into account, which means you need a clear picture… and above all, you must be able to measure and manage the additional seasonal workload (from both customer and product flows) to ride the wave of the high season successfully!
Perfect timing—because that’s exactly what we’re offering in this article.
So, ready to go? Cast off the moorings—we’re setting sail for Seasonality Island!
I) What do we mean by activity peaks?
Definition
Activity peaks refer to periods during which the workload of a company, department, or team experiences a significant increase compared to normal. These peaks often generate a substantial volume of revenue that’s well worth capturing.
There are two types of activity peaks:
Anticipated peaks:
- Cyclical peaks: they occur every year around the same date.
- Peaks linked to marketing or commercial actions, such as product launches.
Other peaks, however, are less predictable—especially those caused by weather conditions or crises.
How does retail get impacted by activity peaks?
During these periods, retailers must handle an influx of customers, leading to a higher volume of goods, customer service, and ultimately sales.
They also have to deal with much faster product turnover—particularly in the food sector. This means ensuring the right stock levels and restocking shelves at lightning speed.
E-commerce orders also rise, regardless of the channel (drive-through, click & collect, etc.), requiring adjustments to scheduling and staffing for order preparation.
Finally, the volume of sales-related customer service increases too. That’s why it’s essential to adjust the presence of sales staff to match these new flows.
II) How to anticipate and manage activity peaks?
Be aware of common pitfalls to avoid
Before diving into the keys to mastering activity peaks, it’s essential to recognize a few recurring pitfalls.
First, never underestimate the importance of precise and thorough workload forecasting. A rough estimate can lead to serious consequences in terms of costs, customer satisfaction, and team well-being.
Second, anticipate training needs for new temporary hires: a proper onboarding ensures a quick ramp-up in skills and minimizes negative operational impact.
Third, even if the pace is intense during activity peaks, don’t neglect basic management practices—they’re essential to keeping your team motivated and cohesive.
And fourth, keep a constant eye on how your actual activity evolves compared to your initial forecasts, so you can quickly adjust your actions if needed.
Now that theory’s out of the way—let’s get to the practical part!
Plan for the rise and fall of workload
To help avoid these pitfalls, TimeSkipper has developed a new workload simulation tool. In just a few minutes, it allows you to precisely estimate the workload your store will face. You can also visualize how this workload will gradually rise and fall over time.
To get these forecasts, simply follow three steps:
Step 1: make assumptions
In this first step, the tool asks you to estimate a rate of increase for your activity peak periods.
You can make these forecasts at the store level or drill down further—to a specific department or even a product family (for example: ice cream in summer). After one year of use, once real workload schedules have been recorded, the tool will be able to suggest appropriate assumptions automatically. You’ll then have full control to adjust them as needed.
Step 2: estimate the workload volume during peak periods
Once your assumptions are set, it becomes easy to anticipate how workload will rise and fall—week by week, day by day, and even hour by hour. You might even discover that some usually quiet days turn out to be the busiest during peak periods.
By entering your assumptions into the tool, it automatically calculates the upcoming workload at every level: store, department, and product family.
This calculation is based on a reference library of tasks and time standards developed by TimeSkipper from real-life time measurements taken in the field. This gives you a clear and precise view of workload volume across the entire peak period, allowing you to easily visualize the progression of activity in your store.
Step 3: align workload with staffing capacity
Once your forecast is complete, it becomes easy to identify when and where reinforcements are needed. TimeSkipper calculates the required number of hours per week and per day needed to absorb the workload.
How does it work?
TimeSkipper calculates the workload to be absorbed week by week and day by day.
It then subtracts the available hours from your permanent teams.
The remaining gap represents the additional staffing hours needed for the period.
Managers therefore have a clear view of the ideal number of temporary staff required, the type of contracts to prioritize (fixed-term, seasonal, temp agency), and the optimal contract duration.
This precise management approach helps avoid both unnecessary overstaffing costs and potential losses due to temporary staff shortages.
III) Preserving team engagement is crucial
Keeping Teams Engaged and Performing During Activity Peaks Doesn’t Happen by Chance
The pace picks up, usual routines are disrupted, and new team members—often seasonal workers—join the ranks. In this context, maintaining strong managerial practices is more essential than ever to keep your teams both engaged and effective.
First rule: anticipate
It’s crucial to start the season with a core team of well-trained employees. Their presence eases the onboarding of new recruits, ensures fast and effective knowledge transfer, and creates a reassuring environment in the midst of a high-pressure period.
Second rule: foster team cohesion
Success during peak periods depends on your ability to build strong unity between permanent and seasonal teams. TimeSkipper helps distribute workload fairly, making task assignments and goals visible to everyone. This not only improves collaboration but also enhances mutual understanding of each person’s role.
Third rule: lead closely and with empathy
Thanks to TimeSkipper’s structured daily briefings, you can clearly communicate the day’s priorities and challenges, while also creating a regular space for dialogue. It’s a chance to check in with your team and adjust plans if needed.
Finally, recognizing all efforts—big or small—boosts motivation and helps sustain a positive team dynamic, which is essential to getting through this intensive period in the best possible conditions.
Conclusion
Mastering activity peaks is key to ensuring quality customer service and economic balance
However, success relies on applying solid management fundamentals that foster strong cohesion between permanent and seasonal teams.
With the support of a turnkey tool like TimeSkipper, businesses can now anticipate, organize, and optimize their high-activity periods—boosting profitability, enhancing customer satisfaction, and protecting the well-being and engagement of their teams.
