Kipling Cut Payroll by 2% with Traffic per Labor Hour Planning

“We load targets before the month, and as weeks go by, store managers can reforecast and adjust schedules based on live trends. If sales are lower, they can reduce payroll. If traffic spikes, they can flex shifts up. This has been huge for keeping stores on target.” – Jaden Lumpa, Financial Analyst, Store Operations Team

Key Takeaways 

• Real time reforecasting allowed managers to adjust schedules weekly based on live sales and traffic trends instead of relying on static monthly plans. 

• Shifting from sales per hour to traffic per labor hour planning reduced payroll by at least 2 percent compared to forecast, even in a softer sales year. 

• Peak hour coverage improved by flexing shifts up or down as traffic changed, protecting service during busy periods without overspending. 

• Centralized live reporting replaced manual spreadsheets and gave leadership instant visibility into KPIs, trends, and labor performance. 

Background 

Kipling is a global lifestyle brand known for functional, stylish bags and accessories. With stores operating across different markets and traffic patterns that shift week to week, maintaining strong service levels while protecting payroll requires precision. 

Before partnering with StoreForce, Kipling relied heavily on spreadsheets and static forecasts to guide scheduling decisions. Targets were set at the start of each month, but once schedules were built, managers had limited visibility into how real time traffic and sales trends were evolving. Adjustments were reactive and often required manual effort, making it harder to stay aligned to demand without overspending. 

With StoreForce, Kipling moved from static planning to a real time scheduling model built around live data, measurable coverage, and clear performance visibility.

Real-Time Scheduling That Kept Stores Aligned to Demand

With StoreForce, Kipling loads monthly targets but no longer treats them as fixed assumptions. As each week unfolds, managers can reforecast based on live sales and traffic trends and adjust schedules accordingly. 

This shift has fundamentally changed how stores manage labor. When sales trend lower than expected, managers can reduce payroll before overspending occurs. When traffic spikes, they can flex shifts up to protect service and conversion. Instead of waiting for end of week reports, decisions happen in the moment. 

The result is tighter alignment between labor hours and actual demand. Stores maintain coverage during high impact selling windows while avoiding unnecessary hours during slower periods. Performance conversations have also shifted from explaining variances after the fact to proactively managing them throughout the week. 

A 2% Payroll Reduction Despite Softer Sales and Traffic 

One of the clearest outcomes of Kipling’s shift to real time labor planning was a measurable payroll improvement. By moving from a traditional sales per hour focus to a traffic per labor hour approach, staffing decisions became directly tied to store traffic patterns rather than revenue alone. 

This change gave managers clearer visibility into when coverage was truly needed. Instead of staffing based solely on sales goals, teams scheduled according to actual customer flow, which reduced wasted hours without compromising service. 

Even in a year marked by lower sales and traffic trends, Kipling reduced payroll by at least 2 percent compared to forecast. That improvement was achieved without cutting blindly. It came from aligning the right number of associates to the right hours based on live data. Payroll became a controllable lever rather than a fixed constraint. 

Centralized Reporting Replaced Spreadsheets

Before StoreForce, reporting required pulling data from multiple spreadsheets, combining columns manually, and building custom summaries for leadership. That process was time consuming and left room for inconsistency. 

With StoreForce, Kipling can generate live reports instantly. Custom dashboards bring key performance indicators, traffic trends, labor metrics, and forecast comparisons into one centralized view. Instead of spending hours compiling data, the team can focus on interpreting it and taking action. 

This visibility supports faster decisions at both the store and corporate levels. Managers can quickly identify gaps in peak coverage, track payroll performance against forecast, and adjust schedules before issues compound. Administrative burden has decreased, while accountability and clarity have increased. 

In Kipling’s Own Words… 

“Changing our payroll planning from SPH-focused to TPLH-focused, we saved at least 2% in payroll compared to our forecast last year, even in a year with lower sales and traffic trends. Managers can see when they need to flex shifts up or down based on live store traffic, ensuring optimal coverage and cost control. Just in the last 6 months we were able to save money on payroll last year.” – Jaden Lumpa, Financial Analyst, Store Operations Team

Connect with StoreForce Today 

If you want the same payroll control, real time visibility, and peak hour performance Kipling achieved, it is time to see StoreForce in action. Whether you are facing inconsistent coverage, rising labor costs, or missed sales during busy periods, StoreForce gives you the tools to take control of your scheduling strategy. Join leading retailers using StoreForce to improve execution and protect their bottom line. Book a demo today and see what smarter labor planning can deliver for your business