The retail sector is always changing – constantly influenced by changing consumer behaviours, seasonal peaks and lulls, and technology disruption. Retailers face seasonal decisions for mega sales and undertake the difficult task of managing inventory in multiple locations.
Consequently, retailers are seeking adaptable solutions to achieve agility and a competitive advantage. Outsourcing has emerged as a must-have option for businesses that want to reduce costs, expand into new markets, and optimise service delivery due to the complications of seasonality.
In this post, we explore the top 10 outsourcing service providers that support the retail industry, and we are proud to say our own 6 Pence comes in at number 1!
Why Retailers Are Embracing Outsourcing
Retail companies are consistently looking to outsource certain fundamental operational functions, and here’s why:
- Scalable Staffing: Hire and train temporary workers immediately for seasonal holiday shopping, pop-up stores, and rollouts.
- Operational Efficiency: Just outsource the things not part of your core business, such as payroll, inventory management, and customer support.
- Cost Control: Less overhead in operations and spend considerably less to employ and train.
- Market Agility: mobilise your teams faster across multiple geographies, without complicated legal or administrative processes.
- Compliance Assurance: Have peace of mind that you are compliant with local labour laws and tax regulations, especially in the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC).
Further, the mounting margin squeeze from inflation, customer fatigue, and competition from online retailing is proving to be problematic for retailers. Outsourcing can provide a degree of flexibility that an in-house function simply couldn’t provide. For instance, outsourcing partners are able to mobilize multilingual call center staff for an overseas campaign, or hire seasonal agents temporarily for seasonal periods of shopper traffic such as Black Friday.
It’s not just about the agents, either. Most of the retailers are outsourcing back-office work, ranging from processing stock information to processing returns to reconciling transactions. Once those activities are out of the way, internal staff can truly focus and invest more time in strategy, marketing, and customer experience. You get the right partner to bring not just scale but also skills that will support your brand in getting back to winning.
Top 10 Retail Outsourcing Companies
1. 6 Pence – Flexible Retail Workforce Solutions Across the GCC
6 Pence is a Bahrain-based HR and outsourcing firm that delivers comprehensive retail staffing solutions in Bahrain, the UAE, Oman, and Iraq. They are trusted by some of the largest brands in retail to provide compliant, agile, and cost-effective manpower solutions.
Why are retailers working for 6 Pence?
- Rapid deployment of store staff, for instance, cashiers, merchandisers, and sales assistants
- In-depth local familiarity with labour law and the visa system in the GCC
- End-to-end payroll, PRO, and HR documentation
- Temporary, project-based, and permanent staffing solutions
- Local recruiting teams in each operating country
So whether you are launching a flagship store in Dubai or require some extra hands during peak shopping time in Bahrain, you can be sure you will be staffed and compliant with 6 Pence.
6 Pence not only places candidates but also assists their clients in strategically mapping their workforce for large retail operations by enabling them to predict hiring profiles over multiple quarters into the future. They take the process of hiring, onboarding, and HR and facilitate it so there is up to a 40% reduction in normal admin time and therefore a much faster time-to-productivity.
In markets that are new to the brand, including those in the GCC, they can also offer guidance on legal documentation, visa sponsorship, and cultural expectations, which helps reduce surprises when expanding into a new market.
2. Channelplay
Operating throughout the Middle East, Channelplay is an outsourcing and retail execution services company. They specialise in field sales and force management, merchandising and in-store activation events. They are a perfect solution for brands that are interested in improving in-store performance and engaging customers.
3. TRS Consultancy
TRS provides retail consulting and outsources business services, including retail auditing, mapping the customer journey, and improvements to operations. Their data-driven approach enables retailers to improve store performance and standardise the SOPs that govern operations.
4. TASC Outsourcing
A long-established Dubai outsourcing provider, TASC, provides retail and employment services through bulk hiring, temporary staffing, and worker and visa processing for retail clients. Retail brands can quickly and compliantly scale up with their flexible models.
5. Adecco Middle East
Adecco offers dedicated recruitment and staffing services in specific sectors of retail and electronics. From store associates to category managers, they support recruiting, training, and managing retail talent across the UAE and further afield.
6. JAMS HR Solutions
JAMS offers HR outsourcing and workforce management solutions specifically for the retail and supply chain industry in the UAE. Their services range from visas and temporary labour to talent acquisition for frontline retail roles.
7. Sundus Global
Sundus offers workforce outsourcing and HR services to the MENA region. They have extensive experience across different industries, including retail, aviation, and logistics. Their services include human resources, recruitment, and payroll outsourcing.
8. Ours Global
Ours Global is focused on services in retail BPO, including inventory management, data entry, POS support, and product information management. It is an ideal solution for e-commerce retailers looking for offshore back-office support.
9. CapActix
CapActix lets retailers and e-commerce store owners outsource accounting, finance, and analytics work. CapActix does offer financial BPO solutions that can help retailers maintain margins, forecast inventory, and control costs.
10. Manpower Group
ManpowerGroup is a global leader in staffing and HR solutions that pharmacy retail clients can rely on for workforce planning, temporary staffing, and recruitment process outsourcing. Their global presence and talent pool are perfect for retailers with multiple units.
To Conclude With
Outsourcing is no longer just a way to save costs; it’s a growth engine for today’s retail business. Whether you must become more efficient, flip on a dime to match up with demands in the market, or just make hiring easier, having the right outsourcing partner can enable you to get an edge over the competition.
The consumer market is shifting to omnichannel retailing that needs a strong combination of flexible labour arrangements and lean operations to stay ahead. Outsourcing partners create agile flexibility, allowing brand partners to respond faster, launch campaigns with minimal internal overhead, and keep their attention on the true focus of their business: to build greater customer experiences.
6 Pence continues to be the partner of choice for retail businesses across the GCC, as we provide the regional expertise, speed, and flexibility that modern retailers preferentially demand.
If you want to scale your operations or manage your people more easily, then it’s time to think about a partnership with 6 Pence.
Also Read: Top 10 Companies Offering Outsourcing Services for FMCG
