In this high-turnover industry, the best retail employee scheduling software enables managers to create dependable schedules quickly and share them (and any changes) with employees. It also helps with hiring and training employees and can plan labor based on past business performance. Retailers need software that is easy-to-use and reminds workers to log in and out on their smartphones or point-of-sale (POS) system.
We examined 18 scheduling software with a variety of features and chose the nine best for retailers.
- Homebase : Best overall retail scheduling software
- Deputy : Best for integrating with POS, payroll, and accounting software and forecasting tools
- Sling : Best for mom-and-pop retailers with fewer than 10 employees
- 7shifts : Best for stores with multiple locations
- Findmyshift : Best for nonprofits
- SocialSchedules : Best for stores with part-time employees or those with second jobs
- ZoomShift : Best for seasonal stores open only part of the year
- Humanity : Best for businesses concerned with minimizing labor costs
- Connecteam : Best for stores that want a strong employee tasking and training
New to employee scheduling? Read our guides to learn the basics.
- How to schedule employees
- What employee management is and how it works
- How to track employee hours
Best Retail Employee Scheduling Software Compared
| Free Plan | Monthly Paid Plan Pricing | Enterprise Plan with Special Pricing | Auto-scheduling | Shift Swapping | Time Off Planning | POS Integration | Compliance Alerts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homebase | $24.95$99.95 per location | – | ||||||
| Deputy | US Only | $2.50$4.50 per user ($10 minimum spend) | ||||||
| Sling | $2$4 per user | – | Highest Plan Only | |||||
| 7shifts | $19.99$76.999 per location | Highest Plan Only | ||||||
| Findmyshift | $25$70 per team | – | – | |||||
| SocialSchedules | $15.99$39.99 per location | – | ||||||
| ZoomShift | 14-day trial | $2.50$5 per user | – | Via API in highest plan | Minimal | |||
| Humanity | 30-day free trial | $3.50$5 per user ($80 minimum spend) | – | Custom build only | ||||
| Connecteam | $47 (50 users) + 60 cents/user$191 (50 users) + $3.60/user | – | API |
Most scheduling software have time and attendance apps. If you need more time tracking options, check out our guide to the best time and attendance software
.
Homebase: Best Overall Scheduling Software for Retail
Homebase
Overall Score: 4.83 OUT OF 5
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Scheduling Tools | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 3.94 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 4.75 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Like
- Free plan includes time clocks
- Unlimited employees for the by-location price
- Intuitive interface
- Hiring tools even with the free plan
What’s Missing
- By-location pricing more expensive if you have many locations with few employees in each
- Glitches in mobile app for calendar, photo-sync, and other tools
- Time off tracking in higher plans only
Homebase Pricing
- 14-day free trial
- Basic (Free): 1 location, unlimited employees, scheduling, time clocks, messaging, hiring
- Essentials ($24.95/month/location): All in Free + team communication, performance tracking, remote tools
- Plus ($59.95/month/location): All in Essentials + labor costing, time off limits, PTO tracking, permissions
- All in One ($99.95/month/location): All in Plus + onboarding, employee documents, HR, compliance
Homebase tops our lists for scheduling software. We gave it 4.4 out of 5 in our evaluation of the best general scheduling software and 4.83 out of 5 in this guide. It ranks high because it offers excellent scheduling and time clock tools, even in the free version, and goes beyond mere scheduling to include compliance, hiring, and some basic HR functions. Overall, stores both small and large will find it a versatile yet easy-to-use app. Plus, its by-location pricing allows unlimited users.
Homebase maxed out our score for scheduling software features, and the tools make it an excellent choice for retailers. The scheduling is easy and has forecasting tools so you can schedule your workforce according to anticipated highs and lows in foot traffic and sales.
The time clock works on mobile, tablet, or POS, and compiles the data into time sheets that make payroll simple. In addition to shift notifications, you can add notes and tasks so employees know what they need to do each shift. If you have employees that work in multiple departments, stores, or positions, you can assign them roles and wage rates as needed.
Homebase offers great tools for scheduling your store staff. (Source: Homebase)
Homebase Features
- Forecasting: Many schedulers (like Deputy or Sling) integrate with your POS to get data to forecast labor vs sales. Homebases Budget Forecast Toolbar goes beyond that. It can consider the weather forecast and what percentage of labor costs you want against sales. It forecasts by department so you can plan different schedules for your Outdoors and Home Goods sections. It integrates with your POS to get sales data and can average from the last two weeks for a particular day, or you can add sales manually.
- Free version: Most of the providers on this list have limited free plans, but Homebases free plan has all the basic tools you need: an online schedule builder, shift trade capability, templates, and the ability to see and approve time-off. Even more, it has some forecasting abilities and hiring tools. It includes employee messaging, plus you can prepare timecards for payroll. Its a great tool to get you started or if you want a basic scheduler.
- Scheduling: The free plan comes with the ability to create templates, consider availability and time off requests, and set open shifts. The paid plans add automated scheduling, plus (unlike other apps on our list) the rules for breaks and overtime are already set for your state. You can add notes to each shift as well. The paid versions have advanced forecasting and labor costing tools, plus fraud-prevention functions like geofencing and automatic clock-outs. The Plus and All In One plans also let you set PTO policies and multiple wage rates.
- Employee communications: Most of the communications tools come with the paid plans. These include announcements, schedule notes, automated reminders, and alerts such as when employees clock in late. Employees can message each other or their team to ask about shift swapping. The Plus plan includes a manager logbook for sharing shift reports, potential issues, ideas, and more. For a complete set of communication tools in a free plan, check Findmyshift.
- Mobile app: The mobile app includes clock-in and communications tools. It rates 4.8 out of 5 with about 29,400 reviews on iOS and 4.4 out of 5 with around 14,350 votes on Android.
- HR functions and integrations: Homebase makes it easy to use its app to conduct employee performance evaluations, approve time off, see employee availability, and more. It goes further with advanced compliance support for breaks and other labor laws, HR advisers, and labor law alerts. In addition, Homebase (like 7shifts) has hiring tools. Not every scheduler on our list offers this much versatility, but Connecteam comes close.
- Ease of use: Users give Homebase excellent scores for both the desktop and mobile versions. They say its easy to set up and use. In addition, Homebase offers customer support live via chat, phone, or email, and help guides and video tutorials. Only a few scheduling software applications have live support, usually via chat. Real-world users rated it an average of 4.57 out of 5 across multiple user review sites.
Deputy: Best Retail Employee Scheduling Software for Integrations & Forecasting
Deputy
Overall Score: 4.64 OUT OF 5
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 4.69 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Scheduling Tools | 4.69 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 4.25 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Like
- Free plan (US only) and reduced price for stores with a small percentage of staff on schedules
- Good customer service
- Auto-scheduling and forecasting ability
- Highly rated mobile app
What’s Missing
- Cheaper plans have either scheduling or time clocks
- Forecasting is only in the Enterprise plan
- Free plan limited in features; only 100 shifts/month
Deputy Pricing*
- Free 31-day trial
- Starter (Free US only): 100 shifts/month, 100 time sheets/month, PTO management, newsfeed
- Premium ($4.50/user/month): Starter + unlimited shifts and timecards, auto-scheduling, payroll integration, tasking, reports, swap shift, performance, time clock
- Flexi ($2/active employee/week, 50 cents/inactive employee/week): Same features as Premium; best if <50% of employees are active at a time
- Enterprise (Custom): Premium + advanced demand planning and analytics, training, location procedures
- Scheduling only ($2.50/user/month): Unlimited shifts, auto-scheduling, PTO management, newsfeed, tasking
- Time and Attendance only ($2.50/user/month): Unlimited time sheets, payroll integration, POS integration, PTO management, newsfeed tasking
*$10 monthly minimum
Deputy is a popular app and with good reason. It earned a score of 3.98 out of 5 on our general scheduling software guide because of its ability to handle multiple locations and roles. For retailers, we like the forecasting tools, including analytics, that help you determine minimum shift needs. The system also offers more (around 40) and more varied integrations than others on our list and has an API to create your own integrations.
Its scheduling and time clock tools make it easy for retail managers and employees to create and keep their shifts. The rules-setting helps you stay compliant with labor laws, such as those for minors, and can alert you when you schedule people for overtime or clopenings. Shift notes let you set tasks to help employees meet standards, and forecasting and shift analysis help ensure you have the optimum labor. You can also track wage costs to guard against losing your profit in labor costs.
In this evaluation, Deputy scored 4.64 out of 5. The by-employee pricing plan can be more expensive for larger corporations, but it offers excellent auto-scheduling and forecasting tools. Unlike most on our list, it has a monthly minimum spend, but its only $10.
Deputy offers great functions for managers both on desktop and mobile. (Source: Deputy)
Deputy Features
- Forecasting: Deputys forecasting tools make it easy to predict staffing needs based on trends in sales, deliveries, appointments or reservations, and other signals that you create. While Homebase tells you the cost-benefit of the staff you planned, Deputy analyzes the information to help you determine the minimum staffing for a shift. It lets you schedule people at the right level for your needs.
- Scheduling: Deputys scheduling tools include drag-and-drop shifts, template creation, and rules for break times, work hour restrictions for minors, time off, breaks, overtime, and more. Once you set up the rules and employees, the auto-schedule will create a schedule to meet the rules, availability, and position requirements. The time clock includes geofencing. Managers can also see whos on shift, on break, and late. It uses the time punches to create time sheets for managers to approve and syncs them with your payroll software.
- Employee communications: Like most scheduling apps, Deputy has a social-media-style chat function so you and your employees can send updates, make comments, and collaborate. However, it also has read notifications so you know who got the message. Workers can make shift trades, and Deputy will ensure only qualified candidates can accept.
- Mobile app: Deputy earned general praise for the mobile app, with no real trends and few complaints. It earned 4.8 out of 5 with about 2,500 reviews for iOS and 4.6 out of 5 with around 10,700 votes for Android. Of special note is that it had the fewest complaints about glitches.
- HR functions and integrations: Many schedulers will create time sheets, but Deputy makes payroll easier by setting up wage calculations by rate, role, and overtime. For Fair Workweek compliance, Deputy lets you record schedule amendments, calculate the required predictability pay, and capture employee consent to the change. It integrates with around 40 applications from POS to business software and has a REST API for creating your own integrations. A few user reviews said they had issues with integration.
- Ease of use: Real-world users gave Deputy an average of 4.6 out of 5 stars. Employees especially liked how easy it was to swap shifts with the app and use the time clock. There were a couple of complaints about the software being slow to load. If you need help, you can find videos, a good selection of how-to articles, and unlimited 24/7 year-round chat support.
Sling: Best Retail Employee Scheduling Software for Small Stores
Sling
Overall Score: 4.45 OUT OF 5
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 4.69 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Scheduling Tools | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 4.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 3.90 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Like
- Free and inexpensive plans
- Easy to use
- Sync with outside calendars
- Unlimited locations and employees per plan
What’s Missing
- Free version does not allow shift swaps
- Only the most expensive plan has auto-scheduling
- No time clock in the free version
Sling Pricing
- Free: Shift templates, schedules, and alarms, shift availability, time off requests, news sharing, mobile, unlimited everything
- Premium ($2/user/month): Free Plan + mobile time clock, time sheets, early clock-in prevention, shift swaps, messaging, budgeting, overtime tracking, Google calendar sync
- Business ($4/user/month): Premium + auto-assigning, kiosk time clock, reports, salary support, no-shows, late arrivals, task management, dedicated account manager
Although Sling is a good scheduling application for larger stores, its by-employee price point (the cheapest on our list) makes it an especially good choice for stores with fewer than 10 employees, particularly those with multiple locations. It offers strong scheduling tools, especially for task lists, and has a mobile time clock in its easy-to-use app.
Slings employee scheduling and management tools help you manage your employees shifts and stay compliant with labor laws, monitor overtime, and set up tasks for common chores, such as opening. In addition, it integrates with multiple POS systems. You can turn any device into a time clock kiosk, track hours, and keep employees informed. Overall, it makes running a store simpler.
It earned 4.45 out of 5 in our evaluation, with a perfect mark in reporting and strong scores in pricing and tools. It wouldve scored higher if it offered live phone support and an offline mode.
Sling offers excellent scheduling and communication tools for small restaurants. (Source: Sling)
Sling Features
- Task features: While Connecteam, SocialSchedules, and Homebase have lists, Sling has a task management feature that follows SMART management theory to help you create tasks that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. You can make task lists for common activities like openings, closings, or setting up new displays. Then, you can assign these tasks to individuals or teams, who can get manager feedback once completed. If its a recurring activity, create and save task templates for later use.
- Scheduling: Like with most scheduling apps, you can create schedules for multiple locations and save them as templates to make future schedules a breeze. The scheduler tracks unavailable hours, such as restricted hours for minors, and warns you if you accidentally schedule someone when they cant work. The Business plan lets the software automatically assign shifts based on availability and qualifications. The time tracking app, which includes geofencing and limits on clock-ins and automatic clock-outs, lets people clock in and out from their phones.
- Employee communications: Unlike others on our list, Sling does not have text messaging but handles communications through Sling messaging and an interactive news feed. You can use the function to share announcements like a new policy or a sales technique. Employees can use the app for shift swapping, plus get reminders about upcoming shifts and to clock in and out.
- Mobile app: Sling has one of the better-rated mobile apps, with few complaints, and was overall considered easy and dependable. It earned 4.7 out of 5 with around 22,500 reviews for iOS and 4.7 out of 5 with about 4,500 votes for Android. Like Deputy, it has very few recent complaints of glitches.
- HR functions and integrations: Like most schedulers, Sling takes the time tracking data and makes it into time sheets that managers can approve and export to your payroll processor or as an XLS or CSV file. However, unlike most of the other apps, Slings mobile app lets you manage payroll reports too. It does not offer as many integrations as Deputy or 7shifts, but it does integrate with Gusto, Square, Shopify, ADP, and a few others.
- Ease of use: Managers and employees said Sling is easy to use and gave it a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars, which is about average for those on our list. The illustrated how-to articles and video tutorials make it easy to learn, but support is only by email.
7shifts: Best Retail Employee Scheduling Software for Multiple Locations
7shifts
Overall Score: 4.42 OUT OF 5
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 4.69 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Scheduling Tools | 4.13 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 4.69 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 4.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 4.31 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Like
- Easy to use
- Free plan
- Additional features a la carte
- Compliance and overtime rules
What’s Missing
- Plans limit employees
- Lower plans have limited functions
- Live support is by scheduled callback
7shifts Pricing
- 14-day free trial
- Comp (Free): Single location, up to 10 employees, scheduling, time off, time clock, team chat, hiring tools, employee engagement tracking
- Appetizer ($19.99/location/month): Comp + up to 20 employees, edit time sheets, multiple wages, SMS notifications, POS integration, reporting
- Entre ($43.99/location/month): Appetizer + up to 30 employees, schedule templates, labor budget and sales forecasting, PTO/break/overtime tracking, read receipts
- The Works ($76.99/location/month): Entre + unlimited employees, weather, stations and advanced budgeting, labor alerts, manager log book, payroll, compliance tools
- Gourmet (Custom): The Works + operations overview, machine learning auto-scheduler, task management
7shifts is worth a look if you have a high-turnover workforce or run schedules for multiple locations. Like Homebase, its priced per location but limits employees per plan. However, its tools, which let you schedule individually and compare data across different stores, make it worth the price.
While built for restaurants, we think 7shifts feature set and pricing also make it a great choice for retail. 7shifts integrates with over 25 POS systems, including Revel, Square, and Clover. Its hiring function lets you set up job ads, manage candidates, and save information, making it a great tool for this high-turnover industry. The scheduling and time clock are easy to use for employees of any experience. If 7shifts is too restauranty for you, however, consider Homebase .
It scored 4.42 out of 5 in our evaluation, with high scores in pricing and popularity and 4+ scores in the other three categories. Its limited live phone support and lack of auto-scheduling in lower plans hurt it.
7shifts can save you time and money over manual scheduling. (Source: 7shifts)
7shifts Features
- Multilocation tools: The scheduling feature lets you create independent schedules for each location, an asset when you have a brick-and-mortar store downtown but a kiosk in the mall. Managers and HR can access one or more locations as you designate. The Operations Add-On makes it easy to compare multiple locations sales, labor, and employee engagement data so you can determine where to put your attention and best workers.
- Scheduling: 7shiftss rules-setting monitors work-hour restrictions, overtime rules, and more to help you create a perfect schedule. Unlike with Deputy or Homebase, 7shifts only has auto-scheduling in its highest plan (Gourmet). 7shiftss free time clock app records punches when Wi-Fi is down to update the system later. You can create rules to prevent early clock-in, add geofencing, or set photo clock-ins to prevent time fraud. If someone misses a punch, managers can edit.
- Employee communications: Employees can use the app to request shift swaps or time off. They can change their availability as well, a good tool if you hire college students. Managers can approve time off and update the schedule easily. The app includes reminders for shifts and to clock in, and you can send out announcements for company events like training or news like an upcoming sale. The app also allows for videos, which only a few (like Deputy) allow. In addition, theres a manager logbook so managers can communicate between shifts, track issues, bring up problems, and keep a history of the store.
- Mobile app: 7shifts has solved its glitching issues and has few complaints. It scored 4.8 out of 5 with about 900 reviews for iOS and 4.7 out of 5 with around 3,380 votes for Android. This is one of the highest for both Android and Apple.
- HR functions and integrations: The rules-setting lets you keep compliant with federal and state labor laws as well as meeting your own industry standards. Managers can view and edit time sheets, and missed or late shifts are flagged. You can also set up feedback surveys after each shift to make sure you identify problems before they boil over. In addition to POS integrations, it connects with 14 payroll systems like QuickBooks, Gusto, and ADP, making payroll easier. Deputy offers about as many integrations but in a greater variety.
- Ease of use: Users across multiple review sites gave it an average of 4.69 out of 5 stars, the highest rating of those we reviewed. Managers and employees loved the intuitive interface and praised the customer support teamnotable, considering support is only available by ticket. 7shifts has videos and illustrated how-to articles.
Findmyshift: Best Retail Employee Scheduling Software for Nonprofits
Findmyshift
Overall Score: 4.16 OUT OF 5
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Scheduling Tools | 3.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 3.94 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 2.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 4.69 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Like
- Free plan
- All tools in every plan
- Highly rated mobile app
- Discount for charities
What’s Missing
- Team-based pricing may add up
- Plans limit the number of people
- Text messaging costs extra
Findmyshift Pricing*
- 90-day free trial
- Free: 5 team members, 1 manager, 1 week historical data, 1 week, forward planning, 3 week on-screen editor
- Starter ($25/team/month): 20 team members, 1 manager, 1 year historical data, 3 months forward planning, 6 week on-screen editor
- Business ($40/team/month): 100 team members, 100 managers, 5 years historical data, 1 year forward planning, 20 week on-screen editor
- Enterprise ($70/team/month): 300 team members, 300 managers, 10 years historical data, 3 years forward planning, 52 week on-screen editor
Text messages purchased in bundles
*25% discount for charities
*Special pricing for >300 team members on a single team
We like Findmyshift for charitable organizations with retail stores because of the hefty discount it offers: 25% off any plan. The free plan is among the most limited, but the 90-day free trial gives you ample time to test out the platform. We found the interface older but easy to use, but if youre the kind of person who prefers to do everything on a spreadsheet, youll probably like its interface. Unlike the others on our list, which open windows into shifts, Findmyshift lets you type directly on the schedule and use a drop-down editor to make changes. It lacks auto-scheduling but does have templates, rules, and drag-and-drop editing.
Earning a score of 4.16 out of 5 in our evaluation, Findmyshift is not as feature-rich as most of the software in this guide (particularly with regards to compliance) and does not offer customizable reports. However, it got perfect marks in pricing and would have scored perfectly in ease of use if not for some integration limitations.
The calendar offers a right-click menu to manipulate entries. (Source: Findmyshift)
Findmyshift Features
- Scheduling: Findmyshifts schedules work similarly to a spreadsheet, letting you type in hours and breaks free-form. But it also lets you drag and drop cells and edit with a drop-down menu. It has templates, but, like Connecteam, no auto-schedule. Employees can request shift changes directly on the schedule, so managers can easily see its effect on the day. Actual work hours are stored on the schedule as well and saved as time sheets. The free time clock app has an offline mode, like 7shifts. It also alerts managers if an employee clocks in early, late, or not at all. (Or let Findmyshift automatically clock out employees at the time you set.) You can set up photo clock-ins to prevent buddy punching, and have clock-in via mobile or website.
- Employee communications: The program includes automated push, shift reminder, email, and text notifications; however, the text notifications cost extra and are purchased in bundles. Other schedulers in this guide communicate through their apps rather than text. Theres a team board where you can send group communications and have conversations.
- Mobile app: Findmyshifts app is not as popularly rated, scoring 4.4 out of 5 with about 25 reviews for iOS and 4.9 out of 5 with around 380 votes for Android. It was average for complaints with glitches.
- HR functions and integrations: You can manage time off requests directly on the schedule, including tagging the typeno other software on this list has this feature. The rules-setting tool lets you keep compliant with federal and state labor laws for breaks and overtime pay. The time clock creates time sheets and lets you compare hours worked vs scheduled. It also has labor forecasting. If you use an independent timeclock or one included in your POS, it can migrate the data to Findmyshifts schedule and time sheets. While simpler than Deputy or Homebase, it nonetheless has a lot to offer.
- Ease of use: Findmyshift earned a solid average of 4.6 out of 5 stars across multiple user review sites. It has a nearly perfect score for ease of use, with standouts like live phone support, an offline mode for when Wi-Fi is down, and a simple interface. You can find videos and illustrated how-to articles on its website.
SocialSchedules: Best Retail Employee Scheduling Software for Part-time Employees
SocialSchedules
Overall Score: 3.96 OUT OF 5
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 4.69 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Scheduling Tools | 3.31 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 3.94 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 2.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 4.31 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Like
- Free plan
- Tools for labor law compliance
- Mobile scheduling
- Paid plans include manager logbooks
What’s Missing
- Limited storage on the basic plan
- No time clock in the starter plan
- Users say mobile app glitches
SocialSchedules Pricing
- Free 14-day trial
- Basic (Free): Mobile app, scheduling, messaging, availability and PTO management, 10 workers, 1 location
- Starter ($15.99/month/location): Basic + unlimited workers, multiple locations, overtime tracking, manager logbooks
- Premium ($39.99/month/location): Starter + time and attendance, POS/payroll integration, labor law compliance, certification management, advanced reports
- Enterprise (Custom): Designated support contact, custom API, custom reports, custom features
Not every store can afford full-time employees at living wages. We like the availability functions of SocialSchedules particularly the ability to set multiple availability setsbecause they accommodate the changing needs of a part-time worker, student, or even a full-time worker with regular obligations. It also has strong compliance tools, certification tracking, and break enforcement.
It earned a spot in our guide to the best restaurant employee scheduling software , and many of the features that gave it a top score there work for retail as well. Start with tools that create a schedule your employees can depend on. Then, set mandatory meal and rest breaks so you dont have all your cashiers clocking out at once. Manage time theft with clock-in rules, and provide strong communication so that your employees know when to work and what they need to do in a shift.
Scoring 3.96 out of 5 in this evaluation, its free plan and free trial boosted it in our pricing criteria. It took a hit for reports not being customizable and lack of scheduling tools based on store traffic and sales.
You can quickly set up a shift schedule with templates and locked days. (Source: SocialSchedules)
SocialSchedules Features
- Custom availability and shift lock-down: While other apps on our list allow employees to set availability, SocialSchedules alone lets employees create multiple availability sets with their own start and stop dates. This is a handy feature for stores that employ students or part-time workers with second jobs that may also have shifting schedules. The lock-down function lets you freeze a schedule so no one scheduled can take that day off such as for Black Friday.
- Scheduling: Like other scheduling software on the list, SocialSchedules has templates and editability. You can adhere to federal and state laws concerning overtime, breaks, and work hours by setting the rules in the SocialSchedules software. Even when auto-scheduling, it will keep these parameters in mind. With a POS software integration, you can see sales trends to help you schedule employees according to demand.
- Employee communications: You can send employees their schedules and announce open shifts. Employees can accept shifts on the app or request trades. There are individual and group chats that allow announcements, and theres a managers logbook for tracking receipts, sharing images, and loading documents. Managers can send push notifications and get read receipts, similar to 7shifts.
- Mobile app: The app earned 4.5 out of 5 with about 470 reviews for iOS and 4.1 out of 5 with around 380 votes for Android. This is an average score for the products on this list; it has some reports of glitches.
- HR functions and integrations: Managers can track certifications, whether its health standards for people selling food or delivering medical supplies or training for the products your company specializes in. While Deputy and Connecteam have some compliance tracking, the certification tool stands out. You can run reports to see how the staff is performingwhether its in how well they follow closing procedures or whether they are taking breaks as required. These can be saved to prove compliance with labor laws. You can also approve time cards on the app and import them to your payroll software.
- Ease of use: Users on average gave it 4.51 out of 5 stars across multiple user review sites, which is typical for this kind of app. Managers said it was much better than Google Calendar or Excel and easier to use than QuickBooks Time or When I Work. Youll find illustrated how-to articles on the website and can reach a live person via chatalthough they may email you a reply. The Enterprise plan offers dedicated live support, and there are set-up services available.
ZoomShift: Best Retail Employee Scheduling Software for Seasonal Stores
ZoomShift
Overall Score: 3.93 OUT OF 5
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 3.44 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Scheduling Tools | 4.50 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 3.63 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 3.63 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Like
- Seasonal shops can put ZoomShift on hold
- Time clock, time sheets, and payroll reports included
- Third-party calendar sync
- Tool to show employee desire to take extra shifts
What’s Missing
- No free plan
- Minimal live support
- No integrations
ZoomShift Pricing
- 14-day free trial
- Starter ($2.50/user/month): Schedule, availability, time off, shift cover requests, time sheets, time clock, payroll report, automatic reminders, calendar app sync
- Premium ($5/user/month): Starter + overtime warnings, shift rules, time sheet rules, GPS time clock, activity logs
- Enterprise (Custom): Premium + priority support, white label, sub-account management, API access
Like Findmyshift, ZoomShift is one of the simplest retail scheduling software solutions to make our lineup, although it scored higher for scheduling tools and reporting. It has a unique pricing plan that makes it great for seasonal stores such as ski shops, college bookstores, and stores or kiosks that open only during high tourist seasons. When your store is shut down, you can put your account on hold and not pay for those months. All the information is saved so that its easy to start up again. Only Deputys Flexi Plan comes close to allowing for seasonal highs and lows.
It took a hit in our scoring because it lacks POS integrations, except through API, and has no free plan. Moreover, its compliance features are not as robust as, say, Homebase and Deputy. However, users love the simplicity of it. It scored a 3.93 out of 5 in our evaluation.
The calendar includes graphics to show availability and willingness to take on shifts. (Source: ZoomShift)
ZoomShift Features
- Employee availability: One nifty tool ZoomShift has that we did not see on other schedulers on our list is the in-schedule availability tags. If an employee is not available, it shows up as a thumbs-down, making it easy to not schedule them. However, whats unique is that if an employee wants to take on an extra shift, they can show their availability with a thumbs-up. Other software can handle unavailability, but no other has this willing-to-work feature.
- Scheduling: Aside from the availability feature, ZoomShift is similar to other software with templates and copying capability. It can also manage multiple shifts for team members. However, unlike most of the software on our list, it does not include auto-scheduling. It does have a labor forecasting tool, however, and syncs with Google Calendar, iCal, and Outlook. The time tracker is integrated, making time sheets easy. You can set clock-in/out rules and geofencing, track missed shifts and late arrivals, and more.
- Employee communications: The communications tools are basic: send schedules to workers, offer open shifts, and allow employees to trade shifts. It alerts managers about overtime and violations of shift rules (like clocking in early), It has event announcements, group chats, and direct messages. Unlike 7shifts, it does not allow you to post videos.
- Mobile app: This app ranked the lowest on our list by users, with 2.9 out of 5 from about 50 reviews for iOS and 4.1 out of 5 with around 200 votes for Android. Users said the app is basic, and there were reports of glitches.
- HR and payroll functions and integrations: Unlike most of the software on our list, ZoomShift does not offer many premade reports, but lets you build your own. You can approve timesheets and create payroll reports, which you can download as CSV or XLS files for putting into a payroll program. Integrations are via API, which is only with the Enterprise Plan. For the best integrations, consider Deputy.
- Ease of use: Users across several user review sites score it at 4.56 out of 5, which is high for software general, but just over average for the software on our list. Small businesses liked it best, saying that it was simple to use but gave them all the tools they needed. Larger businesses said it needed additional features. (If thats you, look at Homebase .)
Humanity: Best Retail Employee Scheduling Software for Controlling Labor Costs
Humanity
Overall Score: 3.92 OUT OF 5
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 3.13 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Scheduling Tools | 4.68 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Popularity | 3.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Reporting | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 4.75 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Like
- Strong compliance tools
- Highly rated mobile app
- Create time off policies
- 24/7 live chat support
What’s Missing
- $80 minimum monthly spend
- No free plan
- Limited integrations
PricingHumanity Pricing*
- 30-day free trial
- Starter ($3.50/user/month): Scheduling, admin dashboard, shift swap, PTO management, mobile, SMS notifications
- Classic ($5/user/month): Starter + auto-scheduling, compliance, labor costing, reports, certifications, time clock with GPS, payroll export, policies
*$80 monthly minimum
Humanity has a strong toolset, which includes customized rules, auto-scheduling, and a platform that updates with labor laws (something we saw only with Homebase). It promotes its cost-saving features, which include demand-based scheduling, auto-fill technology, labor costing, and conflict engine to help you maximize the cost-effectiveness of your labor.
Although it wants to save you money, it nonetheless requires an $80 per month minimum, the highest on our list. Thus, we recommend the Classic Plan as the most cost-effective.
Humanity had a strong showing in tools and ease of use criteria and got a perfect score in reporting. Some reasons that prevented it from scoring higher than 3.92 out of 5 are the lack of a free plan and offline mode.
Humanity has a bright, clean interface that works well across all platforms. (Source: Humanity)
Humanity Features
- Cutting labor costs: Like Deputy, it has strong forecasting features, which it takes into account while scheduling. The demand-based scheduling matches staffing against foot traffic, sales projections, and other factors. While it only comes with the more expensive plans, the auto-fill tool is impressive, taking into account labor laws (already programmed in the system), certifications, leave, and availability. In terms of function, Deputy comes close with its forecasting integration and 7shifts with its machine learning.
- Scheduling: Humanity offers templates, drag-and-drop functionality, and alertsallowing you to avoid scheduling staff for overtime, back-to-back shifts, and clopenings. If theres