The long days of summer are beginning to wane. Maybe you’re just back from vacation or you’re about to head out and log off for a week or two. Or perhaps one or several of your critical team members are taking time off and you’re taking on more of the burden while they are away. Meanwhile, back-to-school ads and products are our starting to fill our feeds and stores. Halloween departments are being set up (it gets earlier every year!). That old familiar cadence sets in…

Welcome to the Summer Slump!

Whether it’s due to vacation schedules, slower foot traffic, excessive heat and humidity, or mid-year fatigue, it’s not uncommon for motivation to dip around July and August. And when engagement gets sluggish, results can suffer as well.

The most successful retail leaders know that this moment presents a powerful opportunity. Instead of getting mired in a mid-year slump, they focus on the mid-year reset. In other words, it’s time to pull out your Anchor Goal and recharge and reset your batteries to ensure your 2025 goals are met.

The Power of the Pause

Before rushing into fall planning and Q4 prep, high-performing leaders take a moment to pause. This isn't about stepping back, though. It's about stepping up by creating space to:

  • Reflect on what worked (and what didn’t) in the first half of the year
  • Reconnect with your and your team’s purpose, goals, and energy
  • Recalibrate strategies to close the year strong

This purposeful pause is what distinguishes the best from the rest. It’s the bridge from burnout to breakthrough.

Strategies to Shift from Slump to Sprint

Here are three field-tested strategies we’ve seen top-tier retail leaders use to reignite momentum:

1. Reset Through Recognition

Acknowledge achievements from the first half of the year, even the small wins. Recognition lifts spirits, reignites purpose, and shows people their efforts aren’t going unnoticed. Just as important, it reinforces what success looks like. Try:

  • Hosting a quick “Win Wall” team huddle on Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet to celebrate recent successes.
  • Asking each team member to share their proudest and best moment of the summer or quarter, even if it is a personal win or vacation highlight.
  • Giving personalized shoutouts tied to specific KPIs or behaviors you have observed on store visits.

2. Refocus with Real Conversations

Clarity instills confidence. Strong retail leaders realign the team by openly discussing current challenges and upcoming priorities. This might include:

  • Revisiting Q3 goals in simple, digestible language.
  • Inviting feedback (via open-ended questions) on what’s getting in the way of performance, and asking for ideas on how to improve their store’s performance.
  • Reinforcing how each team member contributes to the broader business objectives.
  • Most importantly, incorporating their ideas and giving credit for the success when due.

3. Recommit by Modeling the Way

Recommitment starts at the top. Leaders who show up with consistency, empathy, and energy set the tone for the entire store. Actions that inspire recommitment include:

  • Reaffirming core values in your weekly touch base meetings or store visits and encouraging your store leaders to include the values, mission, and goals in their daily briefings or pre-shift team huddles.
  • Coaching with intention. Remember: Motivation doesn’t drive results; results drive motivation! Do more asking than telling, and shape and reinforce performance to encourage more of the behaviors and results you expect and that drive sales.
  • Walking the floor with curiosity instead of critique and empowering your tenured team to take the lead. Involve and collaborate with your store team leaders before, during, and after your store visits so they are prepared, too.

Bonus: Micro-Moments that Matter

Little things don’t mean much—they mean everything! Don’t underestimate the impact of short, informal leadership actions. A well-timed thank you, a curious question, or a coffee break with a team member can go a long way in reenergizing your people. These micro-moments build trust, spark motivation, and signal “You matter.”

From Summer Slump to Second-Half Surge

Retail leadership is not just about managing results. It’s about mobilizing people. As you lead your team into the back half of the year, ask yourself:

  • What’s one thing I need to let go of?
  • What’s one thing I need to double down on?
  • What’s one way I can show up differently this week?

Let’s reset with intention, refocus with clarity, and recommit with heart. Because when leaders do this well, the team follows, and peak performance will follow them.

Download the Mid-Summer Checklist for Retail Leaders, and let us know how you are doing and how your teams are responding.

Posted in Newsletter, Retail Multiunit Management, Retail Store Leadership, Store Support Leadership
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About Mary Beth Garcia

Mary Beth has worked with a variety of retail and hospitality clients as a strategic partner, delivering leadership, communications, retail programs, consulting, and executive coaching for such diverse companies as Academy Sports and Outdoors, Altar’d State, Amazon Fresh, Advanced Auto Parts, Bvlgari, Cardinal Health, Compass Group, Darden, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Foot Locker Group, Haggar Clothing, King Ranch, LVMH, Michaels, Saks Department Store Group, SMCP, Southeastern Grocers, TBC, TJX Companies, Ulta Beauty, and Whole Foods Market. Prior to her consulting work, Mary Beth spent more than 20 years in retail management and operations for companies such as Macys, g.Briggs, The Bombay Company, and Sunglass Hut International, holding numerous leadership positions in sales, store, district, and regional management and corporate communications, training, and operations. Based in Miami, FL, Mary Beth served on the Executive Advisory Board for the University of Florida’s Retail Education and Research Department from 2003-2014. She holds an A.A. Degree in Retail Management and Fashion Merchandising from Bauder College.