It’s the holiday season, and here’s a shocker: while I love the retail industry…I don’t love shopping. I know, sacrilege. But anyone who has spent real time in this industry knows why. This time of year gives us a front-row seat to the very best and the very worst of who we are. Expectations are sky-high. Fuses are short. Consumers are tired. Teams are stretched thin. And brands are holding their breath for year-end revenue like it’s oxygen.
You can feel the tension in every aisle. The rush. The pressure. The impatience. The invisible competition between shoppers looking for a deal and brands looking for a number. And somewhere in the middle of that tug-of-war is a simple truth we keep forgetting: humans need humans to feel human.
Case in point. Yes, I went shopping. I walked into a store and moved around for more than twenty minutes—no acknowledgment, no eye contact, no “hello,” nothing. Two associates: one behind the counter, one leaning on a rack near the footwear wall. Both on their phones. Both disengaged. Both completely unaware that I, the only customer in the store, even existed.
Then, as if to flip the script entirely, I walked back into the mall and was verbally ambushed from across the corridor by another brand shouting, “Can I ask you a question? You need…?” The retail equivalent of a pop-up ad yelling in your face.
What’s happening?
And if this is the experience, what exactly are brands expecting when it comes to “getting that holiday revenue”? You can’t hit numbers when your culture doesn’t support the behaviors that create them. You cannot demand connection when you haven’t taught your teams how to create it. You cannot expect a moment of magic when the people delivering your brand don’t feel any themselves.
This is where purpose matters. This is where mission matters. And this is where the art of storytelling becomes a strategic tool—not decoration, not marketing fluff, but the connective tissue that helps teams understand why their role matters. When associates share a common story about what the brand stands for and what experience they’re meant to create, the work shifts. They move from completing tasks to creating meaning. They understand that human connection isn’t a soft skill—it’s the engine that drives loyalty, trust, and revenue. When that foundation is in place, engagement becomes natural. Service becomes intentional. And the holiday season becomes what it’s supposed to be: connection, generosity, gratitude, and the simple acknowledgment that people are doing the best they can in a chaotic world.
Come on, let’s be honest… what results are we expecting if we don’t put in the effort? Retail at its best is magical. It can ease stress, spark delight, offer a moment of relief, or simply make a person feel seen. None of that comes from a discount or a display. It comes from humans expressing empathy, listening, patience, awareness, and a fundamental understanding of why we do this work in the first place—to make a real difference and create what? Brand affinity. If we forget that, the numbers will always fall short.
So here I am once again, like the little drummer boy, beating the same drum: Invest in your people. Teach them the story. Give them tools that help them understand what customers are feeling, not just what they’re buying. Train them to look up. To say hello. To see the human in front of them.
Because at the end of the day, sales and revenue don’t just come from promotions—they come from presence.
Humans need humans to feel human. Especially now.