A day after reporting sales of £339m for the year ending March 31st, online fashion store ASOS informed staff of its new ‘summer hours’ policy. Summer Hours entitle workers to finish work at 3pm on Fridays until the autumn.
We asked the Directors Of .COM Opinion Panel to give us their take;
David Gabbie is Founder of online beauty retailer BeautyBay.com
In an internet world where companies are fighting for the best talent, it could be a PR masterstroke allowing workers to finish at 3pm.
Considering that apparently all workers switch off at 3pm on Fridays anyway, is it going to affect productivity if they physically clock off when they mentally do? I doubt it but companies the size of ASOS can afford those types of gimmicks but for the smaller e-tailers, resources are scarce & precious so unlike ASOS’s other touches, I’m not sure this one will turn to gold.
Claire Muir is a Business Manager at e-fulfilment provider Amethyst Group
Whilst historically, it was not uncommon for fashion suppliers to operate POETS day (‘Pop’ Off Early, Tomorrow’s Saturday), ASOS’s introduction of summer hours is an unexpected way for an etailer to reward and incentivise the team. My view isthat finishing at 3pm on Fridays will benefit recruitment and retention as well as enhancing the already famous sparky atmosphere at ASOS towers.
My one caveat is these new hours are only set to last until September, which may provoke a sense of loss when the standard office hours resume. I expect this would have to become an annual event.
Damian Scarlett is Managing Director of online shoe store Cloggs
Being an employer of choice, and motivating the team are vital in all sectors but perhaps in ecommerce this is even more critical. ASOS summer hours policy is not as altruistic as it first appears – it will help ensure it attracts and retains the cream of the talent.
Culture in the workplace is vital and Zappos set the standard, ASOS will see benefits in adopting more employee focused policies. The ultimate end result will be sustained sales growth.
Leon Bailey-Green is the Founder of the Directors Of .COM network
Anyone who has visited Greater London House will know ASOS employees very much represent the demographic of its customer. The employee network is a valuable one for spreading a brand message – and gleeful ASOSers seemingly will; it’s the type of marketing that can only be afforded to a company at ASOS’s present stage.
Whilst it strives to become a billion pound retailer, ASOS still wants to be seen as a dynamic, entrepreneurial company – most probably to attract into the business the types of people who have helped it gain success.
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