Driving Frontline Efficiency and Customer Experiences in Retail: Retail Legends

 

On this episode of Retail Legends, host Nicole Leinbach Reyhle was joined by Brett Patrontasch, co-founder of mobile-based workforce management app Shyft, and Astound Chief Experience Officer Andrew Leibowitz.

Patrontasch and Reyhle spoke at length about how Shyft is working to engage hourly staff members and drive frontline efficiency for retailers.

Specifically, Patrontasch highlighted how Shyft aims to help retail associates cover shifts when challenges present themselves, consolidating a solution that helps these workers solve work-related problems in one convenient, easy-to-use location.

“When we started the company, there was a real need for hourly workers to have tools that were built for them. … We said, ‘Hey, we have to provide and build a solution that can help them solve (traditional challenges associated with shift coverage),’” Patrontasch said.

“People need to have an intuitive experience where they can just take their phone out of their pocket, fill a shift and show up and hour or two later or the next day,” he said.

This ease also optimizes time and resource management for employers, helping them optimize labor management and reduce absenteeism and other barriers to success.

While Shyft aims to bring a frictionless experience to the retail workforce’s experience, Astound and Leibowitz want to provide the same on a larger scale.

Leibowitz draws from a career in architecture, leveraging that experience to help Astound provide innovative, exciting customer experiences.

“It’s so interesting, because what I’m seeing (at NRF 2020) is a completely divided retail universe. … On one half are retailers of all stripes and brands that totally get it, that are dialed in, and where innovation is their groundwater that they drink every day,” he said. “It’s not something that’s on a list that they have to do. They are seeing a new world of commerce. And on the other side are the ones who are fighting it.”

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Retail Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

rubber
How Precision Engineering and Regulatory Complexity Shape the Future of Rubber Manufacturing
April 9, 2026

In an era where precision manufacturing often hides behind the simplicity of everyday products, the world of rubber components offers a striking reminder that complexity frequently lives beneath the surface. What appears to be a modest gasket or sealing element is, in reality, the product of highly specialized engineering, rigorous testing, and an…

Read More
tekniplex
Inside TekniPlex Gaggiano: How Specialized Manufacturing and Precision Engineering Define a True Center of Excellence
April 9, 2026

Manufacturing excellence today is less about scale alone and more about precision, control, and adaptability—especially in industries where even microscopic inconsistencies can have outsized consequences. As global supply chains grow more complex and regulatory standards tighten, facilities that invest in specialized processes and contamination control are quietly becoming the backbone of innovation. Segregated…

Read More
materials
Tekniplex Showcases Sustainable Materials Innovation at Paris Packaging Week 2026
April 9, 2026

At Paris Packaging Week 2026, Tekniplex didn’t just exhibit—it staged an experience that reflected the evolving intersection of materials science and brand storytelling. The company’s modern booth, complete with a living wall and immersive digital displays, signaled a broader shift in how packaging innovators are choosing to engage a sustainability-conscious audience. Beneath the…

Read More
Paris Packaging
Paris Packaging 2026: How Material Science and Global Innovation Are Reshaping the Future of Packaging
April 9, 2026

In an era where sustainability, performance, and consumer expectations are colliding, packaging has quietly become one of the most dynamic frontiers of innovation. What was once viewed as a functional afterthought is now a strategic lever—one that blends advanced science, manufacturing precision, and an increasingly human-centered understanding of market needs. Material science, in this…

Read More