--- title: "How Major Retailers Are Investing in Frontline Workers…" canonical: "https://www.metaintro.com/blog/how-major-retailers-investing-frontline-workers-2026" language: "en" author: "drashtigarach" published: "2026-05-29T10:04:39.000Z" modified: "2026-05-29T10:30:01.821Z" --- [Back to Blog](/blog) [Jobs](/blog/tag/jobs)[Career](/blog/tag/career)[Career Tips](/blog/tag/career-tips)[Hiring](/blog/tag/hiring)[News](/blog/tag/news)[Information](/blog/tag/information) # How Major Retailers Are Investing in Frontline Workers in 2026 Lowe's Mylow Companion lifted in-store satisfaction 2 percent and Walmart Beauty Experts earn 14 to 35 dollars an hour. See which retailers back frontline staff. [![Drashti Garach](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:40:40/q:72/plain/images/5719d740-e510-42bc-8017-e040d145f35f_1766029465094.png)Drashti Garach @DrashtiGarach](/blog/author/drashtigarach) [May 29, 2026](/blog/archive/2026/05)13 min read ![Blank name badge, training manual, and apron on counter](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:1200:675/q:78/plain/images/kai.N02MrZdV.png) [https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=How%20Major%20Retailers%20Are%20Investing%20in%20Frontline%20Workers%20in%202026&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-major-retailers-investing-frontline-workers-2026](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=How%20Major%20Retailers%20Are%20Investing%20in%20Frontline%20Workers%20in%202026&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-major-retailers-investing-frontline-workers-2026)[http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-major-retailers-investing-frontline-workers-2026](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-major-retailers-investing-frontline-workers-2026)[https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-major-retailers-investing-frontline-workers-2026&title=How%20Major%20Retailers%20Are%20Investing%20in%20Frontline%20Workers%20in%202026](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-major-retailers-investing-frontline-workers-2026&title=How%20Major%20Retailers%20Are%20Investing%20in%20Frontline%20Workers%20in%202026)[mailto:?subject=How%20Major%20Retailers%20Are%20Investing%20in%20Frontline%20Workers%20in%202026&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-major-retailers-investing-frontline-workers-2026](mailto:?subject=How%20Major%20Retailers%20Are%20Investing%20in%20Frontline%20Workers%20in%202026&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fhow-major-retailers-investing-frontline-workers-2026) The biggest retailers in the country are putting money into their frontline workers in 2026, and that runs against the automation-fear headlines you keep seeing. According to [HR Dive](https://www.hrdive.com/news/major-retailers-investing-associates-better-serve-customers/821276/), companies including Lowe's, Walmart, Target, The Home Depot, and ACE Hardware are funding new training programs, specialized store roles, and associate-facing AI tools because human help on the floor still drives sales. At [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com), we track where the hiring momentum actually is so your next move lands at an employer that is growing rather than shrinking. The short version is that frontline retail is becoming a place to build a career again, not just clock a shift. ## How are major retailers investing in frontline workers in 2026? The clearest signal is that spending is going toward people, not just machines. Lowe's rolled out an associate-facing assistant called Mylow Companion, and President and CEO Marvin Ellison said it is driving a 2 percent increase in in-store customer satisfaction scores, a figure [HR Dive](https://www.hrdive.com/news/major-retailers-investing-associates-better-serve-customers/821276/) reported and [CX Dive](https://www.customerexperiencedive.com/news/lowes-ceo-ai-dramatic-improvements-customer-service/813124/) corroborated from the company's own earnings commentary. The tool is not there to replace the associate. It helps a worker answer a question on the spot instead of hunting down a manager, which means newer hires get up to speed faster and customers get better answers. The scale of that bet is worth spelling out. Lowe's confirmed in an [official press release](https://corporate.lowes.com/newsroom/press-releases/lowes-deploys-first-scale-ai-assistant-retail-associates-05-05-25) carried by [PRNewswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lowes-deploys-first-at-scale-ai-assistant-for-retail-associates-302445687.html) that the launch reached all associates across its more than 1700 stores, which the company called the first time a retailer has implemented this kind of technology at scale. [Retail Dive](https://www.retaildive.com/news/lowes-tailors-ai-assistant-mylow-different-customers/814461/) reported that the broader Mylow system now fields roughly one million questions a month, and that associates can compile product information for a professional customer in under a minute when the old way took hours. That is the difference between a tool that gets abandoned and one that becomes part of how the job is done. ACE Hardware did something similar with a portable assistant called Hey ARMA, which the company launched at more than 2300 stores, per [HR Dive](https://www.hrdive.com/news/major-retailers-investing-associates-better-serve-customers/821276/). Greg Carlucci, a senior director analyst at Gartner, framed why this matters for the people doing the job. "Historically, if you had asked a question to a store associate, they may have had to reach out to a manager or go to the help desk. A portable AI device can answer or help answer those questions, and it can also make sure they're giving out the right information," he told [HR Dive](https://www.hrdive.com/news/major-retailers-investing-associates-better-serve-customers/821276/). That is the throughline across every example. The technology is being pointed at making the human more capable, not at deleting the role. If you have been reading the gloomier coverage of the [2026 labor market](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/is-2026-labor-market-quietly-collapsing-warning-signs-job-seekers), this is a useful counterweight, because retail floors are one place employers are still actively staffing and upskilling. ## What new training and pay programs are on offer? Walmart's Beauty Expert role is the most fully built example, and it doubles as a real career path. The company [introduced the role](https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2026/04/30/the-beauty-aisle-redefined) at a small group of pilot stores in Texas and Arkansas, and [Retail Dive](https://www.retaildive.com/news/walmart-pilot-beauty-store-associate-role/818927/) reported the pay band runs from 14 to 35 dollars an hour depending on location. These are dedicated specialists rather than shared-shift associates, and they train at one of Walmart's 200 Walmart Academy facilities through courses such as Makeup 101 and Customer Engagement 101. The training does not stop at onboarding. Per Walmart's own announcement, Beauty Experts learn to navigate an assortment of more than 7000 products, then receive ongoing monthly and quarterly training materials focused on product knowledge, seasonal needs, and customer engagement. The company described the position as a role that "empowers associates to become leaders," which is exactly the kind of language a job seeker should look for when weighing an offer. If a posting comes with structured training and a defined progression, it is worth more than a higher headline wage with no path attached. That [Walmart Academy](https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2026/04/30/the-beauty-aisle-redefined) network is worth understanding on its own, because it is the backbone the Beauty Expert path is built on. Walmart operates roughly 200 of these academy locations inside stores across the country, and the company frames them as a place where hourly associates earn credentials rather than just sit through orientation. The Beauty Expert curriculum is not a one-off seminar either. New specialists run through foundational courses such as Makeup 101 and Customer Engagement 101, then keep receiving fresh monthly and quarterly material so their product knowledge tracks the assortment of more than 7000 items they are expected to advise on. For a job seeker, the lesson is that the same employer running the academy also controls the promotions, so a certification you earn there is read directly by the people who decide who moves up. That tight loop between training and advancement is rare in entry-level work, and it is exactly what makes a specialized retail role behave like the first rung of a ladder instead of a dead end. Target took a different but complementary route by investing in raw hours. The company increased store payroll and labor hours and rebalanced workloads so associates have dedicated time to help shoppers. Lisa Roath, Target's EVP and COO, said the investment helped the company reach three-year highs for net promoter scores and customer satisfaction, according to [HR Dive](https://www.hrdive.com/news/major-retailers-investing-associates-better-serve-customers/821276/). More labor hours means more scheduled shifts and steadier paychecks for the people on the floor, which matters as much as any flashy new title. If you want to see how these training investments connect to longer-term earning power, our look at [employer and educator partnerships](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/employer-educator-partnerships-2026-skills-gap-career-pathways) covers the same upskilling logic across other sectors. ## Which retailers are best for career growth right now? The retailers worth targeting are the ones building structure into the floor, because structure is what turns a job into a ladder. The Home Depot is splitting work into separate merchandising and in-store customer service teams, and Ann-Marie Campbell, its senior executive vice president of U.S. stores and operations, said on the Q1 2026 earnings call that stores running the model show improved likelihood to shop again and greater engagement, per [CX Dive](https://www.customerexperiencedive.com/news/home-depots-dedicated-in-store-customer-support-teams-drive-repeat-purchas/820658/). The company has the model live in 1000 stores and plans to finish the rollout to every store by the end of the fiscal year. Specialized teams are good news for workers because they create distinct skill tracks you can master and get promoted within, rather than a single generalist role with nowhere to go. That restructuring is also creating new management rungs to climb. [CX Dive](https://www.customerexperiencedive.com/news/home-depot-creates-store-level-customer-service-management-role/812996/) reported that Home Depot is adding a store-level operations experience manager role to drive consistent processes, a position that sits alongside the pro customer experience manager it introduced in late 2024. For an associate, every new layer of dedicated management is another promotion target that did not exist a year ago, which is the opposite of what the automation headlines would lead you to expect. Walmart and Lowe's belong on the same shortlist for the reasons above, and Target rounds it out on the strength of its added hours. Carlucci, the Gartner analyst, made the case for why specialization sticks. "Having specialized store employees, I think, does help reinforce the fact that you're... not just paying for the product itself, but you're also getting that additional support," he told [HR Dive](https://www.hrdive.com/news/major-retailers-investing-associates-better-serve-customers/821276/). For a job seeker, that means these roles are not a passing experiment. They are tied to how these companies plan to compete, so the training and the pay behind them are likely to last. If you are weighing retail against other paths, it is worth knowing where the durable money sits. Our guide to [skilled trades that pay six figures without a degree](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/15-skilled-trades-six-figures-2026-no-degree) lays out adjacent options, and if you are eyeing a specific employer, our coverage of [Target's 2026 rebound](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/target-2026-rebound-retail-job-seekers) digs into what that turnaround means for applicants. Both pair well with a retail role that offers real training. ## How do you turn a frontline job into a career? Start by treating the training on offer as the main event, not a box to check. The associates who move up are the ones who finish every certification, volunteer for the specialized tracks like Walmart's Beauty Expert path, and become the person other workers ask for help. That visibility is what gets you noticed when a team lead or department manager slot opens, and these roles open often. The federal [Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/retail-sales-workers.htm) projects about 586000 openings for retail sales workers every year through 2034, largely from turnover, so the internal ladder has plenty of rungs coming free. It helps to know the rung you are aiming at. The [Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/first-line-supervisors-of-retail-sales-workers.htm) reports that first-line supervisors of retail sales workers earned a median of 53380 dollars a year as of May 2024, well above the floor wage for a baseline associate, and that supervisory tier is the natural next step for someone who has cleared specialized training and shown they can run a section. Knowing that number gives you a concrete target to negotiate toward and a reason to chase the certifications that qualify you for it, rather than drifting from shift to shift at the same hourly rate for years. The gap is the whole point. A baseline retail salesperson sits near the 16.62 dollar median hourly wage, while the supervisor median works out to roughly 25 dollars an hour, so moving up one rung is a meaningful raise rather than a token bump. The companies investing in academies and specialized teams are the ones most likely to promote from within, which means the training you complete on the floor is the cheapest path to that higher band. Pay attention to which skills actually move the needle. AI tools like Mylow Companion and Hey ARMA mean the highest-value associate is no longer the one who memorized the catalog, but the one who reads the customer, asks the right questions, and closes the sale with confidence. Those soft skills plus comfort with in-store tech are what get rewarded now. Our breakdown of [the skills that belong on a 2026 resume](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/skills-manifesting-resume-trend-2026) and our guide to [AI certifications that boost pay](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/ai-certifications-boost-salary-and-career-growth-in-2026) both map cleanly onto what these retailers are screening for. Finally, document your wins so you can carry them into the next conversation. Track the satisfaction scores your store hit, the trainings you completed, and any specialized role you held, then bring that record to your review or your next interview. When you land the interview, our playbook on [turning a great interview into an offer](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/how-to-turn-great-2026-interview-into-job-offer) walks through how to seal it. Concrete numbers beat vague claims every time, and frontline retail now generates plenty of numbers worth quoting. ## What does this mean for your next retail move? It means the floor is a smarter bet than the headlines suggest, as long as you choose your employer well. Yes, the [Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/retail-sales-workers.htm) expects overall retail sales employment to stay roughly flat through 2034, and cashier roles are projected to shrink as self-checkout spreads. But the retailers investing in training and specialized service are the ones hiring into roles that pay above baseline and come with a path. The median wage for retail salespersons sat at 16.62 dollars an hour in May 2024, and Walmart's specialized Beauty Experts top out more than double that, which shows how much specialization can lift your earning power. The contrast between roles is the part worth internalizing. The [Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/cashiers.htm) projects cashier employment to decline about 10 percent from 2024 to 2034 as self-checkout and online ordering spread, and the median cashier wage was just 14.99 dollars an hour in May 2024. That decline is one of the steepest among large retail occupations, and it is the clearest evidence that automation hits the narrow, repetitive task first rather than the whole store. The specialized, advice-giving roles these retailers are building sit on the opposite side of that divide, which is why aiming for a beauty, paint, or service track beats taking the first generic register shift you are offered. Even with cashier roles shrinking, the broader category still turns over heavily, with the [Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/cashiers.htm) projecting about 542600 cashier openings a year, so the doorway into retail stays wide even as the smart move shifts toward the specialized side of the floor. So aim your applications at the companies named here and others building the same way. Read the posting for training and progression, not just the wage, and ask in the interview how associates move up. The automation story is real for narrow, repetitive tasks, but the human-facing, advice-giving, relationship-building roles are exactly where these employers are spending. If you are rebuilding confidence after a tough stretch, our [worker playbook for a low-confidence market](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/burnout-up-confidence-record-low-2026-worker-playbook) and our guide to [spotting ghost jobs](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/ghost-jobs-breaking-2026-hiring-market-how-to-spot-them) will help you spend your energy on the openings that are real and growing. --- ## Related Articles - [Target's 2026 Rebound and What It Means for Retail Job Seekers](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/target-2026-rebound-retail-job-seekers) - [15 Skilled Trades That Pay Six Figures in 2026 With No Degree](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/15-skilled-trades-six-figures-2026-no-degree) - [Employer and Educator Partnerships Closing the 2026 Skills Gap](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/employer-educator-partnerships-2026-skills-gap-career-pathways) - [AI Certifications That Boost Salary and Career Growth in 2026](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/ai-certifications-boost-salary-and-career-growth-in-2026) - [Albertsons Store Closures in 2026 and What It Means for Grocery Workers](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/albertsons-store-closures-2026-grocery-workers) - [Burnout Up, Confidence at a Record Low: A 2026 Worker Playbook](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/burnout-up-confidence-record-low-2026-worker-playbook) - [Ghost Jobs Are Breaking the 2026 Hiring Market and How to Spot Them](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/ghost-jobs-breaking-2026-hiring-market-how-to-spot-them) - [Is the 2026 Labor Market Quietly Collapsing? Warning Signs for Job Seekers](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/is-2026-labor-market-quietly-collapsing-warning-signs-job-seekers) - [How to Turn a Great 2026 Interview Into a Job Offer](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/how-to-turn-great-2026-interview-into-job-offer) - [The Skills Manifesting Resume Trend in 2026](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/skills-manifesting-resume-trend-2026) --- ## People Also Asked ### Q: Which retailers offer the best training and benefits for frontline workers? A: Based on 2026 reporting from [HR Dive](https://www.hrdive.com/news/major-retailers-investing-associates-better-serve-customers/821276/), Walmart, Lowe's, Target, The Home Depot, and ACE Hardware are the standouts. Walmart runs the most structured program with its Beauty Expert role, dedicated training at [Walmart Academy](https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2026/04/30/the-beauty-aisle-redefined) facilities, and a pay band from 14 to 35 dollars an hour. Lowe's and ACE Hardware back associates with AI tools, while Target added store payroll and labor hours. ### Q: Can a frontline retail job lead to a real career? A: Yes, and increasingly so in 2026. Retailers are building specialized roles and structured training tracks that create clear paths from associate to team lead to manager. With roughly 586000 retail sales openings projected each year by the [Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/retail-sales-workers.htm), internal promotion slots open frequently for workers who complete training and take on specialized roles. ### Q: What skills help you get promoted in retail? A: The skills that matter most now are customer reading, asking the right questions, closing sales, and comfort with in-store AI tools like Lowe's Mylow Companion. Because tools handle product lookups, employers reward the human judgment and relationship skills that machines cannot replicate. Our guide to [the skills that belong on a 2026 resume](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/skills-manifesting-resume-trend-2026) covers how to showcase them. Ready to level up? The retailers above are hiring into roles with real training and real paths, and [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) tracks where that momentum is so you can aim your applications at employers that are actually investing. 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