Hiring at retail and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies is likely to see a record 10-15% growth in FY26, led by a recovery in rural markets, a boom in quick commerce in urban markets and cuts in personal income tax rates. The jump in FY26 retail hiring will be highest since the pandemic period of FY21, executives at top staffing firms told FE. In the last four years, following the pandemic (FY22-FY25), retail and consumer hiring was largely range-bound at 4-6%. But now a positive outlook on interest rate cuts, which began in February, is also likely to bolster sentiment apart from the above-mentioned factors, executives said.
“FY26 could see as much as 15% year-on-year jump in retail and consumer hiring. We are already seeing demand from our retail customers from mid-February,” said Lohit Bhatia, president, workforce management at Quess Corp, a staffing and recruitment services company.
Sonal Arora, country manager, India at GI Group Holding, a staffing solutions company, said, “We are seeing at least a 10% increase in hiring levels for FY26 versus FY25 in our discussions with clients,” she said.
The demand for personnel, Arora says, is in areas such as sales, technology support, delivery and logistics at the mid and lower levels. “Salaries offered are at least 5-10% higher than industry standards, with companies also asking prospects if they are ready to migrate to other locations to fill up positions,” Arora said.
In retail, q-commerce players are expected to be the most aggressive, as they expand their operations into tier 2 markets from metros and large cities, executives said. Profiles that are most in demand are for positions in delivery, logistics and warehousing as q-commerce players increase their dark store networks to be able to service customers quickly in new markets. Some staffing experts say that the demand for gig and temporary workers for these positions is high, as the retail sector sees a sharp shift to flexible staffing models to manage seasonal demand and specialised skill sets.
FMCG companies, on the other hand, are putting more feet on the street as they ramp up direct distribution, sales and marketing in rural areas to capitalise on the demand momentum in the hinterland. Demand for sales officers, supply chain managers and executives capable of managing multiple tasks in rural areas are in demand, staffing executives said. Offline retail companies, especially in the value segment, meanwhile, continue to increase their store presence in small towns as consumers aspire for better shopping standards and products in these regions.
Firms from V-Mart Retail to Zudio from Trent, Intune from Shoppers Stop are looking to add anywhere between 15-55 stores in the first six to eight months of FY2. Executives from these firms indicated about future plans, as consumers make the shift from unorganised to organised retail.
“Disposable incomes among consumers in smaller markets are growing and they want to have similar retail experiences as their urban counterparts. This gives retailers the opportunity to set up base in small towns, pushing up hiring,” said Ajay Shah, founder and president of upGrad Rekrut, which is into staffing and skilling solutions for companies.
For instance, apart from metro markets such as Bengaluru and Delhi-NCR, which are showing a strong trend in hiring, locations such as Coimbatore and Jaipur are also becoming hiring hotspots, executives said.
RP Yadav, founder and chairman, Genius Consultants, a Kolkata-based staffing firm, said that the q-commerce surge, in particular, has necessitated a robust supply chain infrastructure, leading to increased demand for professionals in logistics, warehousing and last-mile delivery.
“Companies are investing in expanding their storage capacities. They are streamlining distribution to meet consumer expectations, resulting in a surge in hiring within these domains,” he added.