January 4, 2011 - Retail Sales from Nov. 5 to Dec. 24 rose 5.5% over the same period last year according to MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse. The figures are ahead of industry wide projections for a 3.3% to 4% rise and are the best since before the recession, with some predicting they may be the best ever. As some retailers enjoyed the benefits of their prior investment in capital spending, more will look to invest money this year for expansion and improved shopper experience.

- "Dollar General is set to open 625 new stores and remodel or relocate another 550" http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110103005041/en/Dollar-General-Open-625-Stores-Create-6000
- "Wal-Mart Stores said 2011 planned capital spending should range between $13.5 billion and $14.5 billion…….. will shift more capital toward new stores, including supercenters and smaller formats" http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2010/10/13/wal-mart-years-capital-spending-rise-slower-sales/
- Family Dollar will open 300 new stores this year which is an increase of about 50% over last year http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13762059

Along with the capital expansion, Set and Service Resources has seen a large uptick in labor demand among its clients for project work. As their clients are expanding their business, they are looking to outsource more of their labor needs to meet their business goals.

"In years past, we only had a few projects on our books for the upcoming year. Starting off in 2011 we have seen a 300% increase in projected labor needs for the first and 2nd quarters. Our clients are bidding on more projects compared to last year when the landscape was more uncertain.  Multiple years of delayed spending combined with stronger retail sales have created a far more optimistic environment that should strengthen in the coming months", says Erik Hanvey, CEO.

Set and Service Resources is the leading provider of outsourced labor exclusively focused on retail merchandising, new store sets, resets and remodels, demonstrations and fixture installations. Our processes and practices allow us to provide the best qualified candidates to your organization. We track previous work experience including no shows, rep cancellations and grievances, skill sets, career levels and employee ratings provided by team leads on previous projects for the reps in our system. Hiring workers for your organization without any prior knowledge of their work performance is risky; the alternative is ramping up your organizations workforce with a partner like Set and Service Resources.

Some of the benefits you will experience by partnering with Set and Service Resources:

- Cost Savings - Lower the cost of administration, recruiting and training for hiring new employees. This expense has been estimated as high as $1500 in our industry. When you consider the number of temporary employees you will need to hire for your projects the costs can add up quickly.

- Focus on Core Business - Focus on what your company does best.  Make sure your core workforce is happy and engaged and gradually add more employees as you expand. SASR can provide the staffing resources to ramp up your supplemental workforce.  

- Operational Expertise - Access SASR's operational best practice for finding temporary labor which would be too difficult or time consuming to develop in house.

- Reduce time to market - Accelerate your capacity to take on more business. Many of our clients execute projects with half the internal staffing capacity they need; they partner with SASR to provide the remaining workforce without having to spend the time recruiting.

- Knowledge and Experience - Access the knowledge and experience of SASR's workforce. Many of our employees have worked for us since our inception. SASR has become the place for professionals in our industry to pick up supplemental work.

- Cost Restructuring - Change your fixed costs to variable costs. More employees on your books mean more administrative, support and infrastructure costs to carry long term. Staying lean and nimble during times of expansion will build your cash and profits.