The organisations shaping Britain’s retail destinations don’t just influence the customer experience – they also play an important role in supporting the people who keep those environments running.
That broader view of workforce health and wellbeing is reflected in a new partnership between asset and property manager Estama and the Retail Trust, which will see Estama employees gain access to a range of health, wellbeing and financial support services.
While many of the Retail Trust’s employer partnerships have traditionally focused on retailers themselves, the collaboration highlights how wellbeing support is becoming increasingly relevant across the wider retail ecosystem, from property management and facilities teams through to independent retailers and support services.
Expanding access to practical health and wellbeing support
Through the partnership, Estama employees will be able to access a range of services designed to support both physical and mental wellbeing, including:
- counselling and emotional support
- financial aid and guidance
- a virtual GP service
- mental health support for younger family members
- discounts and rewards
- access to the Retail Trust’s wellbeing helpline.
Managers will also receive training to help them better support colleagues’ mental health, recognising the increasingly important role line managers play in creating healthy workplace cultures.
Manager capability remains central to employee wellbeing
The announcement follows recent Retail Trust research which found that improvements in relationships between managers and their teams helped halt a 12-month decline in retail workers’ wellbeing.
That finding echoes a growing body of evidence showing that manager capability is one of the strongest influences on employee health, engagement and retention. Increasingly, employers are recognising that wellbeing is shaped not only by the support services available, but also by the quality of everyday conversations between managers and their teams.
Looking beyond the workplace
Estama manages around 30 retail centres across the UK and says the partnership reflects its belief that people are central to the success of the retail environments it operates.
Managing Director Eoin Conway said retail’s impact extends far beyond commercial property itself, touching businesses, consumers, logistics, transport and local communities. He added that many national retailers already work with the Retail Trust, and that Estama hopes its nationwide reach will also help expand awareness of the charity among independent retailers and the wider teams that help retail destinations operate successfully.
A broader trend towards preventative workforce support
The Retail Trust now works with more than 200 employers, including organisations such as Currys, Poundland and Mountain Warehouse, helping businesses strengthen support for employee health and wellbeing.
For employers, the partnership reflects a wider shift towards more preventative approaches to workforce wellbeing. Rather than relying solely on reactive support when employees reach crisis point, organisations are increasingly investing in integrated services that combine mental health support, financial wellbeing, healthcare access and manager capability.
As workforce pressures continue to evolve, partnerships such as this suggest that supporting employee wellbeing is becoming a shared responsibility across the entire retail sector – not just among retailers themselves.
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