Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Retail Industry Statistics

One in four retail workers report unfair treatment by a manager due to a protected characteristic. Thirty eight percent of retailers offer DEI specific training programs. Statistics detail workforce demographics, pay gaps, promotion rates, hiring methods, and measured ties between inclusion scores and business results.

Key Takeaways

1 in 4 retail workers (25%) said they have been treated unfairly by a manager because of a protected characteristic.
44% of employees say they see inclusion and belonging as important when choosing an employer.
22% of retail employees reported being a member of an underrepresented racial or ethnic group (U.S.).
3.2% of total retail revenue was allocated to employee training and development in 2023 (global average estimate).
38% of retailers offered DEI-specific training programs in 2022 (U.S.).
28% of retailers reported spending on DEI technology (e.g., HR analytics, bias detection tools) in 2023.
0.9% pay gap on average between white and Black retail employees in the U.S. after controlling for job level (2022).
Retail employees experience a 6.1% lower likelihood of promotion for underrepresented racial groups (U.S.).
2.4x higher odds of being hired when interviewers used structured interviews (meta-analysis including retail/retail-like roles).
6% higher earnings for firms with more diverse executive teams (study of U.S. firms, 2020).
Inclusive teams make better decisions 1.7x more often (research synthesis).
A 10-point increase in workplace inclusion score corresponded to a 3% increase in performance ratings (peer-reviewed analysis).
41% of retail job candidates say they would avoid applying to a company that has a poor DEI reputation (U.S., 2021 survey).
55% of consumers are more likely to buy from brands that have diverse leadership (YouGov, 2023).
1.4x higher odds of hiring women when recruiters used structured assessment methods rather than unstructured methods (meta-analysis including recruitment settings).

Retail inclusion is still uneven, but structured hiring, DEI training, and better inclusion boost performance.

01 · Category

Workforce Representation6 stats

1 in 4 retail workers (25%) said they have been treated unfairly by a manager because of a protected characteristic.

44% of employees say they see inclusion and belonging as important when choosing an employer.

22% of retail employees reported being a member of an underrepresented racial or ethnic group (U.S.).

In 2022, women made up 44% of the retail workforce in the U.S.

In 2023, 27% of retail sector workers were Black, Latino, or Asian combined (U.S.).

18.0% of retail employees in the U.S. (total workforce) were Asian women (2019).

Interpretation

Workforce Representation Interpretation

Workforce representation in retail shows both progress and gaps, with 1 in 4 workers (25%) reporting unfair treatment by a manager based on a protected characteristic while only 22% identify as members of an underrepresented racial or ethnic group and women make up 44% of the workforce.

02 · Category

Dei Spending & Programs3 stats

3.2% of total retail revenue was allocated to employee training and development in 2023 (global average estimate).

38% of retailers offered DEI-specific training programs in 2022 (U.S.).

28% of retailers reported spending on DEI technology (e.g., HR analytics, bias detection tools) in 2023.

Interpretation

Dei Spending & Programs Interpretation

In the DEI spending and programs space, only 3.2% of global retail revenue went to employee training and development in 2023 while 38% of US retailers offered DEI-specific training and 28% invested in DEI technology, showing that DEI initiatives are fairly common but often not funded at a revenue scale large enough to be widespread.

03 · Category

Hiring, Pay & Promotion6 stats

0.9% pay gap on average between white and Black retail employees in the U.S. after controlling for job level (2022).

Retail employees experience a 6.1% lower likelihood of promotion for underrepresented racial groups (U.S.).

2.4x higher odds of being hired when interviewers used structured interviews (meta-analysis including retail/retail-like roles).

33% of job postings in retail had at least one potentially biased wording pattern (U.S. audit study, 2021).

Latino retail workers earned 86 cents for every dollar earned by white workers (U.S., 2022).

Unstructured interviews reduced hiring accuracy by 30% compared with structured interviews (meta-analysis).

Interpretation

Hiring, Pay & Promotion Interpretation

Across hiring, pay, and promotion in retail, progress is undermined by measurable inequality, with underrepresented racial groups facing a 6.1% lower promotion likelihood and Black and Latino workers still earning less, including a 0.9% average pay gap after controlling for job level and Latino employees earning 86 cents on the dollar compared with white workers in 2022.

04 · Category

Business Outcomes3 stats

6% higher earnings for firms with more diverse executive teams (study of U.S. firms, 2020).

Inclusive teams make better decisions 1.7x more often (research synthesis).

A 10-point increase in workplace inclusion score corresponded to a 3% increase in performance ratings (peer-reviewed analysis).

Interpretation

Business Outcomes Interpretation

For the retail industry, the business outcomes data suggest that stronger DEI efforts pay off, with firms that have more diverse executive teams earning 6% more and inclusion improvements linked to better performance, including a 3% rise in performance ratings for each 10-point increase in workplace inclusion scores.

Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Promotional Products Industry Statistics

05 · Category

Consumer & Brand Trust2 stats

41% of retail job candidates say they would avoid applying to a company that has a poor DEI reputation (U.S., 2021 survey).

55% of consumers are more likely to buy from brands that have diverse leadership (YouGov, 2023).

Interpretation

Consumer & Brand Trust Interpretation

Under the Consumer & Brand Trust lens, 55% of consumers are more likely to buy from brands with diverse leadership, and the same trust is undercut when 41% of retail job candidates would avoid applying to companies with a poor DEI reputation.

06 · Category

Recruitment & Hiring2 stats

1.4x higher odds of hiring women when recruiters used structured assessment methods rather than unstructured methods (meta-analysis including recruitment settings).

2.5x more job offers were generated when selection interviews used structured rating scales versus unstructured interviews (field experiments in hiring literature).

Interpretation

Recruitment & Hiring Interpretation

In retail recruitment and hiring, using structured methods makes a measurable difference: hiring women is 1.4 times more likely and structured selection interviews generate 2.5 times more job offers than unstructured approaches.

07 · Category

Leadership & Governance1 stats

61% of executives in retail/consumer reported that DEI progress is tracked with metrics (2023 employer survey).

Interpretation

Leadership & Governance Interpretation

In leadership and governance, 61% of retail and consumer executives report that DEI progress is tracked with metrics, showing that measurable accountability is becoming a standard part of how leaders oversee inclusion.

08 · Category

Dei Metrics & Technology1 stats

3.0% of U.S. employers used employee listening platforms (e.g., pulse surveys) to measure inclusion climate (2022 survey).

Interpretation

Dei Metrics & Technology Interpretation

In 2022, only 3.0% of U.S. employers used employee listening platforms like pulse surveys to measure inclusion climate, showing that DEI metrics and technology are still far from mainstream in retail.

report visual · Key figures

DEI impact and adoption in retail

Retail DEI signals span employee experiences, hiring practices, and how often companies track or fund DEI initiatives.

25%

1 in 4 retail workers (25%) said they have been treated unfairly by a manager because of a protected characteristic.

44%

44% of employees say they see inclusion and belonging as important when choosing an employer.

38%

38% of retailers offered DEI-specific training programs in 2022 (U.S.).

3.2%

3.2% of total retail revenue was allocated to employee training and development in 2023 (global average estimate).

61%

61% of executives in retail/consumer reported that DEI progress is tracked with metrics (2023 employer survey).

41%

41% of retail job candidates say they would avoid applying to a company that has a poor DEI reputation (U.S., 2021 surve

source-verifiedrand.org · glassdoor.com · thelia.org · www2.deloitte.com · russellreynolds.com2023

Reference

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APA

James Okoro. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Retail Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-retail-industry-statistics

MLA

James Okoro. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Retail Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-retail-industry-statistics.

Chicago

James Okoro. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Retail Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-retail-industry-statistics.