Retail facilities maintenance and store experience management software company Worksmith has announced the acquisition of Progress Retail, a move that aims to transform how multi-location retail brands manage both their physical environments and their workforce. The strategic combination creates a vertically integrated retail operations platform that streamlines facilities management, staff learning, task execution, and communication.
The integration brings together Worksmith’s strengths in vendor management and service execution with Progress Retail’s expertise in employee training and streamlining store operations and experience. This expanded capability targets the growing need among retailers for a unified solution to run operations efficiently at scale.
Bryan Burkhart, CEO of Worksmith, said the acquisition marks a significant step toward realizing the company’s long-term vision: “The acquisition of Progress Retail represents the next step in our vision at Worksmith to become the one-stop shop for retail operations. Up until now, retail operations leaders have had to rely on a multitude of different systems to run their complex, geographically-dispersed, operations. With the acquisition of Progress Retail by Worksmith, this job becomes a little easier.”
Addressing a Fragmented Retail Tech Stack
The combined platform aims to solve a major pain point for retailers: the fragmentation of tools used across departments like HR, learning and development, visual merchandising, and store maintenance. By unifying these functions, Worksmith and Progress Retail aim to reduce operational complexity, improve employee engagement, and enhance customer experience.
According to Deloitte’s 2025 Retail Outlook, 69% of retail CIOs plan to increase investment in frontline store technology to enable unified commerce and reduce attrition. The new combined platform responds to this shift by offering a fully integrated solution that supports both backend operations and frontline execution.
Progress Retail’s learning management and workforce experience tools — which include capabilities such as task management, employee communication, and training — over time will be integrated into Worksmith’s service execution suite, which is already used by major global retail brands such as Burberry, Nespresso, Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany & Co.
Global Reach and Continued Innovation
Progress Retail, which was founded in 2017 and led by Ray Riley has grown its client base internationally, with customers in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Notable clients include Fleet Feet, Faherty, Lume, in addition to Canadian brands including Pilgrim and Andrews.
Importantly, all Progress Retail employees will remain with the company. This ensures continuity for current clients and is expected to accelerate product innovation across the combined platform. The Progress Retail business unit will continue operating under its existing leadership, with CEO Ray Riley assuming the new role of Vice President of Retail at Worksmith.
“Coming off a strong 2024, we’re eager to deliver a unified, tailored solution for cross-functional retail leadership across facilities and maintenance, visual merchandising, retail operations, HR, L&D, and more,” said Riley. “We are excited to continue our mission of simplifying retail operations with Bryan and the Worksmith team.”
A Shared Vision for Future Growth
Worksmith and Progress Retail say the integration will allow them to pursue expanded product capabilities and potentially other strategic acquisitions. The companies plan to cross-offer each platform to their respective client bases, and jointly market the new integrated solution to new retail brands.
“We are excited to welcome the Progress Retail team to Worksmith; to increase investment in the Progress Retail software platform; to offer the Progress Retail software to existing Worksmith customers; to offer the Worksmith platform to Progress Retail customers; and to market the combined solution to new, prospective customers,” said Burkhart. “Together, we provide a comprehensive offering for retail operations leaders.”
The joint platform is positioned as an all-in-one solution to help retailers optimize their store performance, automate key functions, and scale global operations efficiently.
About Worksmith
Austin-based Worksmith is a facilities maintenance and store experience management platform focused on simplifying store operations for multi-location retailers. A three-time Inc. 5000 honoree (2022–2024), Worksmith enables brands to streamline vendor management and ensure service consistency across their store networks. Its platform helps retailers drive customer satisfaction through reliable, repeatable in-store experiences.
About Progress Retail
Founded in 2017, Progress Retail provides workforce learning, communication, and task management tools for store teams. The company has delivered over one million learning hours and executed more than one million smart tasks across its platform. With no external capital raised, Progress Retail has grown its reputation and client base through product innovation and a customer-centric approach. The company received multiple awards in G2’s Spring 2025 report, including Best Support, Best Relationship, and Easiest To Do Business With (Mid-Market).
Worksmith’s acquisition of Progress Retail marks a significant milestone in the evolution of retail operations technology. This strategic merger combines Worksmith’s expertise in facilities maintenance with Progress Retail’s strengths in workforce training and task management, creating a unified platform designed to streamline multi-location retail operations.