Friday, March 29, 2024
spot_img
spot_img

‘’Retailers can meet the needs of their retail associates by empowering them with the right technology,’’

spot_img
spot_img
- Advertisement -

With more than 10,000 partners across 100 countries, Zebra Technologies delivers industry-tailored, end-to-end solutions to enable every asset and worker to be visible, connected and fully optimized. The company’s market-leading solutions elevate the shopping experience, track and manage inventory as well as improve supply chain efficiency and patient care. In an interaction with NCN, Mr. Rajnish Gupta, VP and Head – India & Subcontinent Business, Zebra Technologies, discussed about the latest hardware and software technology trends and plans for retailers and importance of technology in the retail sector.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the retail sector?


COVID-19 has forever changed the Indian retail landscape. Shoppers are now looking at alternatives to in-store shopping experience and are demanding for better convenience, safety, speed, and more choices. The millennial shopper is driving expectations of a seamless omnichannel experience where they discover products online, touch and feel products in stores and prefer to have them delivered overnight at the best price. According to the recently conducted Annual Global Shopper’s study analyzing the trust gap between shoppers and retailers amidst the pandemic, 64% of the shoppers say they are planning to return to physical stores as the pandemic recedes, however, they would prefer a blend of both online and in-store shopping experience. 73% of the shoppers surveyed during the study prefer to have items delivered rather than having to pick them up.

How do retail associates feel about the importance of technology in the post-COVID times?

Technology seems to be the solution moving forward as most retail associates tend to view their employer more positively when they are provided with useful technology. Retail associates prefer to manage their tasks via a mobile device/app and prefer to have tasks automatically prescribed rather than trying to figure out the right tasks. According to the Shopper Study, 64% of retail associates and 58% of shoppers agree that customers can find information faster on their smartphones than asking them for help. Most of the retail associates surveyed (75%) agree that maintaining real-time visibility of out-of-stocks and managing returns of online orders (67%) are a significant challenge, which can be achieved by the usage of technology while maintaining daily tasks.

What are the latest hardware and software technology trends and plans for retailers?


Latest technology trends and plans for retailers this year are driven by the need to accommodate a blend of in-store and online channels. Nearly 90% of both retail associates and decision-makers rate stock availability and ordering as a top area to improve with technology. Decision-makers believe that distributed order management, advanced order fulfillment, real-time IoT platforms, unified commerce ecosystem and workforce management software are the top 5 most important emerging technology trends over the next five years. All these advancements in technology are going to be fruitful for managing trust between retailers and shoppers.

What can retailers do to satisfy shoppers’ needs?

Retailers need to be ready to meet both in-store and online traffic post pandemic. Providing a smooth and hassle-free shopping experience for both online and offline shoppers is going to be the core focus of the retailer to manage the market and consumer expectation. Zebra’s Global Shopper Study indicates that retailers will be able to address this transition with 9-in-10 decision makers (91%) believing that they will be able to support the associates with the right technology for helping the shoppers in-store and picking/fulfilling online orders. In addition, 93% of decision makers agree that they are increasing the speed and convenience of fulfillment options for order delivery or pick-up.

What can retailers do to satisfy the needs of their retail associates?

Retailers can meet the needs of their retail associates by empowering them with the right technology, such as mobile devices, wearable computers, and task management software. With the right devices, retail associates can deliver better customer service in-store and become more productive. Furthermore, when retail associates use the latest technology, it was found that 60% of shoppers are more positive about their experience and 70% of the retail associates view their employers more positively.

What have been some of the biggest or more interesting changes in the results over the last five years?


Some of the biggest changes in the last five years have resulted from the on-demand economy. Consumers have higher expectations than ever before with increased reliance on mobile ordering options and expecting fast fulfillment and in-store technology to assist them better. What hasn’t changed though, is the expectation shoppers have for a convenient, easy and now safe, shopping experience wherever they go. If retailers can’t provide shoppers what they want, when they want it, and how they want it, they’ll be hard pressed to maintain customer loyalty.

- Advertisement -
spot_img
spot_img
spot_img
spot_img