Task management software is one of the retail solutions designed to help shops save time and money. This is good news, because more than half of employees say in the Zebra Global Shopper Study that they have too little time for customers because they have to fulfil too many routine tasks.
Too few employees - too many tasks. According to a PwC analysis, the retail and consumer goods industry is facing a pronounced shortage of skilled labour. By 2035, around 2.5 million jobs could remain vacant. The shortage of staff is a key problem in the retail sector, as it limits the shopping experience. Waiting times reduce the mood to buy and have an impact on companies' turnover. Technology plays an important role as a solution because it helps employees to carry out their tasks more effectively and have more time for customers. What is the current state of technology use in retail? Zebra investigated this question in a recent global shopper study involving more than 4,200 people.
This much in advance: customers and employees are far more open to new technologies than expected.
Consumers want the latest technology
Consumers have high expectations of technology. In fact, 80 per cent of consumers surveyed expect retailers to use the latest technologies and seven in ten are convinced that these will improve their shopping experience. In line with the trend, more than half of retailers plan to use mobile handheld computers, scanners and RFID by 2026. In addition, 54 per cent of retailers plan to use task management software and 56 per cent plan to use staff scheduling software.
What makes an employer attractive
The study shows that eight out of ten employees feel more valued and view their employer more positively when they are supported in their work by technology.
Employees are increasingly aware of the benefits of devices and analytics for prioritising tasks and collaborating in teams. They realise, for example, that the provision of task management and modern workforce scheduling supports them in their task implementation and not only ensures greater efficiency, but also contributes to work-life balance.
More conversion means more sales
Retailers are inundated with challenges from inside and outside their shops. At the same time, they are endeavouring to offer customers the best possible shopping experience. Zebra's Workcloud Task Management helps them achieve better results: Store managers use the tool to create task lists for company-wide, regional and daily tasks. These are automatically prioritised and sent to employees' mobile devices. This makes it possible to see at a glance which tasks need to be completed first. Employees can work systematically and are therefore more efficient, which saves time and benefits sales.
Digital transformation at MPREIS with task management
In autumn 2023, Austrian food retailer MPREIS introduced Zebra's Workcloud Task Management software solution to digitally transform the processes between the head office and the approximately 300 regional shops. The solution is designed to help optimise communication to improve employee engagement and training, compliance and customer satisfaction.
MPREIS has already achieved its goal of speeding up the implementation of tasks in the shops: ‘Employees have more time for the customer,’ says Alexander Zickwolf, Head of Sales Development & Support at MPREIS in the video. The solution enables employees at the head office, district managers and staff in the shops to communicate with each other in real time. They can access a shared platform via mobile handhelds or tablets. The solution also facilitates employee training and improves compliance.
Zebra's latest Global ShopperStudy provides an up-to-date overview of retail technology. Download link to the Global Shopper Study: https://www.zebra.com/us/en/cpn/global-shopper-study.html
