New U.S. Report: One in Three Retail Associates Lack Individual Mobile Devices

Coresight Research survey commissioned by Zebra Technologies shows store operations would benefit most from equipping employees with a mobile device and modern software applications

Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), a leading digital solution provider enabling businesses to intelligently connect data, assets, and people, commissioned a report conducted by Coresight Research to understand if U.S. retail associates are equipped to do their jobs well. The report, titled “Success at Hand: Equipping Frontline Workers with More Mobile Devices to Drive Revenue and Delight Customers,” indicates there are an estimated 7.7 million retail employees who do not have mobile devices available for their exclusive use. This equals approximately one-third of the current U.S. retail workforce.

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While skill and talent shortages are cited as a leading barrier to equipping retail associates with devices, the smartphone-like interfaces on devices allow workers to use them more easily. In addition, artificial intelligence (AI) tools on the devices enhance frontline worker capabilities and ultimately help bridge the skills gap.

“Most people are accustomed to always having mobile devices in their hands. When they don’t have one, workers feel disconnected from the people, tools, and information they rely on to do their jobs well,” said Deborah Weinswig, CEO, Coresight Research. “This study opened our eyes to the reason why some retailers may be struggling to attract and retain employees or meet shoppers’ expectations.”

The Coresight Research report indicates 40% of employees working for large retailers either have to share a mobile device or go without one. Mass merchandisers and companies with over $1 billion in revenue ranked above average in terms of the proportion of workers without their own mobile devices at their companies.

Those who work in store operations (42%), merchandising (37%) or on the store floor (34%) are the least likely to have dedicated devices even though they are often considered to be among the most mobile-dependent team members and highly influence shopper satisfaction ratings.

Retailers who participated in the Coresight Research survey acknowledged that giving each employee a dedicated mobile device would significantly help increase the efficiency of daily operational tasks such as restocking shelves and enhance communications between staff. Other benefits include improving product placement accuracy, customer service response time and the efficiency of delivery and curbside pickup as well as enhancing the accuracy of price checks, product information and promotional execution.

Retailers’ top perceived benefit of equipping workers with mobile devices was “improved employee satisfaction.” This aligns with the feedback from those surveyed for Zebra’s 17^th Annual Global Shopper Study in which nearly 90% of associates said they feel more valued by their employer when they provide technology tools to help them do their work.

“Now that we understand how ill-equipped many retail store associates and managers are to do their jobs, it becomes easier to understand why nearly 90% believe they can provide a better customer experience when they have mobile technology tools,” said Jim Musco, North America Retail Industry Principal, Zebra Technologies. “When shoppers are more digitally connected to retail operations than associates, that’s a problem. Fortunately, it’s a fairly easy one to solve.”

KEY TAKEAWAYS

- One-third of the U.S. retail workforce is not given a dedicated mobile device today, with the largest retailers least likely to give each employee a device for their exclusive use.

- Retailers agree that giving workers mobile devices could offer tremendous benefits, including improved employee satisfaction and operational efficiency.

- The full Coresight Research report is available for download here.

ABOUT ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES

Zebra (NASDAQ: ZBRA) helps organizations monitor, anticipate, and accelerate workflows by empowering their frontline and ensuring that everyone and everything is visible, connected and fully optimized. Our award-winning portfolio spans software to innovations in robotics, machine vision, automation and digital decisioning, all backed by a +50-year legacy in scanning, track-and-trace and mobile computing solutions. With an ecosystem of 10,000 partners across more than 100 countries, Zebra’s customers include over 80% of the Fortune 500. Newsweek recently recognized Zebra on its list of Global Most Loved Workplaces, and we are on Fast Company’s list of the Best Workplaces for Innovators. Learn more at www.zebra.com or sign up for news alerts. Follow Zebra’s Your Edge blog, LinkedIn, X and Facebook, and check out our Story Hub: Zebra Perspectives.

ZEBRA and the stylized Zebra head are trademarks of Zebra Technologies Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2024 Zebra Technologies Corp. and/or its affiliates.

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