December 10, 2024
©Antonio_Diaz via Canva.com
Why Are Many Retail Associates Still Lacking Mobile Devices?
Skill and talent shortages were found to be the biggest barrier to the adoption of mobile devices for retail workers in a new survey, although concerns over data security, C-level support, and technology integration weren’t far behind.
The survey of 400 U.S. retail business leaders — commissioned by Zebra Technologies, a provider of mobile devices and related software, and conducted by Coresight Research — found that 40% of employees working for large retailers either have to share a mobile device or go without one.
The top five retail roles least likely to have dedicated devices included those working in store operations, 42%; merchandising, 37%; on the store floor, 34%; field mobility and operations (ex. delivery, truck services, field sales), 34%; and warehouse operations, 31%; although each function would benefit from staying connected while on the go.
Retailers surveyed ranked employee satisfaction as the largest expected benefit of adopting retail mobile devices, followed by improving operating efficiency and customer satisfaction. That aligns with the feedback from Zebra’s 17th Annual Global Shopper Study in which nearly 90% of associates surveyed said they feel more valued by their employer when they provide technology tools to help them do their work.
Regardless, the full list of barriers to greater adoption of mobile devices at retail include:
- Skill and talent shortage, 35%
- Data security concerns, 31%
- Vendor lock-in and standards, 29%
- Management approval and support, 28%
- Technical issues and maintenance, 28%
- Cost of implementation, 27%
- ROI uncertainty, 26%
- Insufficient IT infrastructure, 25%
- Complexity of integration, 25%
- Resistance to change from employees, 23%
- Regulatory compliance, 22%
- Lack of need or relevance, 22%
- Lack of company budget, 18%
A 2017 survey from Tulip Retail, a provider of in-store mobile apps, found that 61% of store associates at the time were not armed with mobile devices despite employees seeing benefits from being able to access detailed product information as well as look up inventory in-store, at other locations, and online.
The survey further found that nearly half of store associates agreed the consumer is sometimes more knowledgeable about the products than they are, aligning with a survey in the same year from Tulip showing that 83% of consumers believed they are more knowledgeable than store associates.
Mobile in years since appears to have only become a bigger part of the in-store experience for shoppers.
A survey of 1,300 U.S. shoppers taken earlier this year from logistics provider Ryder System found the top uses of mobile devices for in-store shopping to be searching for items while in a store, cited by 77%; comparing prices with items in nearby stores, 69%; checking availability at other stores, 58%; learning more about a product, 31%; and wanting to want to see other items frequently purchased with a product they’re considering, 17%
BrainTrust
Frank Margolis
Executive Director, Growth Marketing & Business Development, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions
David Naumann
Marketing Strategy Lead - Retail, Travel & Distribution, Verizon
Peter Charness
Retail Strategy - UST Global
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
Has the ROI around providing store associates and other retail workers with mobile devices been proven?
What’s holding back greater adoption of mobile devices and related investments in advanced technology for retail workers?
Poll
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Cost, training and security issues are likely the main barriers for wider adoption. However, this is looking at one side of the equation and is not assessing the efficiency gains that could be made by equipping staff properly. The other area mobile devices help with is staff satisfaction and productivity. It’s easier for staff to do their jobs when they have equipment they can use on the go.
Good point about staff productivity. We are currently analyzing the findings of a retail study to be published prior to NRF, and the top outcome that is driving retailers’ store technology investments is to improve associate productivity. With ongoing labor challenges, retailers realize that they need to equip employees with mobile tools to help them be more efficient. I expect to see an increase in investments in mobile devices and apps in 2025.
Using cell phones as mobile devices for employees poses three basic risks. First of all, turnover is so high that most employees are very short-term. In addition, short-term or part-time employees, teens, etc., may steal the phones or use them during work hours for personal use. Thirdly, there is the issue of data security.
It is probably possible for retailers to provide more of these devices, even to higher-risk employees, if they are simply limited in-store technology, like pagers or other types of hand held systems, once widely used in big stores. It is also possible to monitor them quite well.
Customers find it frustrating when employees are uninformed but need to go to customer service or find a manager to ask a simple question. So, the real question is how do we solve this problem without risk? Sometimes, lower technology is the right answer.
Skill?!?! Is someone seriously suggesting an employee – who as a sales associate for the company essentially has the company’s future in their hands (even in they don’t have a phone in them!) – doesn’t have the skill to operate one? Maybe someone high up thinks that, but I don’t agree. A more plausible explanation is that the mystery exec either thinks it wont help much, or might actually prove a distraction. Unfortunately, in the latter case, they may be right; but still, an all-or-nothing approach shouldn’t be the best someone can come up with.
Great point- it wouldn’t be the first time the old dude in the C Suite underestimates the impact of tech.
It’s really all about the customer. Can a mobile device empower an associate to assist a customer, or locate a product at a different store? Retailers will make the decision based on revenue and customer satisfaction.
Productivity possibilities meet the limited Capital Budget. Trouble with any improvement that requires roll out to 1,000’s of people is that cost multiplier. It gets expensive just as fast as the hardware becomes obsolete.
It has been routinely demonstrated that mobile devices greatly empower associates to take care of customers – from line busting to checkout anywhere to endless aisle ordering. While not every employee in the store needs one, the quantifiable ROI and the less quantifiable CX score makes a compelling business case for mobile devices in the hands of associates.
Adopting mobile device technology creates a better experience for both customers and employees. The technology empowers employees to support and sell a customer by providing capabilities in the moment that might normally require the employee to leave the customer to check sizes, inventory, price, etc. The customer gets information quickly and feels the employee is working on their behalf. There is an overall impact of engagement that should positively affect sales and build a better relationship between the customer and the brand.
What a great question. Ten years ago I thought that by 2024 they would be far more prominent. I have heard stories of staff members hiding devices within the store so that they are available for them to carry out their tasks the next day. I have also seen BYOD (bring your own device) approaches taken but not always with universal success.
I have come across a few reasons for this as well as challenges that retailers are facing in this regard:
- Cost of devices – it is not simply the device, it is also the cases, holsters, and other paraphernalia required.
- Portability – and hence ‘stealability’ of devices makes them a target to be stolen.
- Having the appropriate number of devices to the number of staff working at peak times. (I have heard colleagues saying ‘Can I borrow your handheld?’)
- Integration and workflow design of different apps and finetuning workflows to key tasks – this can be difficult.
- User training and adoption for different capabilities – it can take time to navigate to a specific form or data element – worse when you are in front of a customer.
With the advent of Gen AI, Copilot, and agentic type capabilities, the opportunity to dramatically improve the experience for store staff using such devices is amazing. The option to be able to speak to a device – in natural language – and get the response you need presented to you or specific tasks undertaken is amazing. Imagine, as a store manager, being on the store floor looking at your merchandise and being able to ask for an upcoming warehouse shipment to be increased or decreased. The necessary changes being made for you without needing to go back to your office. This would be a game changer – freeing up a significant amount of time and eliminating errors. This may well be the tipping point.
I doubt skill of operating a mobile device is a primary reason for lack of adoption. Really? Cost can certainly be a factor, as can security. But the improvement in efficiency and improved customer service can most definitely be offsetting factors. It’s amazing how many times I’ve walked into a store and have known more than anyone I encounter about a product.
Equipping employees with mobile is challenging but worth working through the challenges to achieve the benefits noted in the article.
Bring your own device seems simple but has a lot of overhead in terms of support, security and varied performance levels depending on the individual user’s device. Dedicated mobile devices reduces those issues but introduces loss and damage considerations.
Another option is unlocking some employee only features for customer apps. For example, some stores have electronic shelf labels with pick to light features but only make the pick to light feature available to associates. Unlock that pick to light feature and help your shoppers find products.
The app experience you deliver is an extension of your brand. Don’t put something out that frustrates your employees or your customers. It will cost you more in the end to go cheap on your mobile app. Make sure any employee or customer facing mobile app delivers high value and an excellent user experience.
In my experience cost is the big deterint. Not just the initial cost, but the total cost of ownership. Devices in stores take a beating. Tech devices require support, charging, software upgrades, security protocols, and exposure to bad actors if or when they hack into these devices, just to name a few things. Thinking about the price scanners in any given store, a significant percentage of these devices are offline at any given time and not because of team member abuse. It’s hard to keep a personal device updated and working, multiplied exponentially across stores and teams with multiple functions.. It is a considerable challenge for store IT teams and a significant and ongoing expense for the retailer. The benefits are there no question. Are they enough to offset the expense?
Putting an appropriate mobile device in the hands of every in store associate is a force multiplier for productivity, enhancing the shopping experience and increased ROI for the salary dollars that are already being spent. I am surprised that seeing this in store is the exception rather than the rule.
Equipping associates with mobile devices isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore. Customers walk in with product knowledge and tech tools, expecting the same from staff.
While challenges like cost and integration are real, the gains in productivity, data insights, and customer satisfaction make it worth the investment.
The high price tag of empowering store teams by giving them data at their fingertips may deter retailers. Yet retailers may warm up to mobile investments when they weigh the costs of lower productivity, higher employee turnover and erosion of customer loyalty.
The ROI of giving mobile devices to retail workers has been proven, but many retailers are too short-sighted to see it. Better-equipped employees mean happier customers and higher efficiency, how is that not worth the investment?
I’d say the biggest barriers aren’t just skill gaps or costs, it is also the mindset of many retailers and a lack of leadership. Too many decision-makers still treat frontline workers as replaceable instead of empowering them with the right tools to succeed.
Yes, integration complexities or budget constraints do exists but if retailers truly want to prioritize their workforce and stay competitive, all these barriers can be managed.
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Cost, training and security issues are likely the main barriers for wider adoption. However, this is looking at one side of the equation and is not assessing the efficiency gains that could be made by equipping staff properly. The other area mobile devices help with is staff satisfaction and productivity. It’s easier for staff to do their jobs when they have equipment they can use on the go.
Good point about staff productivity. We are currently analyzing the findings of a retail study to be published prior to NRF, and the top outcome that is driving retailers’ store technology investments is to improve associate productivity. With ongoing labor challenges, retailers realize that they need to equip employees with mobile tools to help them be more efficient. I expect to see an increase in investments in mobile devices and apps in 2025.
Using cell phones as mobile devices for employees poses three basic risks. First of all, turnover is so high that most employees are very short-term. In addition, short-term or part-time employees, teens, etc., may steal the phones or use them during work hours for personal use. Thirdly, there is the issue of data security.
It is probably possible for retailers to provide more of these devices, even to higher-risk employees, if they are simply limited in-store technology, like pagers or other types of hand held systems, once widely used in big stores. It is also possible to monitor them quite well.
Customers find it frustrating when employees are uninformed but need to go to customer service or find a manager to ask a simple question. So, the real question is how do we solve this problem without risk? Sometimes, lower technology is the right answer.
Skill?!?! Is someone seriously suggesting an employee – who as a sales associate for the company essentially has the company’s future in their hands (even in they don’t have a phone in them!) – doesn’t have the skill to operate one? Maybe someone high up thinks that, but I don’t agree. A more plausible explanation is that the mystery exec either thinks it wont help much, or might actually prove a distraction. Unfortunately, in the latter case, they may be right; but still, an all-or-nothing approach shouldn’t be the best someone can come up with.
Great point- it wouldn’t be the first time the old dude in the C Suite underestimates the impact of tech.
It’s really all about the customer. Can a mobile device empower an associate to assist a customer, or locate a product at a different store? Retailers will make the decision based on revenue and customer satisfaction.
Productivity possibilities meet the limited Capital Budget. Trouble with any improvement that requires roll out to 1,000’s of people is that cost multiplier. It gets expensive just as fast as the hardware becomes obsolete.
It has been routinely demonstrated that mobile devices greatly empower associates to take care of customers – from line busting to checkout anywhere to endless aisle ordering. While not every employee in the store needs one, the quantifiable ROI and the less quantifiable CX score makes a compelling business case for mobile devices in the hands of associates.
Adopting mobile device technology creates a better experience for both customers and employees. The technology empowers employees to support and sell a customer by providing capabilities in the moment that might normally require the employee to leave the customer to check sizes, inventory, price, etc. The customer gets information quickly and feels the employee is working on their behalf. There is an overall impact of engagement that should positively affect sales and build a better relationship between the customer and the brand.
What a great question. Ten years ago I thought that by 2024 they would be far more prominent. I have heard stories of staff members hiding devices within the store so that they are available for them to carry out their tasks the next day. I have also seen BYOD (bring your own device) approaches taken but not always with universal success.
I have come across a few reasons for this as well as challenges that retailers are facing in this regard:
With the advent of Gen AI, Copilot, and agentic type capabilities, the opportunity to dramatically improve the experience for store staff using such devices is amazing. The option to be able to speak to a device – in natural language – and get the response you need presented to you or specific tasks undertaken is amazing. Imagine, as a store manager, being on the store floor looking at your merchandise and being able to ask for an upcoming warehouse shipment to be increased or decreased. The necessary changes being made for you without needing to go back to your office. This would be a game changer – freeing up a significant amount of time and eliminating errors. This may well be the tipping point.
I doubt skill of operating a mobile device is a primary reason for lack of adoption. Really? Cost can certainly be a factor, as can security. But the improvement in efficiency and improved customer service can most definitely be offsetting factors. It’s amazing how many times I’ve walked into a store and have known more than anyone I encounter about a product.
Equipping employees with mobile is challenging but worth working through the challenges to achieve the benefits noted in the article.
Bring your own device seems simple but has a lot of overhead in terms of support, security and varied performance levels depending on the individual user’s device. Dedicated mobile devices reduces those issues but introduces loss and damage considerations.
Another option is unlocking some employee only features for customer apps. For example, some stores have electronic shelf labels with pick to light features but only make the pick to light feature available to associates. Unlock that pick to light feature and help your shoppers find products.
The app experience you deliver is an extension of your brand. Don’t put something out that frustrates your employees or your customers. It will cost you more in the end to go cheap on your mobile app. Make sure any employee or customer facing mobile app delivers high value and an excellent user experience.
In my experience cost is the big deterint. Not just the initial cost, but the total cost of ownership. Devices in stores take a beating. Tech devices require support, charging, software upgrades, security protocols, and exposure to bad actors if or when they hack into these devices, just to name a few things. Thinking about the price scanners in any given store, a significant percentage of these devices are offline at any given time and not because of team member abuse. It’s hard to keep a personal device updated and working, multiplied exponentially across stores and teams with multiple functions.. It is a considerable challenge for store IT teams and a significant and ongoing expense for the retailer. The benefits are there no question. Are they enough to offset the expense?
Putting an appropriate mobile device in the hands of every in store associate is a force multiplier for productivity, enhancing the shopping experience and increased ROI for the salary dollars that are already being spent. I am surprised that seeing this in store is the exception rather than the rule.
Equipping associates with mobile devices isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore. Customers walk in with product knowledge and tech tools, expecting the same from staff.
While challenges like cost and integration are real, the gains in productivity, data insights, and customer satisfaction make it worth the investment.
The high price tag of empowering store teams by giving them data at their fingertips may deter retailers. Yet retailers may warm up to mobile investments when they weigh the costs of lower productivity, higher employee turnover and erosion of customer loyalty.
The ROI of giving mobile devices to retail workers has been proven, but many retailers are too short-sighted to see it. Better-equipped employees mean happier customers and higher efficiency, how is that not worth the investment?
I’d say the biggest barriers aren’t just skill gaps or costs, it is also the mindset of many retailers and a lack of leadership. Too many decision-makers still treat frontline workers as replaceable instead of empowering them with the right tools to succeed.
Yes, integration complexities or budget constraints do exists but if retailers truly want to prioritize their workforce and stay competitive, all these barriers can be managed.