November 11, 2025
gorodenkoff/Depositphotos.com
As Shopper Satisfaction Declines and Associates Show Frustration, How Can Retailers Fix ‘Blind Spots’?
A comprehensive report comprised of two complementary studies produced by Zebra — the “18th Annual Global Shopper Study” — indicates that shopper satisfaction is on the decline while retail associates say they’re facing frustrations tied to tasking demands, among other asks. What can retailers do to address these dual headwinds?
On the first note: According to the Zebra data, both in-store and online shopping satisfaction has dropped among consumers polled over the past couple of years. In-store satisfaction was pegged at 85% in 2023, fell to 81% in 2024, and rests at 79% in 2025 — a six point tumble. Online satisfaction fell even more significantly, from 85% in 2023, to 79% in 2024, to just 73% in 2025 (a 12% decline in total).
“Shoppers remember how a store makes them feel. A friendly greeting, quick assistance, or knowledgeable help can shape how they view a brand. But when service falls short, the impression lingers. Overall shopper satisfaction is falling. In three years, in-store ratings dropped 6 percentage points and online ratings fell 12 points. The message is clear: shoppers notice when performance slips, and retailers can’t ignore it,” the report authors wrote.
“Associates bring a brand to life, but too often they’re tied up with routine tasks instead of focusing on shoppers. Nearly half of associates report frustration at having little time to help customers. That often leaves shoppers without the attention they expect. And shoppers are asking for it: 73% want to interact with in-store associates—proof that human connection remains at the heart of retail,” they added.
Store Associates Also Showing Frustration as Retailers Evolve (at Different Paces)
Regarding the associate portion of the Zebra survey, the good news was that automation, AI tools, and other tech integrations (RFID, scanner improvements most notably) were improving the efficiency for frontline staff. A full 89% of retail workers polled agreed with the premise that AI will aid their productivity, and more than three-quarters of those same staffers exhibited concerns over an existing lack of appropriate tech to spot theft or safety threats.
Among the findings pertaining to associate opinions on their current role:
- Nearly all (88%) of frontline retail associates indicated difficulties getting timely assistance or information from superiors.
- Among popular frustrations, the most commonly cited included not having enough time to help customers due to being tasked with low-priority objectives (46%), managing returns from online orders (42%), dealing with out-of-stock complaints (39%), finding physical inventory not matching virtual counts (also 39%), and an inability to easily communicate with other associates, or their management (37%).
“Associates shape every customer experience. From stocking shelves to managing returns and helping shoppers find what they need, their work defines the brand in action. But too often, they’re weighed down by manual tasks, inefficient workflows, and systems that hold them back from focusing on shoppers,” the authors wrote.
“Yet many associates still face growing demands. Eight in ten say they feel stressed by the increasing complexity of their day-to-day work. When routine tasks become easier to manage, energy can shift to higher-impact activities. With fewer roadblocks, associates are quicker to help, better equipped to solve problems, and more present in every interaction. Small changes can make a big difference—on the floor, in the stockroom, and throughout the store,” they concluded.
BrainTrust
Scott Benedict
Founder & CEO, Benedict Enterprises LLC
Mark Ryski
Founder, CEO & Author, HeadCount Corporation
Brad Halverson
Principal, Clearbrand CX
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
With shopper satisfaction seemingly dropping over the past few years, what steps must retailers take to reverse this trend? What is the missing element in today’s retail environment, both physical and online?
Given the listed frustrations exhibited by retail sales staff, how might these concerns be best addressed? Do you believe this data to be accurate?
Poll
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Declining satisfaction is a function of two trends. First, higher expectations as consumers become more focused on value. Second, the squeeze on many retailers from trying to keep a lid on costs at the same time as the retail ecosystem becomes more complex. The key to improving satisfaction will vary by retailer. However, one thing I would note is that there are too many retailers – Target and Kohl’s among them – that are failing on the basics. If you don’t have a solid foundation, then it is very difficult to engineer satisfaction.
The premise that shopper satisfaction and frontline job satisfaction are declining is supported by recent industry data. Forrester and Retail TouchPoints reported that customer service satisfaction in retail is at its lowest point since 2016, with most shoppers citing difficulty finding help in-store. At the same time, a Waitwhile survey found that nearly half of retail associates do not find their work meaningful, and many feel overwhelmed by task load and unclear priorities. So yes — this appears to be a broad industry trend, not just isolated to a few retailers.
To reverse it, I believe retailers need to address customer experience and employee experience together, because they are inseparable. On the customer side, the missing element is consistent execution of the basics: stores that are easy to navigate, well-stocked shelves, and associates who are visible and available. On the employee side, the core issue is lack of support — unclear role expectations, limited training, and systems that create more friction than they solve. If frontline employees are stretched thin or frustrated, customer experience will inevitably suffer.
As a former buyer, I was required to use consumer insight to shape product assortments and promotional strategies — and the same discipline applies here. If retailers invest the time to listen to customers and associates, map where friction occurs, and then equip store teams with the staffing, tools, and autonomy to resolve it, satisfaction will improve on both sides. This is not a mystery; it’s a matter of prioritizing people and execution over short-term efficiency moves.
Re: “If retailers invest the time to listen to customers and associates, map where friction occurs, and then equip store teams with the staffing, tools,”
There are issues in Retailers’ business structure with technology… best if deployed nationally & adjustable at regional and local levels. (System somewhere between legacy<—> shiny object of the day).
Inbound, tech offers ways to get input from multiple customer (CRM) segments. The feedback loop cannot have dead ends. And it needs to feed into project management. Problem to solution to tracking effectiveness.
The other alarming stat above was about out of stocks/inventory mgmt.
These issues are ages old… the quick fix of giving floor staff an iPad or creating AgenticAI lack the systems level structure.
If C-suites are busy with activist investor demands, is the national Tech team empowered enough?
The problem with in-store surveys is that they often neglect to include shoppers who visited the store but left without buying or filling out a survey. This is precisely why retailers need to measure store traffic and conversion rates. The dissatisfaction can clearly be quantified in sagging or decline conversion rates. Frontline teams have good reason to feel overwhelmed and frustrated. A big part of the problem is that head office, when assigning labor to stores, often does not fully account for the volume of activity any given store has. Having a more reliable demand signal – which is what store traffic counts are – will enable decision makers to better align resources to activity. Technology and tools can help, but it won‘t fix the problem alone if store teams simply don’t have the labor to serve the store visits.
The latest data showing declining shopper and associate satisfaction should concern every retailer—but not surprise anyone who’s walked a store floor recently.
Associates are stretched thin, juggling operational tasks while trying to deliver meaningful engagement. The result is a slow erosion of the very human connection that defines great in-store experiences.
From my perspective working with multi-location brands across retail, this issue is less about technology and more about focus. When associates spend most of their shift scanning inventory, processing returns, or managing back-of-house tasks, they’re pulled away from what actually drives loyalty—eye contact, conversation, and genuine hospitality.
Three necessary actions stand out:
1. Reclaim the floor for people, not process.
Audit how associates spend their time and eliminate low-value tasks that pull them off stage. The most memorable brand moments still happen face-to-face—when an associate anticipates a need or simply takes a moment to connect.
2. Treat the associate experience as a leading indicator of shopper experience.
If associates feel stressed, unsupported, or invisible, shoppers will feel it too. Investing in training, communication, and staffing support isn’t a cost center—it’s a performance driver.
3. Make human interaction the metric that matters.
Retailers measure speed, accuracy, conversion—but rarely measure connection. What if we tracked how often associates proactively engaged guests, or how many shoppers left feeling “seen”?
In-store satisfaction will rebound when the front line is empowered to be present—fully, genuinely, and humanly. The experience shoppers remember most isn’t how efficient the process was; it’s how they were treated in the moment.
What steps must they take? Given that any number of large retailers – some of whom have been profiled here on RW – have shown a willingness to actually go out of business, rather than improve, I don’t know that they must do anything; of course that doesn’t preclude that maybe they should. But that requires convincing them they’ll be rewarded for their efforts, and between “activist investors” pressing for even more cost cuts, the declining role of in-person shopping and (online) competitors who don’t seem to have any cash-flow restictions at all, it won’t be easy. Oh, and just for the He** of it let’s throw in (the self-inflicted, but still there harm of) excessive debt and the trillion dollar AI question mark. No, not easy at all.
When employees feel undervalued and unsupported, morale and productivity can suffer. As a result, turnover rates go up, absenteeism goes up, and customer service goes down. In addition, unresolved issues can create a negative work environment, which can hurt a company’s reputation and success.
Employee engagement can be improved by open communication and active listening. A regular training schedule and professional development opportunities can also boost morale. Giving employees recognition and rewards for their hard work and contributions can make them feel valued and more committed.
Shopper satisfaction is something every retailer should focus on monitoring and improving every week. Building back and keeping positive customer experiences requires corporate teams work with store teams to ensure they have the right amount of resources for strong execution. It matters because thats where customers are and where sales happen.
Tips to help stores have better customer experiences and outcomes:
- Ensure store teams have a say or even ownership in labor budgets each quarter. They know customer traffic and shifts better than anyone. And if the corporate labor budget is being squeezed by the CFO, let store managers push back with creative solutions.
- Allow store teams to have a say in new tech used on the floor, whether for customer interaction or operational use. Let them test software and equipment. Then listen to them. Don’t be the corporate expert who has all the answers.
- For every new rule or process implemented, see what others can be removed or simplified. At some point, the sales and merchandising teams become beholden to too many rules and processes, having less freedom to serve customers and do the right thing. They are the ones who can help build repeat business and earn customer confidence.
I believe it’s a matter of returning to the basics. Insignts are great, but I think we all have our own experience with what it’s like to shop in a store these days. Too often not enough help and slow service. However, in those cases when a store has the inventory we are looking for and the service to go with it, it makes a true impact and creates a loyal customer. This also sets the bar for other retailers and reminds us what shopping should be like.
The drop in Customer Experience (CX) over the last two years stems from key failures in people, process, and strategy.
- Staff Cuts: Aggressive staffing reductions mean remaining associates are overburdened, leading to little time for customer engagement and ultimately slow, poor service.
- Missing Training: Technology is implemented but lacks adequate user training. This makes new tools inefficient, frustrating staff, and undermining expected service improvements.
- Price Disparity: Tech-savvy consumers instantly compare prices, causing dissatisfaction when they find significant gaps between in-store and online (discount) pricing.
- Leadership Vacuum: These issues persist because strategic leadership fails to prioritize CX and the associate experience, instead favoring short-term cost-cutting measures.
I reinforce your staff cuts point. New technology may free associates from mundane tasks but it also frees the store to cut staff.
I would add that using technology to set false expectations contributes to shopper dissatisfaction.
Example: Data on the app says an item is in stock at store XYZ. You go there and it’s not available.
This new in stock feature become a curse because stores are not warehouses. People come and go all day. They buy things. They move things. Things go missing. The result is shopper disappointment driven by a false expectation of inventory accuracy communicated by the retailer.
Online retailers aren’t perfect but they largely know what they have. When you order something online, you’ll get it.
The missing element is capacity for hospitality.
Store teams are already lean and juggling more tasks while trying to satisfy heightened consumer expectations. Online is efficient but some e-commerce sites lack a smooth and friendly experience.
Retail sales staff are trying their best to be attentive but fragmented systems and demanding processes can create more work and customer hassles.
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Declining satisfaction is a function of two trends. First, higher expectations as consumers become more focused on value. Second, the squeeze on many retailers from trying to keep a lid on costs at the same time as the retail ecosystem becomes more complex. The key to improving satisfaction will vary by retailer. However, one thing I would note is that there are too many retailers – Target and Kohl’s among them – that are failing on the basics. If you don’t have a solid foundation, then it is very difficult to engineer satisfaction.
The premise that shopper satisfaction and frontline job satisfaction are declining is supported by recent industry data. Forrester and Retail TouchPoints reported that customer service satisfaction in retail is at its lowest point since 2016, with most shoppers citing difficulty finding help in-store. At the same time, a Waitwhile survey found that nearly half of retail associates do not find their work meaningful, and many feel overwhelmed by task load and unclear priorities. So yes — this appears to be a broad industry trend, not just isolated to a few retailers.
To reverse it, I believe retailers need to address customer experience and employee experience together, because they are inseparable. On the customer side, the missing element is consistent execution of the basics: stores that are easy to navigate, well-stocked shelves, and associates who are visible and available. On the employee side, the core issue is lack of support — unclear role expectations, limited training, and systems that create more friction than they solve. If frontline employees are stretched thin or frustrated, customer experience will inevitably suffer.
As a former buyer, I was required to use consumer insight to shape product assortments and promotional strategies — and the same discipline applies here. If retailers invest the time to listen to customers and associates, map where friction occurs, and then equip store teams with the staffing, tools, and autonomy to resolve it, satisfaction will improve on both sides. This is not a mystery; it’s a matter of prioritizing people and execution over short-term efficiency moves.
Re: “If retailers invest the time to listen to customers and associates, map where friction occurs, and then equip store teams with the staffing, tools,”
There are issues in Retailers’ business structure with technology… best if deployed nationally & adjustable at regional and local levels. (System somewhere between legacy<—> shiny object of the day).
Inbound, tech offers ways to get input from multiple customer (CRM) segments. The feedback loop cannot have dead ends. And it needs to feed into project management. Problem to solution to tracking effectiveness.
The other alarming stat above was about out of stocks/inventory mgmt.
These issues are ages old… the quick fix of giving floor staff an iPad or creating AgenticAI lack the systems level structure.
If C-suites are busy with activist investor demands, is the national Tech team empowered enough?
The problem with in-store surveys is that they often neglect to include shoppers who visited the store but left without buying or filling out a survey. This is precisely why retailers need to measure store traffic and conversion rates. The dissatisfaction can clearly be quantified in sagging or decline conversion rates. Frontline teams have good reason to feel overwhelmed and frustrated. A big part of the problem is that head office, when assigning labor to stores, often does not fully account for the volume of activity any given store has. Having a more reliable demand signal – which is what store traffic counts are – will enable decision makers to better align resources to activity. Technology and tools can help, but it won‘t fix the problem alone if store teams simply don’t have the labor to serve the store visits.
The latest data showing declining shopper and associate satisfaction should concern every retailer—but not surprise anyone who’s walked a store floor recently.
Associates are stretched thin, juggling operational tasks while trying to deliver meaningful engagement. The result is a slow erosion of the very human connection that defines great in-store experiences.
From my perspective working with multi-location brands across retail, this issue is less about technology and more about focus. When associates spend most of their shift scanning inventory, processing returns, or managing back-of-house tasks, they’re pulled away from what actually drives loyalty—eye contact, conversation, and genuine hospitality.
Three necessary actions stand out:
1. Reclaim the floor for people, not process.
Audit how associates spend their time and eliminate low-value tasks that pull them off stage. The most memorable brand moments still happen face-to-face—when an associate anticipates a need or simply takes a moment to connect.
2. Treat the associate experience as a leading indicator of shopper experience.
If associates feel stressed, unsupported, or invisible, shoppers will feel it too. Investing in training, communication, and staffing support isn’t a cost center—it’s a performance driver.
3. Make human interaction the metric that matters.
Retailers measure speed, accuracy, conversion—but rarely measure connection. What if we tracked how often associates proactively engaged guests, or how many shoppers left feeling “seen”?
In-store satisfaction will rebound when the front line is empowered to be present—fully, genuinely, and humanly. The experience shoppers remember most isn’t how efficient the process was; it’s how they were treated in the moment.
What steps must they take? Given that any number of large retailers – some of whom have been profiled here on RW – have shown a willingness to actually go out of business, rather than improve, I don’t know that they must do anything; of course that doesn’t preclude that maybe they should. But that requires convincing them they’ll be rewarded for their efforts, and between “activist investors” pressing for even more cost cuts, the declining role of in-person shopping and (online) competitors who don’t seem to have any cash-flow restictions at all, it won’t be easy. Oh, and just for the He** of it let’s throw in (the self-inflicted, but still there harm of) excessive debt and the trillion dollar AI question mark. No, not easy at all.
When employees feel undervalued and unsupported, morale and productivity can suffer. As a result, turnover rates go up, absenteeism goes up, and customer service goes down. In addition, unresolved issues can create a negative work environment, which can hurt a company’s reputation and success.
Employee engagement can be improved by open communication and active listening. A regular training schedule and professional development opportunities can also boost morale. Giving employees recognition and rewards for their hard work and contributions can make them feel valued and more committed.
Shopper satisfaction is something every retailer should focus on monitoring and improving every week. Building back and keeping positive customer experiences requires corporate teams work with store teams to ensure they have the right amount of resources for strong execution. It matters because thats where customers are and where sales happen.
Tips to help stores have better customer experiences and outcomes:
I believe it’s a matter of returning to the basics. Insignts are great, but I think we all have our own experience with what it’s like to shop in a store these days. Too often not enough help and slow service. However, in those cases when a store has the inventory we are looking for and the service to go with it, it makes a true impact and creates a loyal customer. This also sets the bar for other retailers and reminds us what shopping should be like.
The drop in Customer Experience (CX) over the last two years stems from key failures in people, process, and strategy.
I reinforce your staff cuts point. New technology may free associates from mundane tasks but it also frees the store to cut staff.
I would add that using technology to set false expectations contributes to shopper dissatisfaction.
Example: Data on the app says an item is in stock at store XYZ. You go there and it’s not available.
This new in stock feature become a curse because stores are not warehouses. People come and go all day. They buy things. They move things. Things go missing. The result is shopper disappointment driven by a false expectation of inventory accuracy communicated by the retailer.
Online retailers aren’t perfect but they largely know what they have. When you order something online, you’ll get it.
The missing element is capacity for hospitality.
Store teams are already lean and juggling more tasks while trying to satisfy heightened consumer expectations. Online is efficient but some e-commerce sites lack a smooth and friendly experience.
Retail sales staff are trying their best to be attentive but fragmented systems and demanding processes can create more work and customer hassles.