Shoppers are not the only ones worried about the impact of theft and crime on the in-store experience, with the majority of retail associates – 72% in Asia Pacific and 84% globally – concerned about the lack of technology deployed to spot safety threats or criminal activity, according to the latest Global Shopper Study from leading digital solution provider, Zebra Technologies.
With most retailers – 80% in APAC and 78% globally – under high pressure to minimise theft and loss, they are now investing in technology tools that can help frontline workers and those watching operations from behind the scenes.
Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are currently viewed as the most helpful with loss prevention, closely followed by cameras, sensors, and RFID. While only three-in-10 retailers (38% in APAC and globally) currently use AI-based prescriptive analytics for loss prevention, more than half surveyed (52% in APAC and 50% globally) plan to use it in the next one to three years for this purpose.
Over four in 10 retailers say they also plan to use self-checkout cameras and sensors (52% in APAC and 45% globally), computer vision (46% in APAC and globally), and RFID tags and readers (38% in APAC and 42% globally) within the next three years, specifically for loss prevention.
More than three quarters of shoppers (78%) say it is annoying when products are locked up or secured within cases. Adding to that frustration is that it is hard to find an associate while shopping in stores these days, according to 70% of consumers. This resonates with 79% and 70% of APAC shoppers respectively.
Increasingly over the past two years, the reason why one in five shoppers (22% in APAC and 21% globally) left a store without getting what they needed was due to a lack of available retail associates to help.
Although consumers are still generally satisfied with their shopping experience, fewer shoppers overall are satisfied with their shopping experiences this year. In 2023, 85% were satisfied with both the in-store and online experiences – this stood at 81% and 80% respectively for APAC shoppers.
This year, only 81% are satisfied with the in-store experience and 79% with online shopping. Satisfaction similarly decreased for APAC shoppers to 78% for in-store experience and 75% for online shopping.
Generally, most shoppers expect retailers to offer easy click-and-collect and returns options, yet retailers (85% in APAC and 79% globally) and associates (85% in APAC and globally) admit challenges with both. Most retailers also say it is a struggle to confirm current inventory and pricing. Plus, with more shoppers returning to stores, lingering labour shortages and increasing loss incidents are having a greater impact on service levels.
Nearly 90% of retail associates believe they can provide a better customer experience when they have mobile technology tools to help simplify real-time communication and prioritise tasks as well as check prices and inventory. Most retailers agree technology enables associates to do their jobs better, and as a result, 75% of global retailers (79% in APAC) say they plan to increase their technology investments in 2025.
Zebra Technologies regional sales manager for Australia and New Zealand, Nathahn Walter said, “Many retailers are laying the groundwork to build a modern store experience. By investing in mobile and intelligent technologies to provide greater visibility, help inform operational decisions and enable great mobility for associates, this ladders up to elevate the customer experience for retail’s long-term longevity.”