Owning the Retail Floor in 2023

While the holiday shopping season may be over, busy retail environments are still thriving. As in-person shopping reaches pre-pandemic levels, staying connected is a must for retail workers on the move.

From the shop floor to the stockroom and checkout counter, retail store associates are the glue that holds the whole operation together. However, 85 percent of retail workers say they lack the information to do their job effectively, and 73 percent say they have to pause or stop work on a regular basis to search for information that's not readily available to them.

Enhancing the Employee Experience

It's clear that technology's prominence is increasingly growing within the retail space. From self-service scans to customized app experiences, there are a plethora of digital tech solutions available for today's consumers. However, in many cases the retail employee experience remains relatively low-tech.

With retail workers as the driving force behind keeping stores running, technology solutions shouldn't be limited to only enhancing the customer experience. Retail workers are the face of the business, and equipping them with the right tools is vital for success.

One solution for transforming the employee experience? Retailers need to start looking at their in-store workers the same way they would as an employee in their call or support center.

Did You Hear That? 

Like call center workers, in-store employees need to be equipped with the right technology that helps them communicate effectively with both their team and customers, with the ultimate goal of improving customer experience. One example would be equipping retail workers with discreet headsets that let them easily communicate to answer customer questions more quickly and improve teamwork.

Equipping employees with discreet headsets allows workers to gain direct access to other colleagues instantly and make faster, better informed decisions, boosting their productivity and performance within the business, as well as enhancing customer satisfaction.

Connectivity is a force multiplier that lets associates stay in touch with each other no matter how busy or tricky a retail worker's day can get. Having direct access to colleagues with top-of-the-line audio solutions provides clear communications and can be the difference between "four candles" and "fork handles."

Tech Today, Business Success Tomorrow 

Empowering frontline workers with the right technology allows them to concentrate on what matters most, whether that's the customer or the essential task at hand.

Additionally, baking cutting-edge headsets technology into retail workers' day-to-day routines can make them informed, more engaged, and more empowered to bring their best selves to work each day. This is a win not only for employees and customers, but the business as a whole.

Yves Dupuis is the senior vice president of global enterprise solutions at Jabra, a provider of audio, video, and collaboration solutions that are engineered to empower consumers and businesses.