Millennial shoppers better connected than retail aides

Vantage point: Insights from cutting-edge research

Millennial shoppers better connected than retail aides

Forty-four per cent shoppers aren’t satisfied with staff availability and customer service, but overall shopper satisfaction has greatly improved since the start of an annual study by Zebra Technologies a decade ago. Despite the dissatisfaction among 44 per cent in-store and 53 per cent online shoppers with the returns/exchange process, 62 per cent approved of associates’ use of handheld mobile devices in-store.

The key findings of the survey include that rising shopper expectations continue to outpace retailer in-store technology investments as a majority of millennial shoppers (53 per cent) perceive they are more connected than store associates. The study adds that shoppers want faster delivery, but many aren't willing to pay for it. Heightened customer expectations for delivery are transforming the retail landscape. Also, retail customers want a variety of fulfilment options, with 80 per cent of those surveyed saying they purchase items in-store and either take them home or ship from store to home. In Asia-Pacific, 32 per cent shoppers would prefer to go to a retail store to pick up items purchased online or through mobile channels. More than half of shoppers in both Asia-Pacific and Europe are interested in Wi-Fi and location-based in-store services such as mobile coupons.

Jeff Schmitz, senior vice-president and chief marketing officer, Zebra Technologies, says, “The results of the 2017 Shopper Study indicate consumers around the world believe that retailers have come a long way over the past decade to enhance the in-store shopping experience, but shopper expectations continue to rise at an exponential rate.” He points out retailers are continuing to invest in their physical stores, as reflected by an increasing overall store count and growth in convenience and mass merchant retail. “Sales associates armed with the right technology tools are better equipped to serve customers and increase revenue by providing the visibility and actionable insight into product information, inventory and fulfilment options that bring the online experience into the physical store.”

CIOs transitioning from delivery to biz executive

Digitalisation and technological innovation are changing the nature of the job of the chief information officer (CIO), according to Gartner, Inc. Gartner’s annual global survey of CIOs showed the CIO role is transitioning from delivery executive to business executive, from controlling cost and engineering processes, to driving revenue and exploiting data. CIOs are increasingly taking on roles and responsibilities outside traditional IT, with 51 per cent of those surveyed in India reporting they were taking charge of innovation and 49 per cent indicating they were heading up digital transformation.

The 2018 Gartner CIO Agenda Survey gathered data from 3,160 CIO respondents in 98 countries and all major industries, representing approximately $13 trillion in revenue/public sector budgets and $277 billion in IT spending. There were 59 CIO respondents in India, representing approximately $543 billion in revenue/public sector budgets and $3.8 billion in IT spending. The results show that, overall, 95 per cent CIOs expect their jobs to change or be remixed due to digitalisation. While world-class IT delivery management is a given, it will take up less and less of the CIO’s time. Respondents believe the two biggest transformations in the CIO role will be becoming a change leader, followed by assuming increased and broader responsibilities and capabilities. Inevitably, the job of CIO will extend beyond the traditional delivery roles to other areas of the business, such as innovation management and talent development. “The CIO’s role must grow and develop as digital business spreads, and disruptive technologies, including intelligent machines and advanced analytics, reach the masses,” said Andy Rowsell-Jones, vice-president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. “While delivery is still a part of the job, far greater emphasis is being placed on attaining a much broader set of business objectives.”

The survey findings showed a majority of CIOs say technology trends, specifically cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, will significantly change how they do their jobs in the near future.