Retailers are planning a radical shake-up of the use of technology within their supply chains and delivery systems with huge change planned by 2021, according to a new survey.
The results come from the 2017 Retail Vision Study from Zebra Technologies. It shows that by 2021, 65% of retailers plan to explore innovative delivery services, such as delivering to workplaces, homes and even parked cars.
Automation is also being explored with 57% of retailers saying that they believe automation will shape the industry by 2021 – helping retailers pack and ship orders, track inventory, check in-store inventory levels and assist customers in finding items.
Click and collect is also expected to almost double by 2021 with 92% of retailers expected to offer the service by that time – up from 50% who offer it today.
In EMEA, respondents ranked out-of-stock merchandise (53%), the same product being available for less at another store (46%) and the desired item not being found (40%) as the top sources of consumer dissatisfaction today. Accordingly, retailers plan to reinvent their supply chain with real-time visibility enabled by automation, sensors and analytics.
Mark Thomson, retail and hospitality director, EMEA for Zebra said: “Every inch of the retail industry is changing, from the aisles of the warehouse to the shelves of the store, and retailers are driving this change in a race to better serve customers.”
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