We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • ProMat 2023
    • Upload Your Video
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • ProMat 2023
    • Upload Your Video
Home » 40% of shoppers trust retailers to fulfill orders as promised, study shows

40% of shoppers trust retailers to fulfill orders as promised, study shows

Long-term changes to shopper behavior are driving retailers to prioritize technology investments, make labor improvements.

computer-g8528da979_640.jpg
November 4, 2021
Victoria Kickham
No Comments
There is a trust gap between shoppers and retailers when it comes to fulfilling online orders, and retailers are addressing the issue with technology, labor, and process improvements, according to a study from supply chain technology provider Zebra Technologies Corp., released this week.

Zebra’s 14th Annual Global Shopper Study found that 55% of retailers think shoppers trust them to fulfill online orders as promised, but only 38% of shoppers said they share that trust. Retail associates are less convinced as well, with 51% saying they trust their employer’s ability to deliver or fulfill customers’ online or mobile orders as promised. To remedy the situation, retail decision-makers say they are embracing solutions that “elevate the contributions of front-line staff and improve how inventory is planned and executed in stores and the broader supply chain,” according to the study.

Much of that involves reacting to changing shopper behaviors, including “do-it-yourself” (DIY) strategies in which shoppers research product information and availability before and during shopping trips—tasks that previously would have been handled by retail associates. Half of shoppers surveyed said they research product pricing online before they leave home, and nearly a third said they check store inventory before they leave home, according to the survey.

What’s more, about a third of consumers said they use their mobile devices to look up competitive prices or browse websites for products during shopping trips. And more than 70% said they have recently left stores without all the items they wanted, with nearly half citing out-of-stocks as the reason for not making an in-store purchase. Nearly 60% of shoppers said it’s faster to look up information on their smartphones than ask associates for help, and the majority of retail associates (64%) agree.

Retailers are responding by adjusting processes and adopting technology, according to Bill Inzeo, global retail technology strategist for Zebra Technologies. Steps include reallocating in-store associates for online order fulfillment, a task that has become increasingly important as brick-and-mortar stores function as mini-fulfillment centers and associates take on the task of “shopping for the customer.” Improving inventory item visibility throughout a store’s network is a crucial part of that process, Inzeo said, adding that companies are applying technologies such as inventory monitoring robots and RFID solutions that give item-level availability in real time.

“[A retailer’s] network of locations has become a network of supply chain nodes,” Inzeo said in an interview about the survey Wednesday, adding that many outlets function as fulfillment centers, pick-and-ship locations, and that some are “DCs in their own right.”

The changes necessitate a greater focus on data, he also said.

“Stores need inventory visibility to drive that better [customer] experience,” according to Inzeo. “As they are forecasting demand coming in, [they need to be] putting the right inventory at the right location at the right time.”

To address those issues, retail decision-makers are turning to workforce and task management software as well as mobile computers and barcode scanners, according to the survey.

“[Retailers] absolutely understand what needs to be done, what their customers are expecting, and [they are] seeing technology as the right investment to make to meet both of those expectations,” Inzeo said.
Technology Omnichannel
KEYWORDS Zebra Technologies
    • Related Articles

      Shoppers value communication over convenience in the returns process, study shows

      Retailers are failing to meet customer expectations, study shows

      Diesel to power smaller share of U.S. truck orders by 2040, study says

    Victoria kickham headshot
    Victoria Kickham started her career as a newspaper reporter in the Boston area before moving into B2B journalism. She has covered manufacturing, distribution and supply chain issues for a variety of publications in the industrial and electronics sectors, and now writes about everything from forklift batteries to omnichannel business trends for DC Velocity.

    Recent Articles by Victoria Kickham

    Logistics industry growth slowed in April

    Sorting out the options

    Robotic truck unloading gets its due

    You must login or register in order to post a comment.

    Report Abusive Comment

    Most Popular Articles

    • Logistics pay remains high, but job satisfaction dips

    • Schneider National opens innovation center at Wisconsin headquarters

    • FedEx trims costs again with plan to shut 29 locations in its less-than-truckload division

    • DHL Supply Chain will expand Locus Robotics fleet to 5,000 AMRs

    • Ocado plans to grow automation beyond grocery sector with 6 River Systems acquisition

    Now Playing on DCV-TV

    4cd1b546 9bdb 4b5e 9eaa 10bc1c4f367d

    The Robotize GoPal Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) Solution at Kärcher

    DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    Kärcher is a German global leader within cleaning products for both professional and home use. The company recently expanded its production capacity in Europe with the construction of a second factory in Romania. With two large factories in operation and a looming labor shortage, Kärcher began looking for a way to...

    FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

    • Exploring Customized Forklift Solutions

    • Exploring the Future of Labor Management With Capacity Planning

    • Three layers of forklift safety: Promoting operating best practices

    • The Complete Guide to Automated Packaging

    View More

    Subscribe to DC Velocity Magazine

    GET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • NEWSLETTERS
    • ADVERTISING
    • CUSTOMER CARE
    • CONTACT
    • ABOUT
    • STAFF
    • PRIVACY POLICY

    Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing