As retailers continue to adapt to changes in consumer behaviour and digital disruption, what can the workforce expect?
Retail: disrupted
The next three years will be a defining period for UK retail and will determine who will be the winners and losers in the longer term. We believe that it is no longer enough to compartmentalise retail businesses into units such as supply chain, merchandising, pricing, logistics and customer experience. Retailers need to rethink both their organisation and their workforce to survive in a new world where the rules of work have changed.
New orders for the future of retail work
Digital disruption and changes in consumer behaviour are forcing retailers to rethink both their organisation and their workforce.
With the employment rate at a recent high and vacancies on the rise a tight labour market is making it increasingly hard for retailers to find the right skills.
Retailers' profits are under pressure at a time when they need to incorporate a number of different sales channels and growing number of fulfilment options. This is inevitably leading to a greater focus on productivity and the workforce, and the future role that technology could play in either replacing or augmenting human labour.
Key findings
We believe there are three key areas for reimagining the retail workforce:
Work and the workforce:
How much work and who/what will deliver it? Retailers cannot clearly define what the future workforce should look like until they have a comprehensive view of how work is currently being done. Only then can they decide the right balance of human and robot resources to deliver the service their customers require. Discover more
Performance and productivity:
How will your workforce drive greater value? Retailers need to focus their investment and resources on three key capabilities to drive significant improvement in productivity across the business: the customer experience, the workforce experience and analytics. Discover more
Organisation and business model:
How will you need to be structured in a digital world? There is an immediate need for retailers to begin to reorganise their businesses around a networked team structure, breaking down the existing functional silos and sharing insight across the business. Discover more
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