New survey reveals what challenges most retail store managers face

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According to JDA Software Group Inc, retail store managers are facing problems that are beyond selling products

The ‘Voice of the Store Manager Survey’ found that retail store managers are trying to keep up with the pace of e-commerce (online shopping) by juggling a combination of skills in order to heighten their customers’ shopping experience.

Due to the growth of omnichannel retailing, retail store managers are struggling to keep up with customer demands as they try to address the need of order fulfilment, inventory visibility and staffing.

Out of 2,252 US respondents, almost one third said that the biggest challenge is trying to maintain ‘order fulfilment’ and ‘staffing’. In addition to this, the survey covered a list of barriers that are believed to be impacting on customers’ experience.

The following results showed the biggest challenges faced at shop floor level:

· Order fulfilment (29%)

· Staffing (29%)

· Inventory visibility (24%)

· Scheduling/work force management (18%)

Additionally, the operations side of sales also prove an area of concern, as store managers listed the following complications:

· Inaccurate data (31%)

· Limited stock and slow replenishment (31%)

However, technology is somewhat helping retailing firms to manage efficiently, as 64 per cent said they sometimes use devices to check inventory availability. 33 per cent of respondents check via their mobile/wearable devices and 31 per cent said they use a central computer system to check on real-time inventory visibility.

Nonetheless, customer demands are becoming extensive, due to the rise of online retailers providing customers with a quick, hassle-free service.

Vice President of Retail Industry Strategy at JDA, Jim Prewitt, comments on the current position of the retail market: "Store Managers in our survey believe that in-store fulfilment of customer orders presents the biggest challenge to store operations."

He adds: “It’s not a question of whether stores will evolve, but rather a question of ‘to what?’ Successful retailers are looking at how quickly their supply chain and store operations need to react and adapt.”