NRF 2023 Takeaway
There have been many posts regarding this year's National Retail Federation convention in New York earlier this month.
One of my takeaways was the obvious level of attention and support for the frontline store associates’ teams recognizing that this valuable asset of talent must be supported more than ever.
The availability of digital tools and apps designed to unlock the potential of these brand ambassadors was evident throughout the convention floor. As I traveled from booth to booth, attended presentations, and participated in tours, the recurring topic of the store team kept coming up in conversation. One such conversation with Jodi Harouche, of Multimedia Plus. She shared the following " The level of focus for frontline teams is quickly shifting to easy-to-use and navigate technology that has everything an associate and a manager needs to be successful. It is an exciting time for the industry. I am excited to be part of the next chapter".
I agree! We are entering a transformational period for stores where those field teams will be in a position to work faster, more efficiently, and be empowered to respond at the moment in a way that resonates with the client as the ultimate goal. Such a goal of creating memorable experiences on a routine basis is achievable but the field teams cannot do this alone. I believe that brands focused on supporting the stores will win customer lifetime value metric, and will reduce customer churn which is a winning formula.
Consider some of the challenges interfering with the vision of the ideal store delivering an exceptional customer experience :
the current challenging labor market coupled with store workloads being more complex than in the past causing stress and discontentment;
the job has changed with the addition of the omni equation such as BOPIS, BOPUS, added influx of online returns tying up the registers, or the addition of client benefits such as curbside pickup to name a few;
wages, especially hourly associates are on the rise, challenging productivity levels to offset potential payroll cost
today's changing workforce values personal development, demands to feel respected, wants to be motivated by leadership, and expects to have a voice and be heard. This workforce covets a reason to connect personally to the mission and core values demonstrated by the brand;
expects communication to be real-time delivered in a modern way to which they have become accustomed.
These are a sampling of the pain points leadership faces as the role of the store has a light shining on it once again. By investing in tools to support the field team, not only can these challenges be minimized but in some cases eliminated. To me, it has been simple, hire top talent, give them what they need to succeed, praise them, and get out of their way.
