56% of customers expect store staff to be as clued up as them across channels. 

27% want store associates to have the same level of digital information as them when they arrive in the store, with a further 29% expecting staff product knowledge to span across retailers’ sales channels.

34% of people valued retail staff more than they did before the Covid-19 pandemic, having become more respectful of the role they play in their buying journeys. 

Just 15% wanted in-store interactions to be automated, with robots welcoming them into the shop or helping them find items.

However, 41% felt retailers could do more to support their frontline staff, with 19% saying retail workers could be better connected to improve the delivery of customer service in-store.

Matt Bradley, Event Director at Retail Technology Show, comments: “It’s no secret that good employee experiences create positive customer experiences – and those connections between the shopper and the store staff, who embody and represent the ‘face of the brand’, are crucial in not only driving conversions, but delivering the buying experiences that engender long-term customer loyalty. “

“However, retailers need to ensure store staff remain supported – through processes and connected technology – to continue to elevate that ‘human touch’ in-store that shoppers value so highly.”