Consumers are embracing self-serve habits and increasingly using do-it-yourself technology in stores and that in turn is letting store associates dedicate more time to helping shoppers.

Those are top findings from Zebra Technologies Corp.'s 15th annual Global Shopper Study which also indicated consumers are returning to shop in physical retail locations in similar numbers prior to the pandemic.

Shopper interaction across self-serve solutions continues to rise with nearly half of shoppers citing they have used self-checkouts, and almost four-in-10 have used cashless payment methods, according to a press release on the findings.

Forty-three percent surveyed prefer paying with a mobile device/smartphone and half prefer self-checkout as a preference for a traditional check-out.

Most retailers (77%) believe staffed checkouts are becoming less necessary with automation technology, and nearly half are readying their stores, converting traditional check-out spaces to self-serve and contactless options.

"Shoppers don't see channels, they see one shopping experience however they shop," Matthew Guiste, retail industry lead, Zebra Technologies, said in the release. "The days of siloed, omnichannel operations are out of step with how people shop today. A unified commerce approach can help retailers meet shoppers how they shop — online, instore, social, mobile or any combination — and improve their overall experience."

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