Myths and Realities of Omnichannel Retailing

Some retailers believe that as they engage with customers across multiple channels, they'll reduce payroll costs as technology delivers alternate selling tools. The reality of workforce management in an omnichannel environment is that there's an expanding role for the sales associate. These individuals must be more proactive with in-store customer engagement, including employing inventory management tools to locate products for shoppers and assisting them as they use mobile applications for product comparisons. Retailers that recognize the evolving role of sales associates will invest in training and new compensation models to support the new associate performance expectations.