Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), a leading digital solution provider enabling businesses to intelligently connect data, assets, and people, today announced it is expanding its retail offerings to advance The Modern Store by Zebra, its visionary framework designed to help retailers solve their most critical operational challenges.
While retailers worldwide trust Zebra for its deep retail expertise, market-leading solutions, and insightful guidance for their modernisation journey, the retail industry faces mounting challenges. Data from the National Retail Federation indicates retailers lost $112 billion due to shrink in 2022. Meanwhile, shoppers keep raising the bar for retailers as 78% prefer a seamless blend of in-store and online shopping according to Zebra’s 2023 Global Shopper Study. Zebra’s Modern Store blueprint continues to evolve with retailers’ needs, helping them strategically plan, prioritise and implement customised solutions for today while providing the agility needed to adapt for the future.
“The stakes are higher than ever in the retail industry. Consumers expect to shop with a consistently seamless experience across channels. On top of that, retail theft and loss are reaching unprecedented levels,” said Matthew Guiste, Global Strategy Lead, Zebra Technologies. “Zebra remains fully committed to helping retailers work in new ways with technology, ensuring associates are better enabled, inventory is accurate and fully visible, and shrink is minimised. We are here to help retailers transform and modernise their operations.”
Optimise inventory to maximise accuracy
Zebra’s recent shopper study shows eight in 10 retailers agree they need better inventory management tools to improve accuracy and visibility, and they believe AI will enhance retail operations. Zebra’s AI demand forecasting, analytics and RFID tracking solutions offer retailers the 360-degree view needed for fully visible inventory.
Visitors at Zebra’s NRF booth will see how Zebra Workcloud, the company’s enterprise suite of software applications, enables front-line workers to better optimise labour decisions, streamline communication and improve inventory management. The Workcloud Demand Intelligence Suite, powered by antuit.ai, helps retailers address issues through intelligent forecasting and analysis, demand sensing, optimisation and more.
Launching at NRF, the new AI-powered Workcloud Modeling Studio is a data science machine learning (DSML) platform. It builds and deploys accurate forecasts with a low-/no-code interface, allowing implementation within hours. Its pre-built customisable algorithms improve forecasting accuracy to minimise inventory errors or theft risks.
Zebra will also introduce its new FXR90 ultra-rugged fixed RFID reader which provides maximum visibility even in high-volume, rugged environments like a retail warehouse or fulfilment centre. The FXR90 reader minimises shrink and loss with the ability to identify and track where inventory losses are occurring so corrective actions can be taken to prevent future losses. With integrated wireless capabilities, including Wi-Fi and 5G, it also increases inventory visibility to maximise accuracy without an expensive infrastructure investment.
Engage associates to drive productivity
Eight in 10 retail associates say they view their employer more positively when they provide them with technology tools to do their work, yet 77% feel consumers are better connected to information than the associates. Zebra will highlight its leading portfolio of mobile handhelds, tablets, and wearables as well as integrated software solutions to demonstrate how retail associates can be more connected, productive, and efficient with the right technology and solutions.
At NRF, Zebra will also introduce its new WS50 powered by Workcloud, the industry’s first wrist and clip wearable enterprise-class Android touch computer. Now driven by Zebra Workcloud Communication and Workcloud Task Management, the WS50 also features Voice AI Assistant which better connects retail associates – including those previously disconnected – enabling them to focus on customers and tasks. Zebra Device Tracker is now offered for the WS50, ensuring a device can be located whether it is on or off, minimising the time and cost of lost devices and driving productivity for retailers.
Elevate the customer experience to build loyalty
According to Zebra’s recent shopper study, 82% of consumers say they prefer to get in and out of stores quickly. Plus, they have a growing affinity for self, digital, or anywhere checkout options. Zebra’s NRF booth will include its suite of next generation point-of-sale (POS) solutions that provide fast, frictionless checkout.
Zebra’s next-gen MP72 Series multi-plane scanner has vision-based software and an enhanced colour camera that recognises produce as it’s scanned. The new MP72 saves consumers time from guessing items or requiring help, simultaneously minimising fraud and shrink risks for retailers.
The new generation PS30 Personal Shopper enables retailers to provide a transformative, low-friction and personalised in-store shopping experience. Its enhanced location sensor data enables retailers to send consumers personalised offers and provide retailers with shopper insights which can be leveraged to improve store operations. The PS30 supports tap-to-pay, allowing shoppers to complete a purchase right from the cart.
Also on display at NRF will be Zebra Pay™, the industry’s first integrated, enterprise-grade, SPoC-based mobile payment solution transforming Zebra mobile computers and tablets into secure payment terminals. It handles mobile payments, reduces dedicated payment terminals and gives consumers a convenient pay-anywhere option, ultimately elevating the customer experience.
Experience Zebra solutions and the modern store
The Modern Store by Zebra is backed by comprehensive services and an ecosystem of over 10,000 partners in 100 countries to provide customised, integrated, retail-ready solutions that deliver desired outcomes to retailers. In fact, Zebra recently introduced a Modern Store partner recognition program as a strategic component of its PartnerConnect Program, recognising partner expertise and investment in retail solutions aligned with the Modern Store framework.
Zebra’s ecosystem of solutions will be showcased in Booth #3203 at the National Retail Federation (NRF) Annual Convention & EXPO Jan. 14-16, 2024 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City and online at zebra.com.
