Retailers must empower workforces to improve customer experiences

What it means: The success of the offline channel is largely dependent on retail associates and their interactions with consumers. It’s imperative that the industry move beyond communicating only with store fleets via planograms and directives. Transparency and two-way communication with store-based employees helps to present clear objectives across the enterprise and leads to much better execution of merchandising. Empowerment up and down the chain of command at retail needs to be better during a time when turnover is high and store employees represent the first line of defense with consumers.