Retail Toolkit – Is in-store operational efficiency still an important focus for retail companies?

In the fast-paced world of retail, operational efficiency and increased productivity are, in our view, the foundation on which every company’s success is built. 📈 But who knows if all retail companies are aware of it all the way, or instead with the constant focus on Omnichannel, the theme of in-store technology, AI is not removing the attention from those operational activities that most affect the trend of stores.
The management and processing of goods, the timely replenishment of products sold and layout changes require meticulous and careful planning. These processes must be periodically reviewed and optimized to ensure maximum speed and efficiency, so as not to compromise customer service, which remains our top priority.💡 So innovations and new technologies are welcome as long as you do not forget to apply them and make them available to the team in order to improve the processes in store.
Actually, we at B_Labb have known very few retail companies, especially in the fashion sector, who constantly study and update their operating processes, creating standards to follow and KPIs related to store operations.

But what makes these companies successful and what makes them different? Their constant focus on the Store, because they consider it, rightly, the center of the business.

And we too fully share this philosophy. In fact:

1. Stores organized, curated in the product layout, always stocked and with teams trained, motivated and customer-oriented are the best marketing strategy
2. It’s in the store that we find all the answers to the opportunities that the numbers highlight
3. The store is the link that connects the company/brand more directly to the protagonist of our sector: THE CUSTOMER

🔑 So let us not underestimate the importance of continuous training and targeted coaching for the teams in the store! It is often mistaken that “manual” activities do not require training. Actually, making sure every store has impeccable organization, clear processes, and a balanced distribution of daily tasks is crucial. Optimal operations management can completely transform store results, reducing lost sales, minimizing waste of hours and resources, keeping staff motivated and delivering an amazing customer experience. 🛍️✨
All this means having more profitable stores and thus improving business results.

And for this not only the organization in store, it is necessary to spread the Store-Centric mentality in all departments, monitor and if necessary review the operating process since the production of the product. The question to be asked constantly is “How can we facilitate the performance of all those “backstage” activities that have the sole purpose of getting our products into the hands of the customer?”
For example, how the product is packed when it arrives in store; how it is divided into boxes, whether by category or by collection. How often stores receive replenishment, and following what criteria. If the size of the stores in the store is adequate for the amount of goods that stores should have as replenishment. Verify that the softwares are up to date, agile and intuitive.

Is your company Store-Centric? Is excellence in operations among the goals you give to your Retail Manager?

Below you can find the free guide that B_Labb created to check the Operations in your company. Download it!

💬 Let us know if you agree with us and what strategies do you adopt to optimize operations in your stores? Do you have experiences or tips to share? Comment below and share your insights! ⬇️