Australia’s retail sector is under considerable strain as the internet disrupts traditional business models and companies come to grips with an ageing population.
A study conducted by Kronos Incorporated asked 1685 Australian workers, with 309 working within the retail sector about striking the right balance between young and old employees.
Of them, 44 per cent work in retail shops or shopping malls, 32 per cent work in other aspects of the retail sector including stores that sell household goods, appliances, recreational equipment and motor vehicles, and 24 per cent work in supermarkets and grocery stores.
Striking the right balance between younger and older employees remains a critical issue for the retail sector, with 55 per cent of workers acknowledging the value that older employees bring to the industry.
More than half of retail workers (51 per cent) believe older employees are better at customer service than younger workers and 69 per cent believe customers appreciate the experience and helpfulness of older workers.
Older retail workers were 69 per cent more likely to remain in their jobs a lot longer than younger workers, offering stability in the sector.
Australia’s ageing population and consequent policy changes, such as the raising of the retirement age for Australians born after 1965 rising to 70 by 2035, present challenges for retail businesses.
Creating harmony and bridging the generation gap will be increasingly important in order for retail businesses to improve productivity and customer service, with 39 per cent of retail workers in retail shops and malls agreed it could be challenging for people of significantly different ages to work well together.
Retail workers are also increasingly facing technological gaps. Adapting to a mobile workforce, improving productivity, retaining talented people of all ages and driving innovation were all cited as current challenges for Australia’s retail industry.
Access to technology remains an issue in the industry, with 44 per cent believing not being able to contact the right person while on the move hampered their ability to perform their duties. A further 66 per cent of retail workers believe having access to better information would help them to improve the customer experience.
Mobilising rostering systems was also important to retail workers with 42 per cent of retail workers wanting more control over their shifts including the ability to adjust their roster as necessary.
Peter Harte, MD, Australia and New Zealand, Kronos said, the survey shows the opportunities for Australian retailers to improve how they manage their workforce, improve customers’ experiences and potentially be more competitive against overseas retailers.
“By enabling retail employees with the right tools to manage their shifts, contact the right people, access product information and spend less time filling out paper work, retailers can free up their workforce to focus on what really matters, the customer.
“The insights drawn from the research can better prepare retail leaders, management and human resources departments to understand the current and future challenges in the Australian retail industry. Among other things, it highlights the value of using workforce management tools to ease the burden on workers while retailers adapt to an ageing and increasingly diverse workforce.
“Modern workforce management tools and technologies also provide valuable support to retailers in the form of greater control of labour costs, minimised compliance risks and improved workforce productivity, as well as assisting retailers to create a thriving, competitive workforce culture.”
