With the recent opening of Tesco’s first checkout-free store, added to the continued growth of Amazon Fresh in London and elsewhere, as well as Walmart setting up automated fulfilment centres to keep pace with online grocery orders, it’s clear that automation in retail is here to stay as our shopping habits permanently shift.
Many have been naturally concerned about the impact of this technological march on the retail job market, a workforce that has come under unprecedented strain during the pandemic. However, others argue there is also ample scope for retail automation to create new job opportunities that are facilitated by cutting edge technology in-store.
Right now, we aren’t seeing the bigger picture when it comes to retail automation. Amid our obsession with the idea of cashierless stores, we’re ignoring the fact that cashiers aren’t the only ones likely to be affected by the technology. Retail assistants, sales supervisors, payroll administrators and warehouse workers are also likely to be impacted in the coming years as its introduction stretches further. The retail sector is one of the biggest employers in the UK, and right now the question is whether it is ready, willing or able to transition employees to new roles which complement these technologies?
At the moment, the answer is no. Businesses across the retail and hospitality sectors are struggling to find and retain staff post-pandemic, often because they don’t have the right skills to work with the technologies these firms adopted to survive the crisis. A recent survey of restaurant operators, for example, revealed that 87% believe technology adoption has been critical during this period, but very few retail and hospitality firms know how to develop a workplace where human and machine labour work hand in hand, in order to fill the vacancies they have.
This is a big concern, particularly given the speed of automation. Faethm’s latest data revealed that 9.6% of all roles in UK retail have the potential to be automated in the next year, while over 22% of roles have the potential to be automated by 2026. Along with financial services and insurance, it’s the industry most likely to be impacted by the effects of automation.
Sales and retail assistants specifically are the number one job roles most likely to be impacted by emerging technology, predominantly from automation, suggesting that adaptation is needed to maintain employability. This doesn’t necessarily mean that automation will put an end to the human workforce in retail; while tasks like scanning items and processing payment are increasingly machine-led, there will always be ample opportunity for human workers, particularly when it comes to soft skills such as customer service. A blend of technology expertise – maintenance and troubleshooting of machines as well as full knowledge of all functionality – alongside personalised and knowledgeable customer service, will give the retail employees of the near-future the best possible chance of a successful career.
The pandemic really should be seen as a watershed moment when it comes to re-skilling and retraining. Jobs are no longer for life thanks to constant innovation in technology, but at the same time, these advances cannot – and never will – replicate and replace skills that are intrinsically human and make our work valuable. Retail businesses need the means to retain, retrain and redeploy employees so technology doesn’t simply replace human workers, but complements them, putting in place a more future-proof retail workforce that produces the best customer outcomes while preserving vital jobs.
