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Better Every Day: every shelf, every checkout, every customer
In retail, this means accuracy, speed, and service moving in the same direction. As the foundation for intelligent operations, Zebra Technologies understands how improved workflows drive better retail operations.
Our joint study with Oxford Economics proves these improvements add up to measurable business results. The study shows that if the top 20 retailers in the Forbes Global 2000 list were to achieve meaningful improvements in their workflows, they could potentially see an average of $3 billion in higher revenue and $110 million in added profit per retailer.1 Workflow optimization drove revenue growth and profit improvements of up to 1.8 percentage points over the last year.2
+1.8%
revenue growth and profit improvements from workflow optimization
Better operations produce better results
Retailers — from mass merchants to e-commerce platforms — are rethinking how work gets done. By combining AI, automation, data, and human expertise, they’re building intelligent operations that are driving stronger business results and higher customer satisfaction.
+21%
Customer satisfaction
+20%
Productivity
-22%
Costs
Success Story
"We know this is the way of the future when it comes to the fan experience, and the checkout experience. I'm very, very proud and pleased that Fanatics is doing this in advance."
Charles Delgado - SVP Retail Operations, Fanatics
The roadmap to smarter workflows
Retail operations leaders are focusing on workflow improvements, from optimizing inventory management and connecting frontline associates to mitigating loss and enhancing the customer experience, all to drive efficiency and deliver stronger business outcomes.
Where companies are focusing workflow improvements
Companies were asked to rank workflows that apply to their organization, select if improvement is necessary or has already seen meaningful improvement over the last two years.
Inventory Control: workflow improvements
Better retail operations start with better inventory accuracy. And this isn’t just operational—it’s financial. A typical large retailer could gain nearly $54M3 in revenue and stronger profitability just by improving inventory management—a return too big to overlook.
68%
saw increased inventory accuracy through better inventory management
$54M
average revenue boost from improving inventory management
Loss Prevention: workflow improvements
Mitigating loss prevention remains an underutilized opportunity for improving retail performance. Retailers have long treated it as an unavoidable cost, but it’s something else: a bottom-line growth lever.
Modernizing loss prevention can unlock more than 1.2% in revenue growth, equating to $35M in revenue for a typical retailer—that’s margin no one can afford to leave on the table.3
57%
saw reduced shrink, waste and overall loss from loss prevention mitigation
$35M
average revenue boost for retailers with loss prevention mitigation
The AI revolution in Retail
Modern retailers are embracing AI to create better workflows and achieve stronger business results. By enhancing inventory management, streamlining loss prevention, and automating processes like checkout, AI drives efficiency, improves customer experiences, and boosts profitability.
More than half of retailers are piloting or using AI in key workflows. Zebra leaders and their partners offered many thoughts on the ways AI is reshaping industries in the 2025 AI Summit.
71%
Inventory optimization
65%
Cost optimization
54%
Demand forecasting
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Retail Insights from Zebra's AI Summit
Discover insights from top retail industry leaders on leveraging AI to spark innovation, align with business objectives, and boost frontline efficiency. Cut through the noise and gain actionable strategies to confidently lead your business toward measurable growth in today’s AI-powered retail landscape.
1. If the top 20 retailers in the Forbes Global 2000 list were to achieve meaningful improvements in their frontline workflows, they could see an average of $3 billion in higher revenue and $110 million in added profit per retailer
2. The percentage-point differences show the average gap in revenue growth and profitability between organizations that made meaningful improvements to inventory management and those that did not
3. For the typical retail organization represented in our survey
Consult an expert
Our team of partners and sales associates know the ins and outs of every industry to deliver tailored solutions to customers. Let us connect you with a Zebra expert in your area to select and implement the right hardware offerings that best fit your business needs.
