Retailers rely on automation and artificial intelligence to reduce shrinkage, address inventory management challenges and meet the growing demand for seamless experiences, as customer satisfaction continues to decline. A finding from the 18th edition of the prospective study on consumer behavior from the world leader in digitalization and workflow automation for intelligent operations, Zebra Technologies Corporation.
Zebra commissioned this global study to analyze attitudes, consumer expectations and priorities, in-store employees and sector decision-makers. Carried out online in May and June 2025, it is based on more than 4,200 respondents from North America, from Latin America, from Europe and Asia-Pacific. This study reveals that generative AI and automation solutions are becoming essential tools : 87% of retail executives believe they will play a key role in preventing losses. “The future of distribution belongs to those who connect the physical and digital worlds through workflows (workflow) intelligent. Thanks to AI, to the automation and optimization of workflows, merchants can reduce losses and provide fast shopping experiences, fluid and personalized”, says Matthew Guiste, Global Head of Retail Technology Strategy at Zebra Technologies.
Customer satisfaction : the pluses and minuses
According to the study, customer satisfaction increases in Europe for in-store experiences : 80 % (79% globally), compared to 76% in 2024 and 84% in 2023. On the other hand, satisfaction with online experiences drops to 74% (73% worldwide), compared to 76% last year and 82% in 2023. The study also highlights a shift in expectations : convenience, speed and value for money remaining the major criteria, nearly eight out of ten consumers now favor promotions and discounts, under the effect of pressure linked to inflation. in parallel, European consumers express strong frustration with stock shortages (67 %), to products placed in a window or locked (72 %) and the lack of self-service checkouts (62 %).
Connect field teams
Retailers increasingly recognize the essential role of technology in improving the shopping experience, but access to information in real time remains a challenge for in-store employees : 85% of European employees (88% worldwide) say they have difficulty obtaining assistance or information at the right time, compared to 84% last year. Providing the right technology tools reduces stress and improves job satisfaction : 87% of employees surveyed believe that effective tools make their work more enjoyable and less stressful, while allowing them to offer better service. Furthermore, 88% in Europe (90% worldwide) say the right technology allows them to accomplish their tasks more quickly.
Optimize inventory and reduce losses
Inventory management challenges continue to impact customer satisfaction and distributor profitability. Although there is a slight improvement (51% in 2025 versus 52% in 2024), However, more than one in two customers say they have left a store without all the items they wanted, often due to out of stock or difficulty locating a product. European traders recognize these shortcomings : 84% of decision makers cite real-time inventory synchronization as a top priority. Many plan to adopt, over the next five years, advanced technologies such as computer vision (61% versus 57% globally), la RFID (51% versus 54%) and generative AI (49% versus 51%) – all solutions considered essential to improve inventory visibility and reduce losses.
Improve the workflows
Better inventory management has a direct impact on economic performance. According to another recent Zebra study conducted with Oxford Economics (“The impact of operational intelligence”), traders saw an average increase of 1,8 point in their turnover and profitability thanks to the optimization of their inventory management workflows. According to the study, Industry executives recognize the importance of these improvements in boosting sales, online and in store. Optimizing inventory processes is identified as the main profitability lever for online orders, with an increase of 9 points (38% in 2025, against 29% in 2024). At the store, Inventory optimization is one of the three main profitability levers (38 %), alongside automation for real-time inventory visibility (39 %) and digital display or retail media solutions (43 %, compared to 37% last year).
