Customer Service

Retailers, store associates struggling to meet shoppers expectations

Photo: Generated by AI. Adobe Stock.

August 22, 2025

Retailers and store associates are struggling to live up to shoppers' expectations when it comes to having the right data to facilitate rewarding customer service in the store.

That's a prime finding of a Retail Systems Research survey that also revealed the growing knowledge gap between shoppers and associates is eroding consumer trust and diminishing the value of human interaction.

The data revealed that 36% of retailers report meeting demand of hyper-informed customers is one of the top threats to the business, according to a press release on the findings.

Nearly half, 45%, of retailers reported store employees spend too much time trying to find the answers to customer service questions.

The study was sponsored by Jumpmind and polled retail executives and store managers in December 2024 through January 2025.

Retailers surveyed almost exclusively agreed it's vital that store associates can provide product knowledge that surpasses the customer's own research. Modern-day hyper-informed shoppers research reviews, pricing and product specifications before going into stores, and are looking to store associates to provide service that goes beyond answering basic questions to serve as trusted advisors and provide a deeper understanding of merchandise.

"Retailers often rely on legacy technology systems in stores that are not user-friendly for associates. As a result, associates are often left to find workarounds or leave customers with a less-than-stellar experience," Steve Rowen, managing partner at RSR, said in the release.

"In-store shopping is now tightly connected to the digital experience, with customers arriving to collect online orders, check items they've researched, or find something new," Lauren Cevallos, head of strategy and customer success at Jumpmind, said in the release. "Associates need technology that lets them easily handle whatever comes their way, whether that's picking and packing an order, processing a return, arranging a ship-to-home item from another store or scheduling repeat deliveries. When those capabilities work together in one place, associates can keep the experience smooth for the customer, no matter how complex it is behind the scenes."