54 Percent of North American Retailers Struggling to Keep Up with the Pace of Technology Change, Survey Says

While retailers see opportunities for improvement, myriad barriers stand in the way of in-store tech modernization

COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--54% of North American retailers surveyed say they can’t keep up with the pace of technology change, while 49% say they struggle to quantify return on their in-store tech investments and 37% feel conflicted about whether new tech will be beneficial or distracting.

These are just some of the findings from research conducted by Retail Systems Research (RSR), sponsored by Jumpmind, that paint an intricate picture of how and why retailers’ in-store tech modernization efforts can derail.

Despite the growth of digital commerce, many retailers still look to stores as their primary growth strategy, as approximately 80% of all retail sales still take place in-store. Yet paradoxically, many admit their in-store technology lags in delivering what today’s customers expect. 34% say they cannot keep up with consumer adoption of new technologies and 31% admit existing systems simply aren’t up to the challenge of serving today’s customers and employees.

The research shows a gap between top performing retailers and their tech modernization plans and retailers that are average and below average performers. When the study analyzed “Retail Winners” – those retailers with year-over-year sales growth rates above 7% – versus average and under performers, Retail Winners showed greater ambition and momentum with their retail tech modernization plans.

• 73% of Winners planned to deploy a single app to control employee access to all required functionality vs. 59% of average and under performer.
• 66% of Winners planned to implement in-store real-time cross channel customer and order information vs. 51% of average and under performers.
• 66% of Winners planned to deploy mobile devices to serve as point-of-sale vs. 58% of average and under performers.
• 63% of Winners planned to put in place in-store fulfillment solutions vs. 55% of average and under performers.

“Our research shows 27% of retailers have Point of Sale systems that are 5 years or older. In contrast, most consumers renew cell phones every two to three years and 12% renew them every year. It’s no wonder that over half of retailers surveyed feel trying to keep up with consumer adoption of technology seems like an impossible task,” said Steve Rowen, Managing Partner at RSR.

“The need for digital enablement in the store is real and urgent,” he said. “Consumers want a shopping experience that is more information-rich so that they can help themselves; retailers want to create new efficiencies to counteract the new costs associated with omnichannel selling, and employees just want to keep up with hyper-informed shoppers.”

“Retailers must gain the confidence needed to move from hesitation to innovation in their in-store technology deployments,” said Lauren Cevallos, Head of Strategy and Customer Success at Jumpmind. “Ultimately, confidence itself becomes a competitive strategy. Those who have it will transform their stores into hubs of digital-physical engagement; those who don’t risk being left behind.”

Cevallos suggests the following steps retailers can take to build confidence in store technology modernization:

1. Acknowledge the pace of change — accept that you can’t chase every trend. Focus instead on technologies that solve measurable business problems.
2. Anchor investments in defined challenges — tie decisions to gaps in visibility, productivity, or customer experience.
3. Start small, prove ROI, then expand — incremental adoption builds confidence and reduces risk.
4. Leverage mobile as an early win — fast deployments with visible impact can catalyze broader transformation.
5. Hold partners accountable for clarity — require references, ROI cases, and proof points from vendors.

“This disciplined approach shifts the narrative from, ‘What if we choose wrong?’ to ‘How do we prove value and scale what works?’” said Cevallos.

To learn more about the research, visit: https://www.jumpmind.com/market-intelligence/how-retailers-can-modernize-in-store-tech-with-confidence/

About Jumpmind

Jumpmind is a leading provider of innovative retail technology solutions. Our cloud-native, mobile POS platform empowers retailers to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and achieve sustainable growth. With a future-proof architecture and a focus on delivering exceptional value to our clients, Jumpmind is committed to shaping the future of retail technology. Jumpmind powers inspired in-store experiences for a growing list of leading retailers, including American Eagle Outfitters, Build-A-Bear Workshop, DTLR, Petco, Reitmans Canada Ltd., Shoe Palace, The Paper Store, Landmark Group, and The Vitamin Shoppe. Learn more about Jumpmind at www.jumpmind.com.