Retail Asia 2018 RA September.October 2018 (Online) | Page 22

FOCUS
Retail workforce
Developing the right
talent to prepare for the
digital economy
Within the next 20 years, 59% of retail and wholesale jobs have a high chance
of becoming automated, according to the report Future of Retail Work: A guide
to transforming workforces in a digital age of disruption by business consultancy
Deloitte. Muneerah Bee finds out what this means for retailers in Asia, especially
in economies that are facing a persistent labour crunch.
G
iven the fast-paced nature of
the retail sector, the industry
is seeing more automation
these days to make up for the
lack of manpower, while employers are
tackling the shortage of retail labour with
technology and self-service concepts.
Various functions such as operations,
human resources (HR) and even online
shopping are being done electronically
with less human intervention. As retail
technologies keep progressing towards a
digital world, it is inevitable that some
mundane tasks and traditional retail
roles will be replaced. For example, as
more retailers adopt the growing trend
of unmanned stores, a store may do
away with some cashiers as it brings in
automatic checkout machines.
With these time-saving
implementations, the existing staff can
be reskilled and upskilled to do other
more important tasks. Employees who
understand digital technologies and who
can translate data into actionable insights
will be increasingly in demand within the
sector as the industry evolves.
In fact, consulting agency Cognizant’s
report on 21 Jobs of the Future — which
highlights new jobs that will arise 10
years from now — suggests that new
vacancies such as virtual store Sherpas and
digital tailors will exist to deliver instant,
virtual customer service and advice and
elevate the retail experience, especially on
20
Retail Asia September/October 2018
digital mediums.
“Retailers and retail professionals
must be prepared to embrace change.
The objective for brands is to hire and
retain the right talent, as well as keep
their skills relevant to the retail industry,”
says Shinsuke Kafuku, president and
CEO of World Mode Holdings Group,
of which iDA Singapore is a subsidiary.
Launched in Singapore in September
this year, Japanese fashion retail
consultancy iDA Singapore aims to build
a community of 600 qualified retail
professionals in the republic by end-
2019.
Riding the online wave
Kafuku points out three important
industry trends that are having an impact
on retail labour in Asia — accelerating
globalisation, fast-advancing technology
evolution especially in Singapore, and an
overflow of information.
With these trends, high customer
service standards are becoming more
important for bricks-and-mortar stores as
customers expect good quality service that
cannot be easily attained through online
shopping. This means that customer
service training for retail professionals
is becoming increasingly important, he
reiterates.
Similarly, Allie Teh, senior consultant
— Sales & Marketing, Luxury, Retail &
Technology at recruitment consultancy
Robert Walters Singapore, shares that
“The objective for brands is to
hire and retain the right talent,
as well as keep their skills
relevant to the retail
industry.”
— Shinsuke Kafuku,
President and CEO,
World Mode Holdings Group