The survey showed that nearly 96 percent of retail decision makers are ready to make changes required to adopt IoT, and that 67 percent of respondents already have implemented IoT plus another 26 percent of retailers are planning to deploy within a year. More than half of surveyed retailers expect IoT to provide operational and actionable data on the location and condition of tracked objects which can help empower process and cost optimisation in the supply chains – and ultimately improve operations, create new revenue streams and enhance the customer experience.
Retail decision makers listed real-time locating systems (RTLS), mobile computing and barcoding as the most important technologies for enabling IoT implementations. Data analytics, security solutions and sensor devices were cited most often as required solutions for IoT adoption.
In terms of uptake of the the technology, 56 percent of respondents listed integration challenges as the top barrier to IoT implementations, while 47 percent mentioned security and privacy as a chief concern.
In November 2014, Zebra released global findings on the adoption of IoT across many verticals and industries, surveying IT and business decision makers from nearly 600 global firms.
Nick D’Alessio, Global Retail Practice Leader, Zebra Technologies, said. "The advent of new technologies has completely changed the way shoppers interact with retailers, but the shopping experience can be the retailer’s strategic differentiator. With the Internet of Things, retailers will be empowered with the intelligence to make strategic, informed business decisions that improve customer loyalty and associate effectiveness while creating exciting experiences for their shoppers.”