“Store execution is an area that can use significant improvement,” says Jia Wertz, Forbes Contributor, in reference to the Frontline Engagement Report, created by Zipline in collaboration with NRF Smartbrief. “With less than a third of the direction sent to stores from headquarters being executed correctly and on time, about 70% of all initiatives are not being put into effect. All the time and effort that corporate offices are putting into strategically planning out new initiatives, promotions, visual directives, and sales strategies are going by the waste side. And it’s not always because of a lack of work ethic or desire from store employees – with all that is being asked of frontline workers today, they are spread very thin. They are not only tasked with providing excellent service to each and every customer, but at the same time must execute all corporate-initiated communication, run product out for curbside pickups, ship items to fulfill online orders, and the list goes on and on.

Understanding and easing the workload for frontline employees while opening the door for two-way communication can go a long way in reducing turnover rates and as a result, impact the bottom line.”