Zebra Study: Over 8-in-10 of APAC Retailers Believe Gen AI to Have Significant Impact on Loss Prevention
automation customer experience management
MTE
Published on : Nov 13, 2025
Sydney, Australia – November, 13 2025 –Zebra Technologies Corporation(NASDAQ: ZBRA), a global leader in digitising and automating workflows to deliver intelligent operations, today unveiled the findings of its18th Annual Global Shopper Study. The research shows Gen AI and automation solutions emerging as critical tools, with 87% of retail leaders citing their importance in loss prevention efforts.
“As the holiday shopping season approaches, the retailers that will stand out are those embracing the ‘phygital’ experience - seamlessly connecting physical and digital through intelligent workflows,” said Nathahn Walter, ANZ Regional Sales Manager, Zebra Technologies. “By harnessing AI, automation, and smarter operations, retailers can deliver faster, more seamless, and personalised experiences for their customers when it matters most.”
The data indicates shopper satisfaction levels have dipped for the second consecutive year, declining for both in-store (79% globally, 75% in APAC) and online experiences (73% globally, 69% in APAC). This marks a further decline compared to the past two years, with the highest satisfaction levels recorded in 2023 at 85% globally (for both in-store and online) and 81% in APAC (for online experiences).
The research also highlights a shift in shopper priorities. While increasingly drawn to convenience, speed, and value, nearly eight-in-ten shoppers (78% globally, 74% in APAC) prioritise discounts and promotions as inflation pressures persist. At the same time, consumers demand operational excellence, expressing frustration with out-of-stocks (68% globally, 63% in APAC), locked-up products (70% globally, 67% in APAC) or a lack of self-checkout lanes (62% globally, 56% in APAC).
Connecting Frontline Teams with Advanced Technology
Retailers are increasingly recognising the importance technology plays in enhancing the shopping experience, as delays in accessing information can hinder associates and disrupt service. According to the study, 88% of associates report challenges in obtaining timely assistance or information, up from 82% last year. This is similarly echoed by APAC associates, at 85% and 76% respectively.
Providing the right technology alleviates stress and boosts job satisfaction. More than 8-in-10 surveyed associates (87% globally, 84% in APAC) believe effective tools make their work more enjoyable and less stressful while helping them provide better service to customers. Plus, the large majority (90% globally, 86% in APAC) believe the right technology helps them complete tasks faster. Discover more insights behind this data in thisblog post.
Optimising Inventory and Mitigating Shrinkage Remain Priorities
Unsurprisingly, inventory challenges continue to impact shopper satisfaction and retailer profitability. While improvement is evident year-over-year, almost half of shoppers (Global’s 52% in 2025 vs 57% in 2024; APAC’s 47% in 2025 vs 49% in 2024) are still leaving stores without all the items they intended to purchase, often due to out-of-stocks or difficulties locating products.
Retailers acknowledge these gaps, with 84% of global decision-makers (85% in APAC) citing real-time inventory synchronisation as a top priority for their organisations. In fact, many of them plan to implement advanced technologies such as computer vision (57% globally, 55% in APAC), RFID (54% globally and in APAC) and Gen AI (51% globally and 62% in APAC) over the next five years as they are viewed as essential tools for improving inventory visibility and reducing shrinkage.
Boosting Revenue and Profitability with Improved Workflows
Improving inventory management also has a positive impact on retailers’ bottom line. Based on a recentresearch study from Zebra in collaboration with Oxford Economics titled, “Impact of Intelligent Operations,” retailers achieved up to 1.8-percentage-point increases in revenue growth and profitability through improvements in their prioritised workflow of inventory management.
According to the Global Shopper Study, retail decision-makers recognise the importance of making these improvements to drive online and in-store sales. Optimising inventory processes jumped nine percentage points (38% globally vs 36% in APAC), as the leading way retailers believe they can boost profits from online orders.
Inventory optimisation also ranked in the top three for in-store profitability drivers (38% globally, 36% in APAC), topped by automation for more real-time inventory visibility (39% globally and 36% in APAC) and in-store digital ads and retail media networks which rose to 43% globally (42% in APAC). Likewise, Zebra recentlyacquired Elo which provides solutions that retailers use to build their own retail media networks and enhance the customer experience.
“With advanced retail solutions like Zebra’sET401 Tablet,WS301 Wearable Mobile Computer,DS82 Series Scanner,Elo I-Series 5 with Android andEloPOS Z30, we are helping retailers build trust, strengthen loyalty, and drive profitability in an increasingly competitive market.” added Walter. “Combined with theZebra Mobile Computing AI Suite which is freely available, these technologies make it easier to eliminate manual steps, accelerate workflows and develop AI vision applications in days instead of months.”
Some of the latest solutions from Zebra improve inventory visibility, associate productivity and loss prevention while those from Elo expand in-store engagement and digital media capabilities.
KEY REGIONAL FINDINGS
Asia Pacific (APAC)
- 84% of store associates in APAC – compared to 89% globally – agree that AI will help them become more productive.
Europe
- 84% of retail decision-makers are under pressure to synchronise real-time inventory across channels to better forecast demand and replenishment; this is 10 percentage points higher than those who feel pressure to improve pricing and promotions management.
Latin America
- Compared to 52% globally, 60% of shoppers surveyed in Latin America say they’ve left a store within the last three months without all the items they intended to purchase.
North America
- This region has the second highest percentage of retail associates (80%) who agreed that maintaining real-time visibility of out-of-stock products is a significant challenge. The highest region is Latin America at 88%.
WHAT IS THE 18TH ANNUAL GLOBAL SHOPPER STUDY?
Zebra Technologies commissioned this global research study to analyse the attitudes, opinions, and expectations of shoppers, retail associates, and decision-makers across various retail experiences. Conducted online by MAVRIX during May and June 2025, the study surveyed over 4,200 respondents from North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. It explores key trends in shopper behavior, technology adoption, and operational strategies shaping the future of retail.
WHO IS ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES?
Zebra provides the foundation for intelligent operations with an award-winning portfolio of connected frontline, asset visibility and automation solutions powered by AI. Organisations globally across retail, manufacturing, transportation, logistics, healthcare, and other industries rely on us to deliver outcomes today while driving innovation for what’s next. Together with our partners, we create new ways of working that improve productivity and empower organisations to be better every day. Learn more atwww.zebra.com.
