The Top 6 Retail Brick-and-Mortar Operations Software for 2024

2023 wasn’t the most optimal year for brick-and-mortar retailers, with an 80% YOY increase in store closures following Bed, Bath & Beyond’s bankruptcy. Yet 2024 is off to a strong start for in-store retail, with companies like Adidas and Canada Goose expanding their footprint, and holiday sales having surprisingly grown 3.8% YOY.

According to Deloitte’s 2024 Retail Industry Outlook report, enhancing the omni-experience through in-store investments is one key opportunity for driving growth in 2024. In fact, three in 4 customers say they are more loyal to stores with consistent customer service and experiences. Investments in innovative technologies such as interactive AI smart displays and intelligent tags can help to create efficiencies and consistent, immersive experiences for customers.

In order to outperform and thrive in 2024, retailers need to have the right sales optimization and operations software for brick-and-mortar. With 60-80% of transactions still happening in-store, and the importance of omnichannel only growing, it’s crucial to provide exactly the right software to drive results for store staff.

What is retail operations software?

Retail operations software is designed to address the dynamic nature of the retail industry, providing tools that help in-store team members efficiently manage various operational processes. Key functionalities include:

• Inventory management
• Visual merchandising
• Point of Sale (POS) integration
• Order processing
• Promotions execution
• Employee management
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• Task automation and management such as audits/compliance checklists and daily checklists

Operations software can make associates more productive, helping to boost their levels of engagement and, ultimately, contributing to increased customer satisfaction. To help your retail team make the most out of these platforms, we break down the core features of the ones that are on our radar for the new year.

*Note: Some of this information comes from public user reviews.

Top 10 Retail Operations Software Platforms for 2024

1. Rallyware | 5 / 5

Rallyware’s all-in-one, AI-powered platform enables the most productive behaviors among sales associates, elevating in-store experiences and driving sales growth. The platform has been described by users as an “effective instrument to increase participation,” and one with “super smooth integration.”

Highlights:

• Visual merchandising tasks, with HQ having the ability to send guidelines and instructions, and in-store staff to validate that all products are correctly displayed
• Promotion execution, with HQ having the ability to send stores guidelines for various promotions, and in-store staff to validate that these instructions have been clearly followed
• Communications, for a seamless flow of coordination and discussions between brands, retailers and frontline associates
• Checklists, including compliance/audit checklists and in-store, daily checklists
• Integrated clienteling, providing sales associates with intelligent client management tools to let them concentrate on customer relationships, with AI-powered activity recommendations
• Personalized onboarding, continuous learning, the right sales training modules automatically surfaced for users in the flow of work

Works best for:

Large multi-brand retailers with an assisted sales environment, looking to streamline their store operations

2. Axonify | 4.7 / 5

A frontline learning solution, Axonify concentrates on retail, grocery, finance, telecom and logistics—anywhere there is a large “deskless” workforce.

Highlights:

• Communications, including company-wide and targeted announcements, and a central homepage timeline that surfaces only the most relevant information
• Task management, which reduces the strain on managers with HQ-assigned tasks and templates
• A learning solution for the frontline, which includes personalized learning paths and a centralized learning hub

Works best for:

Organizations with “deskless” workforces looking for an LMS platform

3. Zipline | 4.7 / 5

A unified platform for operational excellence, Zipline brings all store communication into one place. Initially developed by a group of retail professionals, the platform streamlines retail training processes and helps to boost frontline engagement.

Highlights:

• Zipline Resource Library serves as a document repository that gives frontline employees easy access to materials such as handbooks and product information
• Zipline’s Assessments enables store leaders to access store audit functionality directly from their mobile device to ensure compliance and consistency at each location
• Employee communication and task management are combined into a single view, for maximum clarity and context

Works best for:

HR teams, C-suite, frontline associates, district managers

4. Repsly | 4.4 / 5

A retail execution software, Repsly provides “everything you need to take back the shelf.” This data-driven platform offers real-time insights on both retail execution and sales performance, and a slew of handy features for merchandising and field sales teams.

Highlights:

• AI Image Recognition turns shelf photos into insights, enabling teams to manage on-shelf availability for products
• Mobile Order Entry enables sales associates to find products quickly with Repsly’s built-in barcode scanner or Bluetooth device
• Time and mileage tracking automatically tracks reps’ working time and distance traveled throughout the day, for easy mileage deduction and reimbursement

Works best for:

• Large enterprises, mid-size businesses, non-profits, and small businesses
• Field teams

5. Yoobic | 4.4 / 5

YOOBIC’s Frontline Employee Experience Platform (FEXP) combines employee communication, dynamic learning, and task management in one mobile-first solution. Plus, the company’s new suite of AI tools, NEO, offers enhanced experiences for frontline workers.

Highlights:

• Fast Request Resolution, enabling companies to easily receive and resolve requests from their frontline teams (such as maintenance and damages) through a virtual helpdesk
• Incentives to motivate, engage, and reward great performance
• Image recognition technology to capture shelf photos and optimize product visibility

Works best for:

Deskless workers

6. WorkJam | 4.2 / 5

Offering a comprehensive set of frontline tools “through a single pane of glass,” WorkJam simplifies operations. The platform enables operations, learning, HR and internal communications teams to connect directly with store employees.

Highlights:

• Digitized Task Management, enabling leaders to plan at HQ, identify dependencies, set milestones, and assign tasks to scheduled employees with the right skills
• Open Shift Marketplace expands employee access to shifts, as managers can broadcast open shifts or schedules while employees select their preferences
• ExpressPay, allowing employees to gain early access to earned wages

Works best for:

• HR teams
• Frontline employees
• Businesses of all sizes, including small businesses and large enterprises

What are the most important factors in selecting a retail operations software?

Due to the fast-paced nature of the retail world, where tech evolves, trends shift, and products emerge, simplicity is the secret sauce. As a retail leader, it is important to have an operations tool that is simple to use, and intuitive. One that is intelligent and aligns with the overall needs of your business, whether that may be team communication, personalized learning journeys relevant to daily operations, gathering sales data and employing that for productive activities in the flow of work – or all three, as in the case of Rallyware’s Performance Enablement Platform.

Consider the following checklist of important factors:

1. Scalability: can the software scale with your business as it grows? Will it be able to accommodate an increasing number of users and locations?
2. Business Rules: can the platform use pre-defined rules to guide the seller’s experience?
3. Recommendations Engine: can the platform intelligently use a combination of company pre-sets, AI, and user decisions to create the most personalized and effective frontline experience possible?
4. Personalization: do you have the ability to configure your operations tool to enable at-scale personalization with the appropriate triggers, notification and personalized tasks?
5. Integration capabilities: can the software integrate seamlessly with your existing systems, such as POS systems (Lightspeed, Clover, Square), shift scheduling software, inventory management and HR/WFM software?
6. User-friendly interface: does it have an intuitive interface that sales associates will find easy to use, for a complete end-to-end seller experience? Look for features that streamline daily operations without the need for extensive training.
7. Mobile accessibility: is the software accessible via mobile devices, essential for sales associates who are on-the-go?
8. Actionable analytics and reporting: does the software have robust reporting tools that provide insights into sales, inventory turnover, and other key metrics? Ensure that it supports customizable reports to meet specific business needs.

Why we chose Rallyware as the #1 retail operations software platform

In considering the above comprehensive list of important factors, Rallyware has all of the above. Counting among its customers large enterprises such as Casio, Oakley, and Fleet Feet, Rallyware’s AI-enabled performance enablement technology drives an average of +53% sales growth and a 3X increase in order size for customers.

As an all-in-one platform, Rallyware encapsulates all that retail operations leaders need to get their frontline future-ready. With personalized activities in the flow of work, each associate can provide a maximally individualized experience to each customer.

Perhaps most importantly, this highly personalized approach results in maximum engagement, sales performance, and retention for frontline sales associates. With a personalized digital sales assistant helping the associate throughout the day, Rallyware makes retail operations incredibly easy – and the associate incredibly effective.

Fully engaged associates who are equipped with the tools so they can confidently and knowledgeably interact with customers and deliver great experiences – isn’t that the ultimate goal? We think so.

Simple and intuitive for teams to use, see how Rallyware can help you transform your store operations, in 2024 and beyond!