EXCLUSIVE: Rack Room Shoes Achieves Major Task Efficiency with Zebra Technologies
In partnership with Zebra Technologies, Rack Room has announced its frontline workflow has achieved 95 percent task completion through using Zebra’s Workcloud Task Management software.
The retailer will showcase a demo of the software’s positive impact on retail performance at NRF 2025 Retail’s Big Show, booth #3303 on January 12-14 at the Javits Center in New York. Rack Room Shoes’ chief information officer Brian Minnix will also be speaking at the Big Ideas Session: “Walking the Talk with Effective Task Management” on Jan. 13.
With more than 500 retail stores in 36 states across the U.S., Rack Room Shoes is committed to offering consumers high-quality brand-name footwear at a competitive price whilst maintaining customer service. To continue this brand ethos, the retailer has used Zebra Technologies Workcloud Task Management software to streamline its operations for its store associates to be more efficient and productive in their task execution.
“We are happy to see Zebra’s software and mobile computers unlock so many opportunities for Rack Room Shoes teams to better serve their customers,” said Suresh Menon, senior vice president and general manager of software solutions at Zebra Technologies. “We look forward to continuing to work with Rack Room Shoes to further engage mobilized associates, streamline communications, and consistently improve shoppers’ experiences.”
Lara Palmer, senior director of enterprise applications of Rack Room Shoes, told Footwear News that the software has “allowed corporate and store associates to communicate tasks and compliance dynamically and with accountability.” She also noted that previously when tasks were communicated via email, it was more difficult to communicate changes to the task for retail store associates to have the most updated information.
With Zebra’s task management, Rack Room Shoes retail store employees see assigned tasks in a calendar format on their Zebra mobile devices, with corporate teams monitoring a store’s task completion and assigning priority for the day’s task completion in the same app. And the solution has also made it easier to target specific stores, states and associates with the software solution.
“Zebra’s mobile computing solutions allow associates to access their applications on the sales floor rather than in the back office,” said Palmer. “This impacts their availability to greet and engage with customers and allows them to be mobile and more effective in their daily tasks. The ability to access applications on the mobile computer to look up information for tasks and locate products in other stores for customers creates efficiencies.”
Zebra’s 17th annual “Global Shopper Study” found that 7 in 10 shoppers reported finding a sales associate in stores and are concerned about the lack of help they receive. Moreover, 90 percent of retailers and associates said that “getting the right communication to the right people is a challenge,” and managers have difficulty determining if essential work has been completed.
Palmer said that the mobile computing solutions allow associates to access their tasks on the sales floor, freeing up their availability to engage with customers in person rather than sit behind back offices and become more mobile. The software also gives retail store associates the ability to take photos and upload them into the program’s system, use Zebra mobile printers for shelf labels for online orders, print packaging lists, look up products in other stores and more.
“Having the right technology is central to delivering a modern store experience to our customers, and working with Zebra Technologies has had a positive impact on our store operations. Despite a fourfold increase in task volume since 2018, our efficiency has soared, with task completion rates reaching 95 percent since adopting Zebra’s integrated solutions. Zebra’s software and mobile computers have empowered our store associates to perform at a higher level, allowing them to concentrate on what is most important, elevating customer service,” said Minnix.