According to the research, from predictive analytics solution provider to the retail industry, Blue Yonder, customers are now demanding speed and efficiency but retailers are struggling to deliver: in the UK, 90% of grocery retailers said they had issues meeting customer requirements, and a quarter don't believe they are delivering a true omnichannel experience. 

Just over a third of grocery managers and directors in the UK feel that there are too many decisions to make, and a similar proportion believe decisions are not being made fast enough. One in five feel that they do not deliver the product at the speed the customer expects.

“Our research found that many grocery managers and directors feel their supply chain decision making is the weak link, hindering their ability to deliver at the pace their customers expect and impacting the delivery of a premium customer service," said Professor Michael Feindt, founder of Blue Yonder.

"No retailer will survive if they do not adapt their decision-making – whether in the supply chain or on the shop floor – to match the new clock-speed of the customer and keep pace with their expectations.”

The research was conducted with 750 grocery managers in the US, UK, Germany and France.