All Eyes Are on Edge IT Decisions for Restaurants and Retailers

Edge IT teams — the kind that manage a wide range of devices — often get an unfair label: The fix-it crew, the security enforcers, the process sticklers. Occasionally, they’re the covert heroes who quietly save the day at odd hours of the night, then go back to their jobs as if nothing happened.

But right now, in consumer-facing industries like retail and restaurants, there’s more appetite for strategists and visionaries who can build the foundation for emerging tech that delights customers and solves real in-store shopping challenges. That sense is amplified as tariffs and inflation have raised prices for consumers and lowered profits for brick-and-mortar businesses. Now, more than ever, business leaders are seeing IT as a change maker, and the edge devices they deploy as the tools that will push business forward.

The Technology Imperative in a Tight Economy

Across the board, consumer sentiment is down. For restaurants, food prices alone are up 20% compared to four years ago. Retail consumer spending is dropping, and lingering challenges like recruiting and employee retention continue to add stress for consumer-facing companies. To sum it up, it’s a tough market out there for businesses that rely on in-store sales. 

But we’re also on the verge of an IT renaissance, powered by more advanced hardware, software, and machine learning models. In a wave of economic uncertainty, edge devices have enormous potential to solve critical challenges. Edge IT development and operations teams are forging the path toward growth by optimizing retail operations, solving lingering workforce challenges, and creating stellar experiences for customers.

Optimizing Operations

Right now, edge IT has the potential to optimize everyday operations with razor-sharp efficiency. That’s thanks to the fact that endpoint data from POS devices, scanners, and other touchpoints offer a treasure trove of operational insight that can be rolled into cost-cutting automations.

Cutting overstock and understaffing: Right now, around 14% of consumer goods organizations report using AI to optimize supply chain and inventory. There’s room and incentive for AI adoption to grow as advanced tracking tools like RFID and computer vision are merged with predictive endpoint models. Together, they offer tremendous potential to cut overstock costs and ensure that in-demand items are ready for the next big rush. 

In the same way, edge devices offer the power to automate and optimize staff scheduling. By combining current sales with historical data to predict patterns, edge devices can help ensure that the right number of employees are scheduled — enough to meet demand without overspending. 

Localized data, smarter trends: Accurate forecasting depends on understanding what sells and why at the local level. By combining endpoint data with external sources like weather, events, and social media trends, edge teams can generate hyper-relevant insights that drive smarter inventory, pricing, and promotion strategies.

Is a big summer festival spiking demand for hats and sunglasses? Is a heatwave boosting sunscreen and iced coffee sales while killing the demand for umbrellas? Is a TikTok trend driving a sudden surge for a niche skincare brand? With local data, stores can fine-tune their operations in real time. Edge IT leaders who unify these data streams unlock powerful tools to boost performance at the individual store level.

Smoothing Staffing Challenges

Since the pandemic, up to 62% of restaurants report not having enough staff to fill demand, and the quit rate of leisure and hospitality workers remains the highest out of any industry sector. When you consider that the cost of retail attrition is estimated at $10,000 per employee, retaining good workers becomes a major business priority. And the strategic use of dedicated devices and edge is primed to ease these workforce pain points.  

Self-service wins. When staff is short, endpoint teams are adding automation and self-serve tools to keep businesses running smoothly. For most businesses, the biggest opportunities are at checkout: Kiosks and self-checkout are widening bottlenecks and reducing ordering errors (was that half-caf or half-and-half?). As an added bonus, they also give customers a bit more control, which they tend to prefer: 66% of customers report that they would choose self-serve options first. 

By shortening the lines and getting people out the door faster, these IT decisions are setting organizations up to handle more volume and sales by reducing friction at the front end, even when there’s no one to work the counter. 

‍Better jobs through automation: Repetitive tasks are a leading cause of employee turnover. By automating the worst jobs, edge IT is reducing the drudgery that leads to workers quitting service jobs. From returns processing and scheduling to squeezing lemons, companies are handing the most boring, repetitive tasks over to edge IT teams who can innovate and automate. This helps preserve worker sanity, protects fingers in the lemon juice department, and reduces the financial toll of burnout and attrition.

Building Brand Loyalty Through Experiences

Even as prices rise, consumer trends offer a ray of hope for service industries: Shoppers and diners are willing to spend if they perceive value, and there’s a lot of value in a stellar experience. In fact, 40% of retail execs are actively looking for ways to enhance in-store experiences. And standout brand experiences are forged at the hands of IT with the use of perfectly orchestrated digital signage, kiosks, and other smart devices. 

Personalizing the in-store experience: When in-store and online systems sync with customer profiles, they can power interactive kiosks and digital signage to deliver real-time, personalized recommendations, promotions, and rewards. This not only enhances the shopping experience but also builds loyalty, helping customers decide faster and spend more.

Unlocking omnichannel for maximum impact: The next evolution in personalized experiences is truly seamless journeys across in-store, mobile, and online touchpoints. When brand messaging and personalized data flow consistently between channels, customers stay engaged, even between visits. Edge IT can help align pricing, promotions, and experiences to ensure that — whether someone is browsing on their phone or walking through the store — a brand feels cohesive, connected, and compelling at every touchpoint.

Edge IT as the New Frontline

Modern endpoint technology is the silent powerhouse behind seamless operations, happier employees, and keeping customers engaged with the brand. This makes strategic edge devices critical for staying competitive, even as consumers become more fickle and supply chains get harder to navigate. 

In this landscape, edge IT is the new frontline — driving transformation where it matters most. Development and operations teams that manage edge devices are no longer behind the scenes: They’re actively shaping the brand, optimizing every digital interaction, helping navigate and solve sustained and future challenges, and, in doing so, positively impacting budget, creating customer loyalty, and boosting business revenue.