A national survey conducted by Samsung Canada and Leger, which surveyed 510 Canadian workers across construction, healthcare, energy, mining, retail, and public safety, found that retail workers in particular are feeling the impact of unreliable tech:
- More than half (56%) have experienced physical device damage, cracked screens and broken ports are common
- One in two have faced battery or power failures that stalled their work
- Half said that when a device breaks, the entire delivery chain is disrupted
Nearly two-thirds of retail workers say mobile devices are essential to their job, yet most are still relying on consumer-grade tech that wasn’t designed for fast-paced, customer-facing environments.
What might seem like small issues, a scan that doesn’t work, a restock that’s delayed, can multiply across stores and teams, quietly chipping away at customer experience and business efficiency.
Doug Higgins, VP and Head of B2B at Samsung Electronics Canada, said what stood out most to him from the survey was just how critical mobile technology has become to retail operations, and how often it still falls short.
“More than two-thirds of frontline retail workers (68%) say mobile devices are critical to their roles, whether that’s managing inventory, processing payments, or keeping customers informed. Yet 63% have experienced at least one device failure in the past year, such as cracked screens and dead batteries,” he said.
“That gap between reliance and reliability is striking. Retail workers are telling us, “We depend on these devices, but they’re not built for the pace and pressure of where we work.” For an industry built on speed and service, this disconnect shows that technology meant to empower employees can just as easily slow them down when it’s not designed for the environment.”
The survey found:
- 64% of retail workers say mobile devices are essential to their job, with average use of 4 hours per day for sales, inventory, and customer service tasks.
- 56% have experienced physical device damage, including 42% with cracked screens and 22% with broken buttons or ports.
- 52% have faced battery or power failures, most often charging issues (44%) and dead batteries (24%).
- Half (50%) say when a device breaks, the entire supply chain is disrupted, underscoring how critical device reliability is for retail operations.
- Only 35% of retail workers are aware of rugged devices, yet 53% say rugged tech is very important to their work, a clear gap between awareness and need.
Higgins said many retailers assume consumer devices are good enough because they’re familiar and affordable.
“In fact, 38% of frontline workers say a regular device “works just fine”, often because they haven’t been exposed to what rugged technology can offer. But when you look closer, 62% report ongoing issues like cracked screens or battery failures, which shows those consumer devices aren’t actually keeping up,” he said.
“Cost is the other major barrier, one in four workers (25%) think rugged devices are too expensive or hard to justify. Yet when you factor in the hidden costs of downtime, repairs, and lost sales, the math changes quickly. A single cracked screen can delay a transaction or idle an entire checkout lane. For many retailers, the real cost isn’t the device, it’s the disruption when that device fails.”
Device failures affect every part of a store’s operations, added Higgins.
“Our survey data shows that 44% of retail workers face task delays when their devices break, and one in three experience communication breakdowns with their teams. When frontline technology falters, it impacts everything from restocking and customer service to point-of-sale transactions,” he explained.
“In retail, even a short delay adds up. Lost minutes become lost sales, and system downtime quickly strains staff and the customer experience. Reliable technology isn’t just about convenience; it’s the backbone of operational efficiency. When devices fail, the flow of the entire store can falter.”
Retail is becoming more mobile, connected, and data-driven, and the demands on frontline tech are rising with it. Right now, nearly half of retail workers (48%) are aware of rugged devices, but only about one in three (34%) say they or their teams actually use them, added Higgins.
“That awareness-to-adoption gap is the opportunity ahead. I see rugged and business-grade devices becoming the standard, not the exception. The
future of retail technology is about durability meeting intelligence, devices that can survive a drop, a spill, or a long shift, while seamlessly integrating with digital systems and analytics,” he said.
“At Samsung, we’re continuing to invest in technology that empowers workers, tools that perform reliably, stay secure, and give employees the confidence that their tech will work as hard as they do.”
More from Retail Insider:
