This archive report was first published on 12 September 2019.
According to a recent report by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), the rise of automation in the workplace has had a devastating impact on women in retail. Published on September 12, 2019, the report found that over 100,000 high street retail jobs have been lost to automation and e-commerce since 2011.
Of the total 108,000 job losses, women made up around 70%, or 75,000. The report attributed this to retailers culling traditionally female-led customer service roles in favor of newer warehouse positions, which have mostly gone to men.
However, the report also noted that the future of retail is not all gloomy. If retailers adopt new technologies responsibly, retrain their workforce with new skills, and move towards experiential shopping, the high street could be saved.
"Our research shows that the economic pain of the high street's decline is not being felt evenly," said Fabian Wallace-Stephens, a researcher at the RSA's Future Work Centre. "Women are being hit particularly hard, with jobs growth being contained to roles usually filled by men such as delivery drivers."
Despite this, Wallace-Stephens remained optimistic about the future of the high street. "If retailers collaborate more with each other, offer exciting in-store experiences, and make customer service roles higher-skilled - with staff becoming more like in-store 'influencers' - then we still see a vibrant future for the British High street," he said.
