Retail IT is getting a familiar mandate: modernize faster, reduce ongoing operating costs, and keep stores running without disruption.
The problem is the store technology stack most teams inherited was not built for that pace. It grew over time. As new tools arrived, older ones rarely left. The result is overlap that increases support burden and makes change harder than it should be.
Those gaps show up in the places where work is most time-sensitive, like the backroom and the sales floor during peak hours. When the approved tools do not fit how stores actually operate, teams find alternatives. That is how cost sprawl shows up twice, first in vendor spend and again in support load, risk, and uneven execution.
A stack reset is a practical response built around consolidation. The goal is to reduce duplicate capabilities, simplify the toolset, and standardize on fewer tools that stores will actually use.
Walk into any store due for a tech stack reset and you’ll see the same setup: a managed smart device plus a separate radio. IT often ends up supporting two fleets just to cover one coordination need. That means extra hardware and more accessories to track. It also means more replacements and more support overhead. Devices break or go missing. They get swapped and reissued. Each handoff creates tickets and downtime that store teams feel immediately.
To put the cost of the two-device tax into perspective, consider this. At 500 stores with 20 radios each, even a conservative 10% annual replacement rate means about 1,000 radio swaps a year. If day-to-day coordination runs on the managed smart devices you already deploy, you can shrink or eliminate the radio fleet and avoid those swaps entirely.
Reset move: Where real-time voice is required, assess whether it can run on the managed devices you already deploy across stores. A useful litmus test is whether rugged devices are already deployed for scanning and workflows. If they are, the next question is what is preventing those devices from becoming the standard for day-to-day voice and coordination.
Store teams sometimes move to unapproved tools to coordinate work. This so-called "Shadow IT" is rarely a deliberate attempt to bypass policy. Instead, it is what teams fall back on when the approved option is too slow to use or does not work reliably in the places where coordination happens most, including backrooms and coverage gaps.
Shadow IT leads to compliance issues, of course. But it's also a major cause of operational friction. When teams route around official tools, it limits what you can learn from your team's communication since the data ends up living in silos and personal accounts and cannot be analyzed or acted on consistently.
Reset move: Treat Shadow IT as feedback about tool fit. Blocking consumer apps may reduce compliance and security issues, but it rarely removes the underlying need. A more durable approach is to provide an approved option that store teams will actually choose because it is easy to use and dependable under real store conditions.
Legacy store communication hardware often pulls IT into a break/fix model. When a device fails, the recovery path is physical. A ticket gets opened, a unit gets swapped, and time is spent getting someone back online. Stores experience the gap immediately, and IT inherits a support cycle that is difficult to shrink. Not to mention that this model also makes change harder than it needs to be since configuration ends up tied so closely to initial hardware choices.
Reset move: Prioritize software-managed communication that can be configured centrally and updated remotely. This approach reduces dependency on depot repairs and makes it easier to keep stores aligned as roles and processes change. A useful test is whether IT can adjust groups and permissions without touching each location, and whether the tool remains reliable as devices move between Wi-Fi and cellular coverage.
A store tech stack reset is a practical way to reduce ongoing operating costs and support load without disrupting store operations. The steps above are a strong place to start because they focus on consolidation and day-to-day reliability, which are usually where the biggest savings and adoption gains come from.
When you're ready to take the next step in your tech stack reset, Zello is here to help. We can help you build a connected store with a simpler stack that store teams will actually use.
What do you mean by a store tech stack reset?
A store tech stack reset is a consolidation effort that reduces overlapping tools and devices while keeping stores running. The goal is lower ongoing operating costs, less support burden, and more consistent execution.
What is the “two-device tax”?
It is the cost of maintaining a managed smart device fleet alongside a separate radio fleet for routine coordination. The impact shows up in replacements and support effort across locations.
What is Shadow IT in stores?
Shadow IT is when store teams use unapproved tools to coordinate work because the approved option is too slow or unreliable in the places where coordination happens most.
What should IT look for after a reset?
Look for communication that runs on the smart devices you already deploy and can be managed through the systems you already use. It also needs to hold up in real store conditions, especially coverage gaps and noisy environments.