The retail industry is undergoing a significant transformation as technological advancements continue to disrupt traditional job roles. According to a report, the retail sector could see 6 to 7.5 million jobs being automated by 2027. This shift is expected to impact both front-office and back-office functions. Modern technologies like gamification, virtual trial rooms, sensor tech, and predictive analytics are replacing traditional roles such as merchandising and warehousing. 

Despite the shift towards automation, a high demand for skilled retail talent remains. Countries such as the USA, Germany, and the UK have a high number of retail job openings. However, retail companies are struggling to attract and retain qualified talent. This has resulted in a talent gap that can be addressed through reskilling. Emerging retail job roles include product manager, program manager, pricing analyst, data scientist, financial analyst, full stack engineer, supply chain analyst, and data analyst. 

Reskilling is crucial for companies to address the demand-supply gap for digital talent, provide viable career paths for disrupted roles, save costs, and increase employee satisfaction. With an adequate data-driven reskilling plan, any role can be reskilled into a new-age digital role. Companies can adopt reskilling as a key strategy to bridge the new age skills gap and avoid hiring competition. By doing so, they can create a skilled and adaptable workforce that can help them stay ahead in the rapidly evolving retail industry.