The new role of the independent retailer

Why the biggest transformation in retail isn't what customers are buying, but what retailers are being asked to do.

For years, conversations about retail have focused on changing consumer behaviour. Customers are shopping online. They're using social media to discover products. They're becoming more price-conscious. They're demanding faster delivery, greater convenience and more personalised experiences. All these things are true. But they only tell half the story.

Zempler Bank’s latest research report, The reinvention of the independent retailer, which surveyed more than 100 independent retailers and included interviews with leading retail experts from across the UK, uncovered a different trend. While retail itself continues to evolve, the biggest transformation may not be what customers are doing. It may be what retailers themselves are now expected to do.

Today's independent retailer is operating in a completely different environment from the one that existed even a decade ago. The role has expanded far beyond buying products and serving customers.

Modern retailers are increasingly expected to be marketers, data analysts, recruiters, accountants, customer service managers and technology adopters, often while continuing to run the day-to-day operation of the business.

One shop. One hundred responsibilities.

One of the clearest themes to emerge from Zempler’s research was the growing complexity of running a retail business.

Retailers today are operating across more channels, managing more customer touchpoints and dealing with more information than ever before. Our research found that 66% of retailers now sell through more channels than they did three years ago, 55% rely more heavily on digital sales and 70% offer more products or services than they did previously.

As Lee Hart, Founder and CEO of Stored, explains: "That single-channel business is now multi-channel. That single customer relationship is now multiple touchpoints. You've got social media, email, online reviews, events, digital marketing. All of that is happening at the same time. They've got all these compounding issues of increased complexity, increased costs and the same amount of time."

Ten years ago, many independent retailers could focus primarily on what happened inside the four walls of their shop. Today, customers may discover a product on Instagram, compare prices on Google, read online reviews, visit a website, message a business through social media and only then decide whether to buy.

The journey has become longer, more fragmented and more demanding to manage. The challenge is no longer just about attracting customers through the door. It's also creating a consistent experience across multiple channels and maintaining visibility wherever customers choose to engage.

The expanding role of the retailer

For many independent retailers, there is no specialist team waiting behind the scenes. There isn't an HR department. There isn't a finance department. There isn’t a dedicated marketing function. The business owner frequently performs all those roles themselves.
That reality was one of the strongest and most consistent themes to emerge from conversations with retailers, trade bodies and industry experts.

As Harry Goraya from the National Federation of SubPostmasters (NFSP) put it: "I'm running HR, I'm running accountancy, I'm running fire inspections, I'm running health and safety, I'm running everything."

Similarly, Andrew Goodacre, CEO of the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA), described how the modern retailer is expected to manage everything from recruitment and customer service to stock control, accounting and VAT returns.

The challenge is no longer just about running a shop, it’s about running a modern business. And for many retailers, that complexity comes without any increase in time, resources or support.

The hidden cost of complexity

One of the most surprising findings from the research was that, despite the pressures they face, most retailers are still positive about their businesses. Nearly four in five retailers rated their enjoyment of running the business at eight out of ten or higher.

Many also reported making time to think strategically about the future. Yet optimism does not necessarily mean life is getting easier. In many cases, success creates its own pressure. More customers often mean more administration, more suppliers, more channels to manage and more decisions to make.

The result is that many retailers find themselves trapped in a constant cycle of operational demands.

As Craig Etchells, National Vice President of The Federation of Independent Retailers (The Fed), explained: "You do feel there is a lack of time for everything. Although you have all these things at your fingertips that are supposed to make life easier, there is still a constant demand because you're always checking things, responding to messages and dealing with problems."

Every new sales channel, service or technology creates opportunity, but it also creates more decisions, more tasks and more responsibility. For many retailers, complexity has become one of the defining challenges of growth.

The emotional weight of running a business

What often gets overlooked in discussions about retail is the emotional burden that comes with carrying ultimate responsibility for a business. Several interviewees spoke openly about stress, pressure and the emotional impact of dealing with difficult situations. As Sajid Mohammad from the National Federation of SubPostmasters (NFSP) explained: "One or two bad customers, you take it home and it sits with you all night. Even when you wake up, it's still with you."

The impact extends beyond difficult customers. Many retailers described the challenge of always feeling responsible. Always being available. Always needing to know the answer.

John Heagney, Founder Partner at C-Store Collective, highlighted how isolating this can become: "It can be a lonely world out there on their own. Retailers are expected to know everything and understand everything and be on everything all the time. But nobody ever actually takes the time to say, 'how are you?' or 'what can we do to help you?'"

Retail remains a people business, but sometimes the people retailers spend the least time looking after are themselves.

Technology is becoming a growth partner

Perhaps unsurprisingly, many retailers are looking to technology to help them manage this growing complexity. When asked about future opportunities, AI and automation ranked second only to online sales growth. More than half of retailers identified AI as a significant opportunity for the future.

Interestingly, retailers aren't necessarily looking to replace people, they're looking to create capacity.

As Lee Hart explains: "technology is actually giving people the opportunity to get better at their jobs, to get better at understanding their customers and to get better at serving them."

Similarly, Manoj Jethwa, Founder and CEO of EPOS Direct, believes smaller retailers now have access to capabilities that were previously unavailable to them: "The independent retailer is nimble. He's got the most beautiful advantage. AI is affordable, it's easily accessible and it's built into systems that are available today. If retailers are willing to overcome that fear of change, amazing things can happen."

The biggest barrier isn't always cost. It's confidence. While 56% of retailers see AI and automation as a significant opportunity, only 24% have invested in AI tools or automation so far. Many recognise the potential but are still working out where to begin.

Interestingly, when retailers were asked what gives them confidence about the future, the most common answer wasn't technology. It was loyal customers, cited by 69% of respondents. In many ways, that finding sums up the challenge facing modern retail: embracing new tools while continuing to invest in the relationships that make independent businesses distinctive.

The businesses thriving are still learning

One of the most encouraging findings from the research is that the retailers performing best aren't necessarily the ones working the longest hours. They're the ones creating space to think, learn and adapt.

Across the interviews, successful retailers were often described as being curious. They stay close to customers, pay attention to changing trends and actively seek out new ideas. Rather than assuming they have all the answers, they recognise that retail is constantly evolving and that learning needs to be continuous.

As Joe Harrison, CEO of the National Market Traders Federation (NMTF), explains: "The ones that are thriving are working harder on the business. They're thinking harder about the business. That's the difference."

Importantly, many of the retailers and experts we spoke to highlighted the value of learning from other people rather than trying to solve every challenge alone. For independent business owners, it can be easy to become isolated. Yet some of the most valuable lessons often come from peers, mentors, trade bodies and other retailers who have already faced similar challenges.

Reflecting on his own experience, Joe Harrison credits much of his early development to having experienced people around him: "I started as a trader when I was 18 years old and there are pitfalls. But I was fortunate as a young guy, I used to work for a family who virtually took me under their wing. That's what a mentor is."

The retailers adapting most successfully aren't just responding to change. They're actively seeking out knowledge, asking questions and learning from the experiences of others. They understand that growth rarely comes from having all the answers. It comes from being willing to keep learning.

The role may be changing. The purpose isn't

The retailer of 2026 looks very different from the retailer of 2016. The retailer of 2036 will look different again. The tools will change. The channels will change. Customer expectations will continue to evolve.

The businesses most likely to succeed won't necessarily be those with the newest technology. They'll be the ones that use it to strengthen the things customers have always valued: expertise, service, trust and relationships.