The Total Economic Impact™ Of Theatro

Increased Frontline Associate Efficiencies

Evidence and data. Interviewees highlighted how Theatro enabled measurable frontline efficiency gains by transforming how associates communicate, access information, and respond to operational needs in real time. Through voice-enabled, one-on-one communication and intelligent task notifications, associates could connect directly with the right team member without relying on overhead paging, traditional radios, or physically searching the store.

• The vice president of store operations at a specialty retail organization discussed how they were able to cut response time for backup cashiers with Theatro in half through one-on-one communication, commenting: “We timed what it took from when we called the backup cashier to when the backup cashier arrived. It was running over a minute pre-Theatro pilot, and after, it was down to 34 seconds on average. So we were able to essentially cut that time in half.”

• The IT manager at a hardware store organization discussed how they are connecting customers with the right associate by broadcasting QR code-generated requests for inventory, product location, and customer assistance, while providing real-time updates on who was responding through one-on-one communication. The IT manager estimated: “A quick discussion saves a ton of time and a ton of footsteps. In a given month, we are saving probably an hour per associate, just from people wandering around the aisles trying to find items, so they’re definitely saving time doing that.”

• The senior director of retail process and analytics at a furniture organization described how associates no longer needed to run across the store to find answers. The interviewee commented: “I’d say they are now 20% to 25% more efficient on our sales floor. Our operations team sits in one corner of the building. So if someone had to speak to them, they could try the radio. But you know, we’ve talked about how they would just walk with their guests all the way across the building instead of trying to navigate the radio. Now, they’re able to stay in their department, ask the question, and get the answer.”

• The director of operations at a gas station and convenience store organization discussed how their associates have streamlined their curbside delivery process, commenting, “From an infrastructure standpoint, if I get alerts that there’s an order awaiting delivery at a curbside location, rather than having to keep an eye on a screen and constantly circulate past a work area that I’m not stationed at, I can just wait for the verbal alert and then audible alert.”

Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:

• On average, 9,000 frontline associates save 12 hours per year as a result of improved communication with Theatro.

• There is a 50% productivity recapture to account for improved associate employee experience.

• The average fully burdened hourly rate for a frontline associate is $17.²

Risks. Forrester recognizes that these results may not be representative of all experiences. The impact of this benefit will vary depending on:

• The number of frontline associates using Theatro.

• The average hourly rate of a frontline associate, which may change based on location and/or retail store type.

Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this benefit downward by 10%, yielding a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $2.1 million.

Manager Efficiencies

Evidence and data. Interviewees discussed how Theatro drove manager efficiency by providing leaders with real-time visibility into associate availability, location, and communications, enabling them to spend less time searching for employees and more time focused on coaching, operations, and customer experience. Through the Theatro Content Distribution Manager and Manager’s App, leaders could quickly identify and connect with the right associate, eliminating the need to physically track employees down across the store.

• The senior director of retail process and analytics at a furniture retailer described how managers were more efficient because they no longer had to track people down in the stores: “It’s much easier for them to find someone through the Manager’s App because they can see who’s in the building. We’ll use it for recognition or locating people that we need to speak to.”

• The vice president of store operations at a specialty retailer described how their store leaders saved about 3 to 4 hours a week by reducing repeated messaging with Theatro’s huddle feature: “The store leader was spending 30 to 45 minutes a day communicating the same message repeatedly as people came in through all those shifts. By using the record huddle functionality, they would record that huddle before the store opens. And then everybody, when they put their Theatro on, here’s that huddle.”

• The vice president general manager at a department store organization described how their managers were better connected with their associates as well, streamlining communication: “If someone hits communicator and says call leadership, every person hears the message at the same time. No matter where they are in the building, you’re able to communicate once to multiple leaders at once.”

Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:

• There are 1,000 managers.

• Theatro enables a 5% increase in manager productivity.

• There is a 50% productivity recapture to account for improved manager employee experience.

• The fully burdened hourly rate for a manager is $25.³

Risks. Forrester recognizes that these results may not be representative of all experiences. The impact of this benefit will vary depending on:

• The number of managers.

• The average hourly rate of a manager, which may change based on location and/or retail store type.

Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this benefit downward by 10%, yielding a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $2.9 million.

Incremental Profit From Increased Conversions

Evidence and data. Interviewees highlighted how Theatro helped drive revenue growth and improve conversion rates by allowing associates to serve customers faster and with greater confidence at the moment of purchase. Through voice-enabled access to inventory availability, pricing information, and expert assistance, associates could answer customer questions without leaving their side, reducing wait times and minimizing the risk of losing a sale.

• The director of store operations at a specialty retail organization described how they utilized Theatro when engaging with customers who were interested in making purchases that might not be available on the floor. Rather than leaving the customer, the associate could say the SKU number to see if there’s more in stock. The director of store operations attributed a 3% increase in conversion rate to Theatro’s check inventory and check price apps: “In the pre-Theatro environment, a customer will be looking at a sofa or a dining table and would ask if it’s in stock. The associate would have to physically go to the stock room to check, risking losing the customer while they waited. Now, they can check without ever leaving that customer and being able to really close that sale.”

• The senior director of retail process and analytics at a furniture organization estimated an increase of $3 in sales per visit as a result of Theatro, commenting, “We saw an increase in our conversion rate and I believe that had a lot to do with Theatro because we were able to get to our guests quickly and more efficiently.”

Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:

• There is $1 billion in annual revenue.

• With Theatro, the composite increases incremental revenue by 0.5% as a result of increased in-store conversions and higher sales per visit.

• The operating margin for general retail is 5.5%.⁴

Risks. Forrester recognizes that these results may not be representative of all experiences. The impact of this benefit will vary depending on:

• The average annual revenue and operating margin.

• The organization’s retail subindustry and how associates impact conversions.

Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this benefit downward by 10%, yielding a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $581,000.

Legacy Hardware Cost Savings

Evidence and data. Interviewees described hardware cost savings from reducing or eliminating the need for legacy communication hardware, including walkie-talkies, cordless phones, FM radio systems, and the associated maintenance, replacement, and support costs. By consolidating frontline communications, task management, and operational workflows onto a single wearable platform, the interviewees highlighted how they were able to reduce ongoing maintenance, battery replacement, repair, and device management costs traditionally associated with walkie-talkies and other legacy communication systems.

• The director of store operations at a specialty retail organization described significant cost savings by retiring their hardwired phone environment with Theatro: “We replaced all of the phones in the stores. We went from a six-to-eight cordless phone model to a three-to-four [model], so [there are] significant cost savings in hardware for the stores that we don’t deploy based on having the Theatro applications in the stores.”

• The director of operations at a gas station and convenience store organization described how they were steadily growing in size and their number of locations. Since adopting Theatro, newly deployed stores avoided significant costs associated with their prior FM set environment. The interviewee said, “If I equip a store today with the same way we used to several years ago, it probably would have run me $5,000 to $6,000 a store.”

Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:

• There are 250 total stores.

• On average, the composite spent $600 per store to maintain its legacy walkie-talkie environment.

Risks. Forrester recognizes that these results may not be representative of all experiences. The impact of this benefit will vary depending on:

• If any hardware is retired with Theatro.

• The average cost of maintaining legacy hardware.

Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this benefit downward by 10%, yielding a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $317,000.

Unquantified Benefits

Benefits that provide value for the composite organization but are not quantified for this study include:

• Improved customer experience. Interviewees noted how Theatro enabled associates to respond to customer needs more quickly by providing instant access to inventory information, expert assistance, and operational support. Faster response times and improved service consistency helped the interviewees’ organizations create a more seamless shopping experience, contributing to higher customer satisfaction and stronger loyalty metrics, including improved Net Promoter ScoreSM (NPS) performance.⁵ The vice president general manager at a department store organization commented: “Customer experience has improved with faster responses and better service. NPS moved from the low-to-mid 70s to the mid-80s with Theatro playing a part.”

• Increased employee satisfaction. Interviewees highlighted how Theatro helped create a more connected and empowered work environment by giving associates immediate access to information, support, and teammates throughout their shift. By simplifying daily tasks and reducing communication barriers, Theatro has become a tool that employees value and rely on, driving stronger engagement and adoption across the organization. The vice president of store operations at a specialty retail organization commented: “I could take probably just about any other technology away from them. If I took Theatro, I would get an uprising from the field because the stores love it.”

• Improved new employee training. Interviewees discussed how Theatro streamlined onboarding and training by providing real-time training to new hires from recorded processes, helping them to learn on the job and become productive more quickly. The senior director of retail process and analytics at a furniture organization commented: “It’s easy to bring new team members together quickly. Managers have a direct channel to new hires and onboarding them on the system is very straightforward.”

• Improved loss prevention and incident response. Interviewees discussed that Theatro enhanced store safety and asset protection by enabling discreet, real-time communication between associates and managers during potential security incidents. Rather than relying on public announcements or overhead paging systems, teams could quickly coordinate responses to suspicious activity or operational issues without disrupting the customer experience. The vice president of store operations at a specialty retail organization commented: “We used to have a service 99 call that would go on the overhead, which is really a terrible thing to do. Now, we can much more discreetly just call to a manager and say there’s suspicious activity in this particular department.”

• Strong Theatro partnership. Beyond the technology itself, interviewees highlighted that Theatro delivered value through its collaborative partnership approach and deep operational expertise. Customers benefited from ongoing guidance, best practices, and knowledge sharing that helped their employees optimize store communications, strengthen infrastructure capabilities, and maximize the value of their frontline technology investments. The IT manager at a hardware store organization commented: “The level of knowledge I gained working with Theatro has been amazing, particularly in understanding what modern in-store Wi-Fi and communication infrastructure is truly capable of. That learning became an added benefit beyond the product itself, as it significantly improved my own technical expertise and ability to support and optimize our stores more effectively.”

Flexibility

The value of flexibility is unique to each customer. There are multiple scenarios in which a customer might implement Theatro and later realize additional uses and business opportunities, including:

• Improved safety. Some interviewees discussed additional use cases that they were looking into with Theatro, including the Personal Safety Alert workflow for their associates. The vice president of store operations at a specialty retail store discussed the benefit of ensuring safety for their employees in different scenarios, commenting, “In some of my really tough urban stores, we’ve talked about leveraging personal safety for somebody who has to go out into the parking garage and collect carts or to keep them connected to the store.”

Flexibility would also be quantified when evaluated as part of a specific project (described in more detail in Total Economic Impact Approach).