Retail consolidation is nothing new, but the recent announcement of Dick’s Sporting Goods acquiring Foot Locker puts a spotlight on a major challenge: unifying frontline tools across two massive organizations. In this week’s episode of Modern Work Mondays, Nolan and Jeff talk about what happens when retail giants merge.

Merging people and systems

While attention often goes to store footprints and product overlap, the real complexity of an acquisition lies in merging systems. Identity, access, payroll, and communication all need to be harmonized before frontline teams can collaborate effectively. With thousands of employees across both brands, that’s no small task.

A big consideration is differing tools and tech stacks. Imagine one brand using Zebra devices and the other Samsung—or even two-way radios. Standardizing becomes a major hurdle. Rather than pushing for costly overhauls, companies are exploring bridging solutions that allow different devices to talk to each other. It’s a practical path forward for the majority of retailers who can’t afford a full hardware refresh.

Closing the communication gap to drive sales

Achieving interoperability and seamless communication is critical to avoiding lost sales. Think about a Foot Locker and Dick’s located in the same mall selling similar inventory just steps away from each other.  If they can’t communicate about stock in real-time, a customer may walk away empty-handed. The faster they can close that gap, the sooner they unlock the value of a merger.

SYNQ has developed solutions that make it simple for teams to communicate and work efficiently within the four walls of a store. The next step? Helping stores talk to each other.

As retailers grow and consolidate, connecting locations becomes more important than ever. Whether sharing inventory information or coordinating across nearby stores, seamless store-to-store communication improves operations and enhances the customer experience.

Connecting frontline teams

As retail giants continue to merge, it’s not just about combining catalogs or store footprints — it’s about uniting teams across devices and locations. The right tools make that possible, and retailers who act fast will see the biggest gains.

Tune in next week as bestselling author Ron Thurston joins us to talk about what Retail Pride and Human Pride mean in today’s tech-driven environment.