With the advancement of digital transformation and health limitations, the healthcare sector retail had to reflect on its economic recovery and the implementation of new technologies that meet the expectation of consumer shopping experience: smartphones they are an excellent opportunity to provide easy access, banking security and personalized experiences.
Due to the confinement by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the retail industry was one of the most damaged. Data from the study “Coronavirus: impact on the industry retail around the world” published by Statistical, show that globally, from 2019 to 2020, sales were down $1.42 trillion.
The impossibility of visiting the physical spaces and the change in the consumer’s profile, pressured and forced the retail It will advance in the introduction of disruptive technologies that allow increasing personalization and exclusivity to positively influence purchasing processes.
“For most, the pandemic was a turning point and an accelerator in the implementation of technology. The trends were on the horizon for a long time, as the trade retail contactless or buying online and picking up in store (BOPIS – buy-online-pick-up-in-store), became the key to survival”commented Esteban Tognini, Head of Sales for Latin America and the Caribbean at Scandit in an exclusive interview with Merca 2.0.
New consumer demands
The retailers they had to face challenges such as investing to build trust, investing in design changes in sales floors and technology to avoid contact between employees.
In addition, with the drop in purchasing power and the rise in unemployment, they had to make operations more efficient and maximize resources, optimize safety, reduce the product catalog and reduce expenses.
And it is that during the pandemic, according to dunnhumby data, it was generated that 59 percent of consumers felt concerned about their health and 31 percent feared contagion when shopping, fear and uncertainty became major influencers in damaging consumer confidence; however, purchases in the retailers continue to dominate, with 62 percent shopping trips.
In the midst of the crisis, consumers chose to increase their purchases online and the figures are increasing. Statista predicted that by 2023 the retail on-line reach 6.54 billion dollars, a large growth when compared to 2020, where it grew 4.20 billion: the internet became its best ally.
With online shopping, consumers have become accustomed to conveniences: speed, customization and flexibility, pointed out Scandit’s Head of Sales for Latin America and the Caribbean.
And he added that previously contactless retail trade was already a reality, but with the entry of the pandemic, consumers were observed to accept digitization:
“The expanded world of self-scanning and omnichannel order fulfillment, like store pickup and home delivery. Adoption drives familiarity, once consumers find a solution that suits them, they are more likely to stick with it (…) Retailers must understand that their customers now accept different ways of buying and, therefore, they must adapt their services to satisfy a variety of preferences”, Esteban Tognini pointed out.
The smartphones became an opportunity to improve the shopping experience in the food industry retail
The retail sector has had to look for new strategies to differentiate itself from its competition and the implementation of innovation allows enhancing consumer loyalty.
Customers expect fast, attentive and reliable service, which is why retailers they invest in tools, including mobile device scanning and augmented reality features.
The possibility that retailers implement the tools in Mexico is highly viable, for 2020, the National Survey on Availability and Use of Information Technologies in Households (ENDUTIH) estimated that 91.8 percent of cell phone users have a smart device (smartphone).
“For several reasons, smartphones are an ideal technology to improve the customer experience in retail. They offer a single device approach to perform a multitude of tasks both in the store and in the warehouse, allowing associates to be more productive and ultimately spend more time connecting with customers,” said Esteban Tognini, Chief of Sales for Latin America and the Caribbean of Scandit.
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