Retail today is perhaps more complex than it has ever been. But giving customers the experience they now expect doesn’t have to be.
This year’s study revealed notable increases in consumers who are willing, prefer or have a growing affinity for self-service technology. From contactless and mobile “anywhere checkout,” to smart carts and digital kiosks. This has confirmed their continued expectation for speed and convenience.
Let’s cover the three key trends critical to retailers in elevating the customer experience in 2023.
1. Smart checkout
Seven-in-10 customers say they want to get in and out of stores quickly. Smart checkout technologies provide that opportunity, enabling customers to skip the queue and use more flexible payment options using self-checkouts or mobile cashless payment options via associates with payment enabled devices. Consumers are embracing these technologies – nearly 70% agree that self-checkouts improve the customer experience.
A personal shopping device provided by a store is another smart point of sale (POS) technology to hone-in on in 2023. With the ongoing cost of living crisis, this smart way of shopping allows shoppers to manage budgets and keep an eye on their spend as they go. This is also helpful for avoiding queues at the checkout, as well as automating loyalty or promotional benefits. Customers simply scan, pay, and go for the ultimate frictionless experience.
While this technology may not yet be mainstream in all countries, consumers who use it have a high affinity for it. Nine-in-10 who have experienced it saying they are likely to continue using it in the future. They also report the same likelihood for continued use with self-checkout and cashless payment method options.
2. The convenience of home delivery
Another high value area to lean into in 2023 is a rock-solid deliver to home option. If a shopper wants something and it’s not in store, what can a retailer do? In the recent Shopper Study, more than 80% of retail decision-makers rated their options for dealing with an out-of-stock as satisfactory, but less than 60% of consumers thought so. It shows there’s a perception and experiencedisconnect when it comes to what retailers are offering to shoppers when an item isn’t available in store to buy i.e order in-store and have it delivered.
Consumer’s first choice when the product they want is not available is to have it delivered to their home later, but far too often this is not what associates are offering, hence the perception disconnect above.
With three-fourths of consumers preferring to have items delivered rather than having to pick them up, retailers need to offer a customer experience with convenient fulfilment.
And don’t expect this preference to change: most shoppers have an affinity for deliver to home with 90% who have used it saying they are likely to continue doing so in the future. You would be hard-pressed to find a more convenient customer experience than having purchased items arriving at your front door.
3. Upgrade employee tech tools to deliver “wow” moments
Another key trend our study uncovered is store employees (67%) and retailers (78%) say they are concerned customers are better connected to information than store employees. A shopper may check a retailer online channels beforehand or on their phone while in-store. This will provide relevant information they need to know – including item availability, special offers, delivery options, and much more.
There’s a straightforward solution for this worry: empower associates with the right tools and information so they can provide customers with the best experience. With tech in hand, employees can check inventory, prices, loyalty options, execute out-of-stock options (such as deliver to home), as well as operational tasks like shelf maintenance and training.
80% agree that stores leveraging technology and mobile devices (handheld computers and tablets) can attract and retain more workers.
Customers, store employees and retailers agree customers have a better experience when store employees use the latest technology to assist them, highlighting technology’s fundamental role in modern retail. Associates can also contact a colleague using their device and headset to find out if stock is available in the storeroom or find out when a delivery is due.
To deliver the retail experience that customers expect in 2023 and beyond, look to the technologies that better engage front-line employees to do their best work. In turn, this will elevate the customer experience.