Does the self-service retailer really offer enough to save high street shops? Let’s investigate!
With an average of 14 shops closing every day, UK high streets are facing extremely tough trading conditions as consumers switch to online shopping.
The autonomy that shoppers get in online stores has contributed to the growth of traditional retail. Self-service is a concept that has been promoted largely by e-commerce. Customers browse through products, add what they want in their shopping carts and check themselves out.
Now, shoppers are demanding a somewhat similar treatment in brick-and-mortar stores. Smartphones and mobile apps have changed what a self-service retailer is capable of. The customer journey is evolving dramatically, and physical stores have to do everything to meet the expectations of their target market. For an entrepreneur thinking about becoming a self-service retailer, what should one expect? Where is the future of self-service retailing headed?
Meeting ever-changing customer demands
The preferences that the modern-day consumer has are the biggest motivator for adopting a self-service system in a retail store. Shoppers thrive on information. If it’s a new product, they want to know how it functions. For a new brand, they have to find out what it does differently. Several years ago, that meant having an in-store assistant follow you around, explaining the details you need to know. However, the age of the internet has changed that. Customers can now access copious amounts of data on products and services before they approach a store.
From detailed descriptions to how-to guides, you have limitless resources to turn to. This advantage means that shoppers don’t have to rely solely on assistants or company representatives every time they require clarification. Online ratings and reviews provide customers with various insights to guide their purchasing decisions. Before a shopper can pop into a grocery or local shoe, he or she can learn what previous customers think of the place. It saves people time. Separating online shopping activities when buying stuff in a brick-and-mortar shop is hard. By trying to replicate the flexibility that internet stores offer, a self-service retailer retains a level of consistency.
Technology and Self Service
The self-service retailer is succeeding due to the available technology. By integrating various tools into physical stores, retailers are simplifying self-service for their shoppers. Digital signage is one technology that has changed how people shop. It has made it possible to customise self-service kiosks to the needs of the customers. The large touchscreen displays that are installed in these kiosks provide shoppers with different information. For instance, a supermarket can have information about where different products are located, which makes it easier to find them.
Indoor mapping is another development that is making self-service a reality in physical stores. Finding a specific store is very easy in the age of GPS and smartphone. In seconds, a customer can find out where your new or nearest store is located. However, navigating once inside is a whole other nightmare, particularly in large stores. Shoppers hate it when they can’t find goods or have to walk from one aisle to another to get what they need. Indoor mapping is fixing that. A self-service retailer can use indoor mapping to provide customers with a shopping route. Rather than stand in the middle of the grocery store stranded, waiting for an assistant to come and rescue you, indoor mapping can tell you where to find the milk, then shortest route to the vegetables and so on.
Customised shopping lists have grown in popularity, especially among millennials as they are more cautious in their buying habits. Shoppers use mobile apps to create lists of what they need, which prevents impulse buying. These tools allow individuals to group the items they intend to purchase such that when they enter a store, they can just pick them off the shelves. Doing this saves time for the shopper and offers a unique marketing opportunity for the retailer. Using past shopping lists, a retailer can understand the buying behaviours of their shoppers better and structure push notifications based on that information.
Retail Technology has also removed transactional barriers, which has promoted the checkout process. Once a customer is done shopping, he or she can pay for goods without the need for an in-store assistant or cashier. Barcode and QR code scanners are some of the tools that are making this possible. Shoppers scan the items they buy and then pay for them through digital wallets. Mobile cash registers provide customers with a chance to pay for their purchase without worrying about long checkout lines or traditional check out stations.
Why should Retailer Invest in Self-service
What value is there in becoming a self-service retailer? Should an entrepreneur put money in optimising a store for the self-service customer experience? Self-service looks to be the future of retailing and any company that doesn’t take it seriously may end up losing out. For one, it is an excellent approach to attract and retain customers. A high probability of why consumers will keep returning to a certain business is the way they are treated. It is why enterprises promote themselves as being customer-centric. They tailor goods and products to satisfy the specific requirements of a consumer. Technology is allowing physical stores to do the same with their self-service systems. By gathering information about their customers, retailers can create an experience that makes a customer feel appreciated. A customer who enjoys his or her self-service experience is bound to come back.
You can benefit greatly from the information that customers provide about themselves when using the self-service kiosks. Whether it’s the digital signage, a mobile app or indoor mapping, a company can collect useful information. Customised marketing messages only work when you know what your target audience wants and his or her shopping habits. By looking at how a shopper behaves in-store, a retailer can create a profile that makes it less challenging to personalise promotions, deals and other marketing campaigns.
Consumers are always on the lookout for retailers that offer interactive and interesting experiences. Self-service is one way that today’s retailers can respond to the customer need for autonomy when shopping. With the availability of mobile apps, IoT and indoor mapping among other technology, the future of the self-service retailer looks bright, and as innovations evolve, the retail sector will redefine the scope of self-service.
At LamasaTech we want to help you embrace self-service technology in your retail space. If you’re looking for innovative retail solutions, Get in touch with us for a free consultation with a member of our expert team.
