Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Covid-19 pandemic has intensified the need for shops to upgrade their digital offerings to keep up with e-commerce. Steve Rowen, managing partner at Retail Systems Research (RSR), says there is a need for updated retail technology.
“For the last 500 years, stores kind of looked and felt the same, but as a result of the pandemic, people were forced online, and they’ve grown accustomed to it. Now the physical store is just one part of the shopping journey,” he says.
John Harmon, the senior analyst at Global Advisory, says: “Retailers will need to leverage technology if they want to compete with e-commerce companies.
“They can use technology to reduce friction in the shopping process, such as with checking out and collecting payment, as well as to create experiences inside stores.” THE SOONER, THE BETTER
Dan Dement, the founder of Stone Oak Jewellers in San Antonio, this week told The Namibian computer-assisted design (CAD) allows him to give customers what they want faster.
“If a customer wants a big, bling ring, either he is in trouble, or it is a big anniversary or something. He does not want to wait six weeks. My job is to make them happy. The sooner you can make them happy, the better.
“Designing in-house is also less expensive,” he said. CAD still requires equipment and has to be run by a person, Dement said.
“I have a big-screen television with movies running, plus two big 27-inch Apple monitors with 10 000 pictures and two laser diamond inscribers.
“Customers can see every certificate, and all the information is there,” he said. Rowen says the problem with the digital route is trying to replicate the human experience.
“And the problem with the in-person experience is that you’re limited to someone’s knowledge,” he says. Since many younger shoppers are digitally savvy, using technology helps them connect with stores.
“Younger consumers are more likely to view the shopping experience through their mobile devices,” says Harmon.
“Successful retailers need to offer a superior mobile experience and fuse the mobile and physical worlds,” he says. BETTER SERVICE Rowen agrees that stores need to modernise their experience.
“One in-store experience I recently had at a very reputable diamond store was like the 1950s. There was trust involved, but it wasn’t a 21st-century buying experience,” he says.
Getting your store up to date can improve customer service as well, the experts agree. “By scanning items payments can be streamlined, freeing up store associates,” says Harmon.
He cautions, however, that technology may require big upfront investments, and could fail altogether if the retailer doesn’t have clear business goals.
“Many large technology projects fail due to a lack of focus or taking on goals that are too aggressive. Retailers can be more successful with small projects and clear-cut benefits,” he says.
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