Harmonic Retail™ Truth #4

HARMONIC RETAIL â„¢

by

TRUTH

In-store Tech is like a tomato: Delicious in salads, terrible as wine.

TRUTH#

In-store tech is like a tomato:

Delicious in salads, terrible as wine.

If you are in retail, you’re not in the tech business, you’re in the people business.

A recent survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers1 revealed three-quarters of shoppers crave more human interaction. At the same time, a SOTI study2 reveals three-quarters prefer self service.

How can retailers navigate these conflicting shopper preferences?

Zara’s self service experience is based on human-centered tech design.

MORE QUALITY TIME

Walmart robotic workforce allows human associates to focus on shoppers.

Technology which takes the burden of routine tasks off of store staff is another important component of a Harmonic Retail™ experience.

Redirecting staff time onto the customer is one of the most important ways to earn loyal shoppers for life and a big lift to the bottom line.

Ensuring technology works every time is critical to a retailer’s profit margin. The cost of lost

BE MORE HUMAN

...but don’t worry, we aren’t talking Hollywood spectacle AI.

Leveraging data for the proper shopper solution is difficult. It requires cross referencing and much trial and error. Take the evolution of “Scan and Go”— the wasted real estate of checkout lanes (usually only 20% manned until the holiday season) is not only an operational loss for retailers, but a massive frustration for shoppers. The concept of “Scan and Go” is a fantastic solve for this double whammy of retail whoas. Unfortunately, stores who have implemented “Scan and Go” technology encounter a lot of customer resistance. Between downloading apps, grabbing a scanning device and remembering to scan each chosen product, “Scan and Go” tasks customers with extra work, on top of the bill for their purchases.

Retailers are finding the missing link: as retailers start to filter

their tech design solutions through the Harmonic Retail™ framework, they are able to pinpoint the heart of the need for a solution that centers around human behavior.

One example of human-centered tech solutions can be found at fashion retailer Zara. Their innovative self-checkout uses a combination of scanners, sensors and cameras to mimic the familiar actions of a typical

manned checkout experience. So, while the shopper is doing part of the work, Self Healing Technology™ allows Samsung to deliver reliable integrated tech experiences without the fear of malfunctions or down-time. the experience feels familiar enough to be mentally and emotionally accepted, eliminating “perceived” extra effort.

customers from the negative impression created when in-store tech doesn’t work is significant — after one negative experience 51% of customers will never do business with you again3. And the added burden of field service to keep digital screens and kiosks up and running can add as much as 10% to a store’s operating costs4.

Maximizing technology to offer solutions that include a training mode for staff, building in to keep tech running smoothly, and designing solutions that put humans first are all key elements of a Harmonic Retail™ customer experience that will help stay in tune with customers and keep them coming back time and again.

SOURCES: 1PriceWaterhouseCoppers, Future of CX, 2018. 2SOTI, Annual Connected Retailer Survey, 2019. 3NewVoiceMedia, 2019. 4TBA

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DeAnn Campbell VP, Research & Design About DeAnn: With a degree in Architecture and 20+ years of experience in retail strategy, design and implementation, DeAnn’s role is to maintain long-term, forward-looking knowledge of the retail industry to align Harbor’s solutions with the industry landscape, the consumer, our clients’ competitors, and to support and advance client strategic goals. DeAnn has worked with a wide range of global Fortune 500 Brands and retailers, including Unilever, Pfizer, Aramark, IBM, J&J, Canadian Tire, Hudson Bay Co., Loblaws, Walgreens, CVS and more.

You can read DeAnn’s insights and provocative point of view on the future of retail often in Forbes, Retailer Insider, Total Retail, Retail Customer Experience & Internet Retailer.

www.HarborRetail.com

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