Retail Rant

I continue to write about this topic which is a huge part of any orgs. digital strategy & process management.  No level of technology will really help if the omnichannel strategy for a company does not pay attention to the store associates and their enablement in the digital world. Here is my view on what a new age customer does, where do they need interaction & how could store associate really make a difference. A new age customer will: Not be unnecessary circling the stores. Will know what he/she wants and most probably checked everything before walking into the store. Will like to reserve their item [BOPIS] for a hassle-free scenario Otherwise, Will definitely check the availability of an item in the store before coming in Will use self-checkout Will use mobile payment options However, there are going to fewer of the scenarios, where he/she will reach out to a store associate. This will not be an ordinary scenario.  This scenario will usually mean: They can't find what t

Shoptalk 2018 concluded this week, on 21st March in Las Vegas. Its been couple of days since I got back and caught up with my work and personal life. Shoptalk was an excellent event overall and I came back with a lot of interaction, learnings & meetings. Here are some notes from the events. Show recap 1. In contrast to NRF, IRCE and some other bigger events, Shoptalk was very focused on bringing the best around retail and all products & technology aspects in the periphery of this industry. Digital commerce, Store solutions, grocery, emerging technologies covering Artificial intelligence, Augmented reality & Machine learning were the flavors in every dish served here. This year the conference grew bigger, and approx 8500 attendees made way to this event. 2. The sessions at the event covered a lot of broad base companies like Macy's, Target, eBay, Boxed, Ascena Retail, Nike. The sessions all reflected on a broader vision which these companies have in the world of omnichan

I tweeted last month reading about Walmart scan & go stores, and they really excited me. I have been saying this in the open that I love the efforts which Walmart is putting into fighting the retail battle with the initiatives in place .[click the link to read that story]. Did you read it?  [Read on for my experience at the store with Images] The problem:   there are fewer stores where Walmart has started piloting the 'Scan & go' concept. The good:   and most exciting aspect is that they didn't create a new format for a store, so essentially this concept is good for a full-size typical Walmart stores/supercentres which typically are huge. So, it was but natural that I have been looking forward to checking such a store out.  Wouldnt you!  Last week, On a client meeting trip to Duluth, as we were chatting about the retail space and ideas, my client mentioned that there is a new Walmart store nearby his home which has started some scan yourself concept.  It immediately

I got down to thinking what will retail store of the future look like and started looking at various aspects. Retail as an industry is changing rapidly, and for good. The pace of change could not be faster than before. In just a decade, everything associated with Retail has been disrupted multiple times over.  Just think about shopping, Payments, Merchandising, shoppers and how do they buy, where do they buy, what is their expectation, what type of different stores types have come up and so much more. While internet and e-commerce have played a huge role in this transformation, Retail has gotten a complete makeover. And when i go to conferences everyone is trying to paint a picture. Most of the times the intent is to bring their services in the context of that vision, so they can sell. Thats why when you join an interesting looking webinar or read a whitepaper at times, you are asking yourself is this about the vision or about a solution. Taking a completely consumer centric view, here

When you go around shopping these days, you would agree with me that everyone is talking about their payment systems? Wouldnt you!  [Read on for my detailed analysis on various payment systems ] There has been a lot of traction in the mobile wallet & digital payment world. While PayPal continues to take the biggest share of mobile wallets, a lot of companies have been putting efforts into getting their payment systems up and running, and hopefully, change consumer habits of opening their wallets and swiping their cards. Apple pay has done well, both in marketing & adoption. Big Brand following & deep pockets! Samsung Pay has been my personal favorite and also offers backward compatibility with older payment devices where it simulates a card swipe .  Then I came across Android Pay! Google is already announced Google pay. Walmart is pushing its customers to use Walmart Pay . to an extent that they may not even support other digital payment wallets!!! What! JP Morgan Chase is