Retail Trends, Netherlands: Cognizant’s Chief Digital Officer and Global Consulting Leader, Retail, Consumer Goods, Travel and Hospitality, Outlines Why IT is More Than a Gimmick

“Data now sits at the heart of the modern shopping experience, and retailers all over the world have introduced new technologies to help improve the shopping experience,” writes Scott Clarke. “However, many retailers do not take data seriously, and technology is still seen primarily as a nice gadget rather than a tool that helps improve customer service and new product development.” Excerpts:

“For technology to be successful, it must move away from being a playful add-on and help customers during the retail journey, making shopping as easy and comfortable as possible for customers but without causing too much distraction.

Retailers must make their technology investments relevant to consumer needs. Brands need to shift their approach, from technology as an add-on, to be fully integrated, pulling together disparate data to develop services, apps and products that are of value to their customers.

A frictionless experience is a fine balance between four elements: convenience, experience, price and community. While convenience is currently the focus of most retail strategies, at least two other factors must be taken into account to satisfy the customer.

While it may be daunting to be in the first wave of technology adopters, it is difficult to calculate the real ROI of experimental technology until it is tried and tested. Retailers should experiment and start small.

With so many options available, retailers must take the time to determine what kind of technology they need and why to shift technology implementation from being gimmicky to being digital that matters.”

Click here to read the original article in Dutch.