Although ‘self-service’ will remain a feature of shopping, the future will bring more personalised service and interaction in order to compete with online rivals. The traditional till point is likely to become less common, as customers transact directly with mobile sales assistants via their devices. Apple takes this approach in its stores today. Checkouts are likely to be replaced by packing, preparation or finishing stations where the customer’s goods can be tailored, wrapped or prepared for taking home. These areas might also serve as picked up stations for customers who order online.
In future, it may also be possible to ‘grab and go’ in-store by using Beacons, apps or contactless technology to pay for goods without the need to visit a checkout. Amazon is one of the first companies to trial this approach. Its Amazon Go offering is currently being trialled in a purpose-built store in Washington, USA.
Curious to find out the next trend in retail? Check the blog article on Omnichannel retailers.
