Success factors in Contactless commerce

In terms of potential, contactless commerce offers many — safer, quicker, and more content-rich immersive experiences — but it also presents a number of obstacles, including those relating to privacy, data security, rising consumer expectations, and new responsibilities for in-store workers, to mention a few. Retailers may take a number of steps to capitalize on possibilities while mitigating risks, including the following:

1. Take advantage of the time dividend. Customers and businesses will gain more time as a result of the rising usage of automated, contactless technologies, but how will they use that time is unclear. Customers could use the time savings to help them in other areas of their hectic lives, or they could choose to spend more time in-store on the more enjoyable aspects of the shopping experience

2. Keep up with the consumer. The lines between physical shops and online experiences will become more blurred in the era of contactless commerce, as customers increasingly employ artificial intelligence-powered technologies to make decisions and purchases across many platforms – voice, mobile, internet, and in-store. Eventually, the whole customer experience will become more accessible, with interactive components in the traditional “dead zone” between the client’s house and the business.

3. Reimagine the store’s layout. The planograms or store layouts of most retailers, whether it’s a grocery chain, a fast-food restaurant, or a department store, are meticulously designed to facilitate the flow of customers through the store and optimize the shopping experience: window displays, attention-grabbing offers upfront, essentials further in, all leading inexorably to the checkout point. It will become an area studded with interactive displays and kiosks, virtual reality zones, and an assortment of robotic assistants. Fulfillment will be handled by off-site warehouses or delivered directly to the client in a contactless environment.

References: Mark Purdy –  The Future of Contactless Commerce – Harvard Business Review – November 22, 2021