Technology delivering the personal touch to in-store shopping:

 Augmented reality is the future in delivering the personal touch to in store shopping.
 AR apps when coupled with Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs) and Bluetooth Low
Energy Beacons (BLE), the retail shopping experience of the customers increases
many fold.
 AR apps allows users to pull up maps of the retail stores for ease of navigation.
 When scanning ESL with the help of AR apps, the customers can get all the
information and offers about the products.
 The customers can also look up specific products and brands in the app and the app
will navigate the user towards the product.
 Big retailers like Target, Walmart in the U.S and Costco in the UK have already
implemented this technology for few of their stores.
 IKEA has a step further. Using the AR app, we can bring the virtual object inside our
home and check whether the object would fit in the particular space.
 This reduces the traditional method of measuring dimensions and comparing with
retail store objects especially for large couches and tables.

B)
Technology will reshape retail employment:
Workers need to be more socioemotional, adaptable and must contain problem solving skills
to provide an enhanced experience. With automation and technology driven retail stores,
workers must have the skills to adapt and learn to provide the best retail experiences for the
customers.
Technology and automation will create new labour model solutions through which the
retailers can improve their workforce.
Automation will reduce some tasks, expand others, and create new ones altogether.
The impact of technology will change the few roles in the retail job. Some of those are:
 Replacing few cashier checkout counters with self-checkout counters to reduce the
labour costs and improve efficiency and reduce time.
 Manual tasks in supply chain such as moving and packing will be automated and tasks
such as planning, managing and organising the SCM will be done with the help of
technology.
 Stock control tasks which are now done by retail workers can be automated through
software and technology. Stock checking almost occupies 20% of the worker’s time
can now be automated when certain stocks reach a certain minimum point. Periodic
replenishment can also be done for high demand products.
 New jobs such as programmers, software developers, IT professionals, and
engineering talent to design, deploy, and maintain automation technologies in stores
and also to create and maintain online shopping done through apps and websites.
 To compete with legacy online retailers such as Amazon and Alibaba, retail store must
implement Omni channel centric retailing to compete with these giants.
The technology driven retail shops must be hybrid and must support all forms of retail.
They are
1. Traditional retail shopping where customers browse and shop the products.
2. Technology infused shopping done with the help of AR, which maps the entire
retail shop and its products.
3. Self-checkout counters for smooth shopping experience which encourages digital
payment.
4. Must contain a small warehouse to package and ship online products to local
homes near the vicinity of the retail store for swift delivery.
5. Drive-in check out centre for online booked or ordered products so customers
don’t even have to enter the shop.
6. Omni channel retailing integration where customers can look up the availability of
the product on different channels and pick up products based on their availability
and convenience.

Walmart and Target have implemented this type of retailing for a few select cities in the U.S.
Walmart and IKEA have their own restaurants inside the retail stores to serve the starving
customers because the company believes that hunger must not be deterrent in the customers
shopping experience.