Author: Mike Vaughn

In the consumer-driven retail industry, maximizing customer satisfaction is essential to successful retail operations. However, in the digital age, when consumers are more informed and more tech-savvy than ever before, keeping up with consumer expectations is a challenge. You need retail technology that adapts, rather than systems that require replacement, as consumer behaviors evolve and competition for their loyalty heats up.

What Types of Retail Experiences Do Consumers Want?

Although what defines the best shopping experiences in different retail niches varies, you can count on four things that always lead to greater customer satisfaction. These factors make life easier for customers, help them find what they need more quickly, give them the choice of how to engage, and build their trust.

Convenience

Consumers are convenience-seeking. People want the easiest, quickest path to purchase, and retail operations that offer convenient shopping journeys will capture their business. Consumers’ demand for convenience is driving several retail technology trends, like self-service and self-checkout implementations. NCR Voyix research found that 77% of shoppers choose self-checkout for faster service. Furthermore, shopping autonomy is a priority for younger consumers. PYMNTS reports that 52% of Gen Z consumers make shopping decisions based on the availability of self-service, and 49% say they will spend more when self-service options are available.

Consumers also value retail operations that make shopping convenient in other ways. Retailers can offer options like buy online, pickup in store (BOPIS), curbside pickup, and apps that allow shoppers to find products in the store more easily. Anything that reduces shopping friction can increase customer satisfaction and, ultimately, grow revenues.

Personalization

When shoppers log into their favorite ecommerce websites, they get product suggestions based on their past purchases or browsing histories, relevant offers, and even greetings by name. Consumers want a similar level of personalization when they shop in physical stores. They expect sales associates to have access to information about them and the products they are interested in to tailor shopping to their needs.

Retail operations that master personalization will see measurable benefits. According to McKinsey & Company, personalization leads to an average increase in revenue by 5-15%, and a 10-30% increase in marketing return on investment (ROI).

Phygital Shopping

The lines are blurred between physical stores and digital storefronts. In fact, to consumers, they don’t exist at all. Shoppers see all of a brand’s channels as one “store” and move from one point of engagement to another, from an ecommerce site, app, or social media ads to a pop-up shop or store, whenever it’s most convenient. Retail operations must ensure that those omnichannel shopping journeys are seamless.

However, today’s consumers expect “phygital” shopping, which blends physical and digital shopping to create immersive experiences. Phygital retail technology includes artificial intelligence (AI) for hyper-personalized experiences, smart stores with advanced, interactive technology like augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) and Internet of Things (IoT), and mobile access to data and commerce applications. When they’re a part of a well-planned retail strategy, these technologies can help you cater to your customers in-store, build relationships, and clearly communicate that you value their business.

Transparency

Trust is foundational to the success of your retail operation. Shoppers want clear, accurate pricing and product information, and they want to know that you use technology that secures their payments and protects their data.

Retailers can also build trust by publishing authentic user-generated content that helps them make informed buying decisions based on other customers’ recommendations. Consumers want to have confidence in the value of the products they’re buying.

Technology for Competitive and Future-Proof Retail Operations

Meeting consumers’ expectations, particularly if your customers are younger, digital-native shoppers, requires implementing retail technology to deliver the convenience, personalization, phygital experiences, and transparency they demand. Retailers dedicated to success and sustaining it in the future should evaluate these retail technologies for their operations.

• Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS): Enterprise mobility solutions, including tablets and handheld computers, allow sales associates to personalize service with instant access to information and on-the-spot transactions for line-busting and in-aisle assistance.

• RFID Inventory Optimization: Retail operations can automate item tracking from receiving to sale, minimizing shrinkage and analyzing inventory data to make informed inventory decisions, preventing out-of-stocks and overstocking.

• Digital Price Tags: Using digital price tags and shelf labels, retailers can increase pricing transparency and accuracy with centralized management for updates across the entire enterprise.

• Pickup Lockers: This self-service option saves time, secures orders, and increases customer convenience when they choose to buy online for in-store pickup.

• Barcode Scanners: Retailers can make fixed scanners available so customers can check prices as they shop. Scanners also allow customers to use QR codes to claim or redeem loyalty rewards and coupons or make QR code payments at checkout.

• Wireless Networking: Modernizing infrastructure will create a more reliable network for supporting mobile devices, IoT systems, and advanced wireless technologies.

What Future-Proof Retail Technology Solutions Have in Common

Regardless of the technology tools you choose to enhance retail operations, you need to consider how they’ll serve your organization and adapt to the continually changing retail space. To make smart technology investments, evaluate solutions to ensure they’ll last, based on these criteria:

• Flexibility: Prioritize devices that work with any operating system environment so you can continue to use them if you transition to a new point of sale or retail management system.

• Durability: Choose devices that vendors purposefully design to last in a busy commercial environment.

• Ergonomics: Demo devices to ensure they’re easy to carry and use, helping employees work faster rather than slowing them down.

• Vendor Support: Ensure the manufacturer will support its products for extended periods to increase the value to your organization and maximize ROI.

• Scalability: Look for modular solutions that won’t require you to rip and replace your entire system when your business grows, or you add new channels or capabilities.

• Security: Insist on security-hardened devices to protect payments, your customers’ data, and your business’s reputation.

As you evaluate retail technology, always remember that the most important criterion is choosing the right tool for reaching your business goal for the implementation. Select devices based on their ability to enhance customer experience, automate tasks, reduce shrinkage, improve operational visibility, or help you achieve any other objective to support your retail operating model.

Plan, then Execute Your Future-Ready Retail Strategy

Your customers want convenience, personalization, a blend of physical and digital shopping, and transparency. You can meet those expectations with technology implementations, but you need to create a sustainable technology ecosystem that can adapt as those trends evolve.

Our team closely watches trends and develops solutions to help retailers stay at the forefront of their markets. Contact us to discuss plans for your retail operation, and let us show you how Levata can help you bring them to life.

About the Author:
Mike Vaughn is a digital transformation leader with more than a decade of global experience helping retailers modernize operations through strategic technology adoption. As a Senior Director of Enterprise Sales at Levata, he works closely with retail organizations to design and implement solutions that enhance the shopper experience while improving operational visibility across stores and supply chains. Vaughn partners with customers to deploy mobility, data capture, and automation technologies that streamline workflows, improve inventory accuracy, and support seamless omnichannel retail strategies—from the sales floor to fulfillment. His customer-first approach focuses on helping retailers use connected technology and intelligent insights to deliver faster, convenient, and personalized shopping experiences.