Retailers must get away from gimmicks, Cognizant

Retailers are learning that they need to move away from implementing gimmicky technology and focus on solutions that help customers move through the shopping journey more easily.

So says Scott Clarke, Chief Digital Officer and Global Consulting Leader, Retail, Consumer Goods, Travel and Hospitality, Cognizant, in a comment piece for RTIH. “Retailers need to look at what shoppers really want,” he argues. “Take the launch of Amazon’s checkout-free store, Amazon Go, as an example. At a very basic level, the store is designed with the customer at the heart: using RFID tags to track the movement of goods, shoppers are free to walk in and out at their own leisure, picking up items they need along the way. Ultimately, it is in both the interests of the consumer and retailer to make the shopping experience as smooth and frictionless as possible.”

A frictionless experience is a fine balance between four elements: convenience, experience, price and community. While convenience is currently the focus of most retailers’ strategies, at any one time they need to consider at least two of the remaining components to win over the customer, Clarke says.

Read the full comment piece here.

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