Retailers must not underestimate power of human interaction, Infosys Consulting

Whilst the likes of Amazon Go and the recent launch of a Sainsbury’s till-less store in London are undeniably impressive, some consumers still prefer the reassurance of human interaction. And this need should not be ignored.

That’s the view of Manu Tyagi, Associate Partner, Retail and Consumer Goods at Infosys Consulting. In 2015 Morrisons reintroduced human-staffed checkouts for small shopping baskets – a move away from the wave of automated, self-service tills that have swept the nation, he points out.

“It turns out that people quite enjoy their everyday interactions with the smiling, familiar checkout operator; advice from a knowledgeable shop assistant; or just bumping into a friend in the local supermarket queue.”

“Though Sainsbury’s has acknowledged that the way we shop is becoming amplified by technology by adapting to changing consumer behaviour, it’s important not to underestimate the power of human interaction. With the future of retail nearly here, the real question is how to ensure it remains appealing and convenient for future consumers,” Tyagi concludes.

Cashless in London

The aforementioned Sainsbury’s store (situated at Holborn Circus) opened yesterday. As part of a three-month trial, customers scan and pay for their groceries using the SmartShop app. Sainsbury’s Group Chief Digital Officer, Clodagh Moriarty, comments: “We know our customers value their time and many want to shop as quickly as possible - technology is key to that. This is an experiment rather than a new format for us - it hasn’t been done in the UK before and we’re really excited to understand how our customers respond to the app experience.”

“We’ll be with our customers and colleagues all the way over the coming months, iterating continuously based on their feedback before we decide if, how and where we make this experience more widely available.”