Fujitsu’s David Nicholls makes 2021 retail tech predictions

Retailers will begin to extend their supply chains during 2021, changing the outlook of stores, according to David Nicholls, CTO for Retail and Hospitality at Fujitsu UK.

For example, supermarkets may invest in more frozen produce to ensure stock has a longer shelf life. Stores may also begin to stock more locally produced supply.

Retailers will also look at supply chain efficiency in relation to last mile logistics, Nicholls predicts. With online shopping costly, businesses will explore ways to move closer to customers through fulfilment stores. As the store moves closer to the customer, so too does the product.

“Retailers will take this approach with caution; moving too close means moving away from the operational efficiencies brought by a large customer base. An investment in localised, automated stores could be viewed as the answer to this cost efficiency problem,“ he comments.

Self-service

There will also be an increase in self-service this year.

This is not new for retailers. But stores have spent the past year looking at ways to streamline it, and Covid-19 has accelerated this.

Take hospitality; while some pubs and restaurants were already offering table service through an app, it has now become widespread. Now the infrastructure is in place, it’s likely many outlets will continue to use and develop that technology in the next year, Nicholls reckons.

“We’ve seen a similar transformation in grocery. While self-service machines have been around for a while, more stores are looking at reducing the number of tills and increasing store digitisation. For example, Tesco introduced its first ever cashless store last year,” he comments.

“Even in industries, such as fashion, where self-service has been less prevalent, retailers will be looking at effective self-service opportunities. Expect to see more investment as a whole from retailers into this technology,” Nicholls concludes.