Five questions for Greg Deacon, CCO, Jisp
RTIH asks major players in the retail technology space for their thoughts on the industry, and throws in a random question to keep them on their toes.
This week, our five questions go to Greg Deacon, CCO at Jisp, which works with independent retailers to offer customers the likes of home delivery, Click & Collect, Scan & Go shopping, and in-store deals.
RTIH: Looking at the hottest retail technologies right now, check-out free stores, rapid delivery services, the metaverse and NFTs, automation and robotics, blockchain and cryptocurrencies, which ones stand out to you, and for what reason?
GD: The huge investment and play in rapid/quick delivery services is intriguing for me. It’s hotting up for sure.
The interesting point here is the rather myopic nature of these services in driving a shopper, retailer and brand benefit.
All can make more incrementally but what consideration is there to who owns the shopper (data and relationship guardian)? What behaviours and routines are we wanting that shopper to adopt and equally what partner(s) do retailers consider viable for them?
Many adopt more than one for their store. Which partners do brands work with on media to attract, engage and sell to these audiences and how many are we going to buy from anyway at our local takeaway or store?
It’s intriguing as it’s rather disparate and becoming a Frankenstein’s monster, but equally compelling and hot as with the right partner retailers it incrementally can reach a wider audience and therefore potentially make more monies.
However, what is the true price of convenience to the provider, shopper, brand and retailer?
RTIH: Which retail technology trend is overrated in your opinion?
GD: Perhaps slightly controversial given my previous comment, delivered services, whether it’s rapid or quick. It’s myopic and quite frankly hard to prove the viability of propositions currently.
It should be considered incremental and not the store overcoming physical challenges of attracting, engaging, and selling to shoppers with a perceived solution to help drive incremental profits through reaching more shoppers.
Given the inflationary and cost challenges on all, there needs to be a re-imagining of the model and finding other ways to drive incremental revenues and reduce costs. Could this be at the cost of the average retailer? Who else will pay for it, eh?
We will see consolation and the big becoming bigger but it’s just an incremental service a retailer can offer in the main.
Retailers need to be careful how profitable it is having a shopper via that service vs the in-store and operational complexity it can bring. Don’t be Frank is my message.
RTIH: What are the top five retail tech Twitter accounts you can’t do without, and why?
GD: I mostly use Twitter to keep abreast, to be honest. However, these are the ones that I probably seek out most on my feed.
@neilRetail - a daily feed of the leading retail/tech news.
@RTIH_RetailTech – of course. All the latest tech news that’s highly relevant to the sectors we operate in.
@andrewbusby – thought leadership pieces, comment and I can wind him up about LFC beating CFC in the cup final.
@TheGrocer – keeps me up-to-date with brand news from the sector and tech updates occurring in grocery and convenience retail.
@BetterRetailing – lots of great journos breaking stories from a perceived traditional trade press. Breaking stories that have mostly immediate impact on Indie retailers which is important to keep abreast of for me.
RTIH: If you could have a dinner party with any five retail pioneers, dead or alive, who would they be and why?
GD: That would be the following.
Steve Jobs – Changed everything we do in our hands today in this connected commerce world. Equally showed great resilience to come back from defeat to become the pioneer he is and known for leading Apple to be the biggest retail brand globally.
Jeff Bazos – Not sure he needs any intro. Re-shaped commerce and would love to see him and Steve Jobs discuss their visions and ideals together. What a conversation that would be.
Colonel Harland David Sanders – Love to get that recipe on the back of a napkin. The age when he fulfilled his life ambitions and ideals in play are testament that it still thrives today. Finger lickin good!
Coco Chanel – Rags to riches story. The Channel brand is iconic and the way it is sold in retail for me is unrivalled and consistently excellent.
Ingvar Kamprad – Mr Ikea. I have lost many a Saturday following the arrows but still tip my hat to the shopper journey and execution in an Ikea store. He’s also a slightly controversial character so think he would spice things up around the table.
RTIH: What song would make the best theme music for you and why?
GD: A Sky Full of Stars – Coldplay. Represents vision, aiming high, optimism, passion, drive, commitment, challenging the norm, will to succeed and the knocks you take along the way.
Plus it’s a favourite with the kids, so a Deacon car tune on repeat!
