Five retail technology questions for Beck Besecker, CEO and Co-Founder, 3D Cloud by Marxent
Beck Besecker, CEO and Co-Founder of 2022 RTIH Innovation Awards winner, 3D Cloud by Marxent, sits down with us to discuss the demand for self-service, and also metaverse implementations, and retail pioneers.
RTIH: Looking at the hottest retail technologies right now, check-out free stores, rapid delivery services, the metaverse and NFTs, automation and robotics, and blockchain technology, which ones stand out to you, and for what reason?
BB: Self-service (enabled by automation and AI) is dominating the conversations we're having with clients and prospects.
The demand is driven by several priorities including (1) enabling shoppers to self-serve through a larger percentage of the sales funnel reducing demands on store associates, (2) improving the quality of customer leads as retailers have learned that customers engaging in self-service tools are much more likely to convert, (3) and self-service tools enable retailers to offer services online that have been traditionally only available in stores.
Typical use cases include product configuration (changing materials and finishes); room planning for complex product categories like furniture, kitchen, and bath; and augmented reality, wherein shoppers are evaluating if a product will fit in their space.
RTIH: Which retail technology trend is overrated in your opinion?
BB: While it had a moment in the sun and we did see quite a bit of interest, conversations on the metaverse have cooled considerably. Most of the implementations we did see in the market were more marketing and PR than sustainable use cases.
RTIH: What are the top five retail tech social media accounts you can’t do without, and why?
BB: RTIH, of course.
Besides that, the Remarkable Retail podcast hosted by Steve Dennis and the Omnitalk Podcast hosted by Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga.
RTIH: If you could have a dinner party with any five retail pioneers, dead or alive, who would they be and why?
BB: Jeff Bezos - Jeff’s unrelenting focus on serving shoppers, rather than worrying about what other retailers or competitors are doing, is a mantra we’ve adopted that has served us well.
I’d love the opportunity to share our mission with Jeff and get his unique mind and perspective on our business.
Suresh Kumar - Walmart’s CTO has seen it all. He started at IBM, worked his way up at Amazon, spent time at Microsoft and Google, and now he’s leading Walmart’s tech and innovation efforts.
Working for a traditional retailer takes a unique ability to navigate relationships and build trust vs. working for digital native. His ability to see through the noise, focus talent, and scale innovation is impressive.
RTIH: What does being a 2022 RTIH Innovation Awards winner mean to you?
BB: The award validated the effort and commitment that our partners and the 3D Cloud by Marxent team have made in deploying a truly revolutionary retail technology programme at scale.
There’s a big difference between buying software and deploying it successfully across an enterprise.
The team at B&Q is thoughtful and purposeful in everything they do. Their commitment to the success of the project remains steadfast and we have been with them every step of the way.
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