Retail technology innovation of the week: Currys boosts shopping experience for customers with disabilities
Retail Technology Innovation of the Week is a new series brought to you by RTIH and sponsored by 3D Cloud by Marxent, highlighting stand out deployments, launches, and initiatives by retailers and tech suppliers.
Every week, we will showcase forward thinking tech plays that have impressed our Editor and the Retail Technology Innovations Report judging panel, in the run up to the publication of the 2024 report in March.
So far, we’ve showcased work being done by Ocado Retail, Decathlon, Lacoste, Downtown Spirits, TalkShopLive, Huck’s, Rovertown, Wing, Nobody’s Child, IKI, Pixevia, Walmart, A.L.C., Archive, Therabody, Outform, Kingfisher, PMC, Żabka Polska, Boots UK, Ocula Technologies, Grace O'Malley Irish Whiskey, Metacask, Ikea, Carrefour Belgium, HMV, Worldpay from FIS, and FreedomPay, Matalan, and McDonald’s.
And this week we’re focusing on Currys which has become the first tech retailer to partner with WelcoMe, with the aim of improving the shopping experience for customers with disabilities.
The partnership launches in conjunction with Neurodiversity Celebration Week.
A purpose built web app, the aforementioned platform works by allowing shoppers with a disability to register an in-person store visit, online.
Through filling out a quick form indicating any specific disability related needs or information, and an estimated date/time of arrival, stores are then notified of the upcoming visit giving them the opportunity to prepare for and accommodate any specific requirements etc.
The tool also gives retail partners access to pointers and best practice techniques to help accommodate anybody, specific to certain disabilities.
The trial will be piloted across 20 Currys stores around the Birmingham region, including: Birmingham Castle Vale, Birmingham Highgate, Birmingham Selly Oak, Burton, Cannock, Kidderminster, Leicester Fosse, Leicester St Georges, Loughborough, Merry Hill Retail Park, Shrewsbury, Solihull, Stafford, Stoke Festival Park, Stoke Longton, Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Telford, Wednesbury J9 and Wolverhampton.
WelcoMe founder, Gavin Neate, says: “Currys is an ideal partner to encourage the engagement of disabled people. The staff we have worked with so far could not have been more excited to test out our platform and their excitement around its potential to support customers and staff alike has been truly inspiring.”
“When we see knowledgeable, disability confident staff members interact with their disabled customers and hear positive feedback from both, it gives us the most amazing feeling that our Tech 4 Good solution could change the world – and we’re proud that Currys are joining us on this journey.”
The project also builds on Currys' one-year-old ‘Quiet Hour’, whereby stores reduce noise, keep lights low, and make sure there are no flashing screens in-store, every Monday to Friday until 11am.
Ainsley Sykes, Head of Commercial Initiatives, Retail Design and Technology, comments: “We have enjoyed a lot of success with our Quiet Hour initiative, which Currys leads the way operating every weekday, yet we wanted to do more.”
“We became aware that 60% of disabled customers could not find the information they wanted to about a product online, so giving disabled customers access to our stores to see, feel and try the product and speak to our expert colleagues is even more important.”
“The WelcoMe platform will really support us in our promise to Help Everyone Enjoy Amazing Technology.”
WelcoMe is available across various sectors, including clients such as Northlink Ferries, Westminster City Council, Crowne Plaza Hotel, and Glasgow Science Centre.
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