This year, expect more digital and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the retail sector said UK-based IGD Research. The firm’s analysts said they hope to see numerous retailers partnering with third-party providers to ensure faster implementation of new technologies. IGD also see more retailers introducing technologies with low capital investment and are easy to update.
Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital technology adoption with the retail sector investing three years’ worth of digital transformation within six months. IGD also saw retailers implementing digitally-led systems upgrades across numerous areas of retail and the supply chain. Retailers worldwide also focused on critical areas of investment in 2020, such as in-store hygiene and safety, automated checkout, contactless payments, shrinkage and colleague protection, and omnichannel inventory management.
Investments also poured to in-stores as fulfilment centres, autonomous last-mile delivery, virtual trials and assisted shopping. IGD said retailers implemented these upgrades last year to help create safer shopping experiences. The enhancements also helped retailers achieve cost savings and productivity gains.
For 2021, IGD said more retailers would use AI and machine learning at store level to drive revenue and increase customer satisfaction. However, to truly capitalise on AI's advantages, IGD notes that retailers and manufacturers need to share data and work together on shopper-focused initiatives. (Image from Unsplash).
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