The ability to self-serve instore, checking stock and arranging home delivery, has been highlighted as the second most beneficial instore technology in new research from Qmatic UK.
It showed that 30% of customers surveyed said that the ability to use such kiosks was an important feature for them.
The research also showed that the majority of retailers agree that they are not doing enough to replicate the experience of online shopping in-store. The study found that on average, retailers spend £1m a year on improving the customer experience within physical stores, but half admit that they are investing considerably more in their eCommerce offering, with only a quarter (25%) injecting comparatively more budget into bricks and mortar. 78% of retailers have invested in in-store technology to improve the customer experience and 3 in 5 (60%) retailers claim that they would like their physical stores to become “more important in the future”.
Vanessa Walmsley, managing director at Qmatic UK, said: “Consumers want a personalised and positive customer experience throughout the customer journey, and not just online. They want choice and convenience with a frictionless, seamless experience across all channels. We found that 41% of retailers say that their stores get too busy for them to think about the customer experience – but in fact the right supporting technology can be very beneficial in terms of reducing customer wait times, eliminating friction points along the customer journey, as well as meeting demand for self-service and channel shift.”
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