{"id":4374578,"date":"2021-05-01T04:39:12","date_gmt":"2021-05-01T02:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deptagency.com\/insight\/the-touchless-future-of-retail\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T13:42:44","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T11:42:44","slug":"the-touchless-future-of-retail","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.deptagency.com\/en-in\/insight\/the-touchless-future-of-retail\/","title":{"rendered":"The touchless future of retail"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\n\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tBack to all articles\t\t<\/span>\n\t\n<\/button>\n\t\tThe touchless future of retail\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\n\t<\/div>
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\n\t\tAlexandra Moorhouse\t\t
\n\t\tMarketing Director, UK&I\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t1 May 2021\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\tCoronavirus lockdown restrictions are estimated to have catapulted digital commerce 10 years into the future in just three months. As a result, contactless payment has evolved from a convenient choice to a fundamental requirement, with\u00a078% of consumers<\/a>\u00a0changing the way they pay in 2020. In the UK alone,\u00a09 out of 10<\/a>\u00a0Barclays cardholders made contactless payments last year. But contactless retail isn\u2019t just about streamlining the checkout process; businesses must embrace touchless technology to enhance all aspects of the in-store customer experience.\t<\/h2>\n\n\n\t\tResearch by\u00a0McKinsey<\/a>\u00a0shows that frictionless shopping experiences are now more important than ever, with the customer\u2019s ability to quickly and easily find what they\u2019re looking for jumping 14 percentage points from March to June last year.\u00a0Now is the time to rethink both digital and in-store sales, and how they overlap.\t<\/p>\n\n\n\t\tA digitally enabled retail experience\t<\/h2>\n\n\n\t\tVisits to brick-and-mortar stores have historically been associated with a premium experience but since the high streets have shut down, consumer expectations have evolved in favour of digital. If retailers want to remain competitive and deliver experiences consumers can\u2019t get online, they will have to up their tech game.\u00a0\t<\/p>\n\n\n\t\tIn-store technology has the potential to ease concerns surrounding safety by facilitating less crowded environments, at the same time as enhancing product search and personalising the shopping experience.\t<\/p>\n\n\n\t\tDespite this,\u00a0more than a third (35%)<\/a>\u00a0of shoppers have yet to experience even basic in-store technology, whether it\u2019s browsing products on a digital screen, making mobile payments, or \u2018click and collect\u2019 services. But change is happening, with new innovations being released into mainstream shopping experiences.\t<\/p>\n\n\n\t\tWelcome to an extended reality\t<\/h2>\n\n\n\t\tRetailers looking to impress should consider augmented and virtual reality, going beyond the fun of gamification and translating it into a practical application. Think navigation assistance or browsing catalogues. Some of the top global retailers are already making headway with these types of innovations:\u00a0\t<\/p>\n\n\n\t\tSmart mirrors\t<\/h2>\n\n\n\t\t\u00a0H&m was well ahead of the curve<\/a>, introducing a smart mirror to its times square shop in 2018. the voice-activated tech allowed shoppers to browse fashion looks and take selfies that could be sent to their smart devices with a qr code. From a beauty perspective,\u00a0Sephora<\/a>\u00a0Now offers a 3 d ar mirror for customers to virtually try on any shade of lipstick or eye shadow, and in 2019\u00a0L\u2019oreal<\/a>\u00a0Launched its style my hair app for people to test hair colours through a live video feed. Fast forward to 2021 and smart mirrors are being introduced to retail as a means to further reduce contact between retail employees and shoppers, with a projected\u00a0Market growth of 12% \u2013 14% by 2025<\/a>.\t<\/p>\n\n\n\t\tVirtual showrooms\t<\/h2>\n\n\n\t\tScandinavian cult brand\u00a0Ganni launched an immersive showroom<\/a>\u00a0To present its new collection to buyers amid the coronavirus travel restrictions. The showroom featured a personalised playlist, a lookbook that combines both video and still elements, campaign imagery, private folders and dress-up dolls. Buyers were able to browse the newest collection and save any items they wished to buy, while discovering a more personal side to the fashion brand.\u00a0Lg<\/a>\u00a0Also introduced virtual showrooms for its b2 b offering, providing virtual tours to illustrate how the company\u2019s digital signage options can be installed and adapted in various different settings.\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\t