The Best Retail Technology is Invisible

Many a retail chain has made a drive to be more “digital” and one of those ways was through what is called “omnichannel” marketing, which is just a marketing term for being across every print and digital channel to connect with consumers. Many a retailer thought putting up touch screens in store and making tech highly visible was a game changer. It was, but not in the right way.

The Best Technologies are Invisible

Let me clarify what I mean here. By “invisible” I mean that the technology is largely in the background and works with consumer devices that are already broadly accepted and are second nature to the consumer. Like smartphones.

Sticking up some monitors and touch screens is a terrible approach. They may look cool, but require the consumer to make an effort and consumers are inherently lazy. Any tech they engage with shouldn’t be glaringly obvious.

The best solutions take advantage of what the consumer is already comfortable with. Take IKEA for example. Their app is on the smartphone. A device the consumer is already comfortable with and the app works in-store and out. It’s extremely clever and intuitive, and it is invisible.

Walmart uses technology behind the scenes, specifically with Big Data for supply chain management and their online eCommerce operations. It is invisible to the consumer. Amazon’s new grocery stores use cameras, sensors and AI, largely behind the scenes and connect with the consumers device they already have.

Consumers are Lazy

Inherently, consumers are lazy. Especially when they’re shopping. It’s why paying through smartphones and smartwatches is taking off. It’s easy, the retailer doesn’t have to do a lot of work and makes the shopper happier.

Invisible Technologies

Aside from the smartphone and a device a consumer already has, other invisible technologies are Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, beacon sensors and similar sensing devices installed in walls, ceilings, parking lots and floors. Using these technologies in varying configurations and applications, are smart digital strategies for retailers.

Build Experiences

As I’ve written about before, consumers are increasingly bored with their retail experience because it isn’t an experience. IKEA gives experiences with always changing rooms to wander through and tasty dishes midway through. Apple has the Genius Bar and classes. Few other retailers, who still view profitability by maximizing shelf space to square footage understand this model.

The Ideal Blend

The perfect mix for a retailer is to create a great shopping experience while making the technology that supports that experience more invisible and leveraging consumer laziness.

When you can leverage laziness through technology, you’ve got it figured out. That’s your digital strategy.

What do you think?