Zebra Survey: The Future of Retail Depends on Seamless Experiences

Zebra Technologies Corporation, (NASDAQ: ZBRA), an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge, today revealed the results of its 12th Annual APAC Shopper Study, which analyzed retailers’ technology plans for solving chronic shopping issues. Results show that retailers are looking to harness technologies like intelligent automation, cloud computing and mobility to drive economic growth. To strengthen retailers position in these unprecedented times, the launch of the 12th Annual APAC Shopper Study is aligned with the unveiling of array of products by Zebra Technologies.

As businesses reopen and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic, the resiliency of retailers and supply chains are being tested more now than ever before. One monumental shift relates to the concept of “Economy at Home,” which addresses the way consumers have completely changed their shopping habits. The frequency and volume of online spending on food has increased across the region, with consumers expressing a preference for self-checkout rather than assistance from cashiers for safe distancing.

To meet rising customer expectations, retailers need to rethink the safety of the customer journey, whether it is in store or via delivery. Click-and-collect, or buy online, pick-up in store (BOPIS), are becoming preferred methods of shopping, with 55% of consumers requesting more retailers to offer mobile ordering options. This is forcing businesses to rethink their fulfillment strategies given that only 36% of respondents agreed that their stores are equipped to fulfill web orders.  The study expects this trend to continue, while retailers implement additional solutions that minimize in-store contact and improve customer convenience at the same time.

“COVID-19 has significantly altered the retail sector, forcing both essential and non-essential retailers to assess their omnichannel fulfillment capabilities and quickly adapt their operating models in a matter of days – some implementing changes within hours,”  said Deep Agarwal, Regional Sales Director of India, Zebra Technologies. “We’re seeing how retailers are transforming ‘dark stores’ to serve as temporary distribution facilities inside their establishments. Retailers should prioritize the expansion of click-and-collect service offerings and invest in technologies that increase shopping capacity and speed. This reduces in-store traffic and aids in social distancing efforts, while providing retailers with inventory visibility across every corner of the shop floor.”

Putting a mobile device into the hands of a retail associate simplifies tasks like inventory management, yet an estimated 64% of retail associates are not equipped to maximize the benefits of technology. In response, retailers are moving away from dated green-screen technology to enterprise-class devices with intuitive, user-friendly interfaces with smartphone-like operating systems.

The pandemic has proven this true as click-and-collect orders have surged, creating the need for store associates to enable contactless transactions via curbside pickup with handheld mobile computers and tablets. When paired with a mobile printer, the likes of the TC52 touch computer and TC21 touch computer form Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) solutions that can drive contactless fulfilment by alerting associates of new online orders, enabling them to pack merchandise, label products and print receipts prior to the customer’s arrival .

The adoption of mPOS solutions is expected to hit 98% by 2026, up from 76% today. The same trend is also observed for handheld mobile computers with scanners as retail associate device usage is expected to reach 96% by 2026, up from the current 75%.

Zebra Technologies has also launched Self-checkout solutions like the DS9900 Series Corded Hybrid Imager, DS9300 Barcode Scanner and the upgraded MP7000 Grocery Scanner Scale that are helping retailers to reshape the front-of-store experience. Growing up with technology and automation, 89% of surveyed shoppers agree that self-checkout improves their shopping experience. Additionally, self-checkout has become even more relevant during this pandemic as both shoppers and retailers strive to minimize in-store contact to ensure safety.

Returns are another pain point for shoppers and poses a significant challenge for retailers. Up to 51% of retail executives report that they have started or are planning to start upgrading their returns management technologies in the next five years. Meanwhile, 83% of retailers currently have or plan to implement automated inventory verification systems within the year to advance real-time inventory accuracy.

ASIA-PACIFIC HIGHLIGHTS

88% of retailers agree maintaining real-time inventory visibility is a significant challenge, and 85% say their companies need better inventory management tools to ensure accuracy.

Retailers also cite robot assistance (83%), smart check-out and real-time store IoT platforms (89%) as extremely important to their operations over the next five years.

81% of retailers plan to provide mobile ordering as a fulfilment option by 2021.

70% of retailers are integrating social media within their ecosystem for digital native shoppers to provide feedback.

SURVEY BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY

Zebra’s 12th Annual Shopper Study surveyed over 6,300 global respondents, including over 1,200 APAC region respondents (retail executives, store associates and shoppers) to gauge the attitudes, opinions and expectations that are reshaping brick and mortar and online retail. The results, summarized in a two-part series, are essential reading for industry leaders seeking actionable insights to serve today’s tech-savvy shoppers.

Ashwini Kumar Tewari Appointed as the New Managing Director and CEO of SBI Card

SBI Card, the country`s second largest credit card issuer announced that Mr. Ashwini Kumar Tewari has taken over as the company`s new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. The baton passes from Mr. Hardayal Prasad who retired on July 31, 2020, following a successful tenure during which the company achieved many significant accolades.  

Mr. Ashwini Kumar Tewari is a career banker with over 29 years’ experience with State Bank of India, including domestic and foreign postings. Prior to taking charge at SBI Card, since April 2017 Mr. Tewari held the position of Country Head of US Operations at SBI, based in New York. He also served as Vice Chairman of the State Bank of India (California) Board of Directors. 

Commenting on the development, Mr. Dinesh Khara, Managing Director, GB &S, State Bank of India said, “We are pleased to welcome Mr. Ashwini Kumar Tewari as the MD & CEO of SBI Card. He has demonstrated authentic, adept leadership in diverse positions both in India and abroad, during a successful career. We believe that he has the strategic vision and skill sets to lead the rapidly growing credit card business. We are confident that he will be able to further strengthen SBI Card’s market share and propel the business to new milestones.” 

Mr Ashwini Tewari, MD & CEO, SBI Card said, “We are at the cusp of an interesting time – there is a digital payments revolution sweeping India today and the country is firmly on the path to becoming a digital economy. SBI Card has achieved stellar success so far; and with the right focus on innovation, technology and customer service, the company remains poised to capitalise in a big way on the significantly underpenetrated Indian credit card market.  I look forward to steering SBI Card’s efforts to enhance customer experience at every touch point, fuelling growth and strengthening our position as industry leaders.” 

He added, “My immediate goal is to ensure sustained business performance as seen in the last two quarters, despite the challenging environment. In the long run, my endeavour would be to enable SBI Card to scale new heights along with the robust management team that has been driving the growth of this exceptional company.” 

Mr Tewari started his banking career with SBI in 1991 as a probationary officer. He has expertise in driving business, administration, and HR. He has experience in diverse leadership roles, extending across significant business functions like Credit, International and Retail Banking including Business Process Re-engineering. He was involved in the bank technology upgrades in Core Banking and Internet Banking platforms and acquisition of a new Trade Platform. 

In his previous assignments, he served as Regional Head and GM, East Asia Hong Kong and oversaw operations of SBI in Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea, and the neighbouring region. He also served as Deputy General Manager, (Operations & Information Systems), IBG, Mumbai and Head of SBI’s Cash Management Services. Mr. Tewari has served on the boards of International Institute of Bankers, New York and University of Washington Global Bankers Program. 

Mr. Tewari holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Electrical). He is also a Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Bankers (CAIIB) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP). He has a CFPCM certificate and is ACAMS certified. 

About SBI Card  : SBI Cards and Payment Services Limited (formerly known as SBI Cards and Payment Services Private Limited) (“SBI Card”) is a non-banking financial company that offer extensive credit card portfolio to individual cardholders and corporate clients which includes lifestyle, rewards, travel & fuel and banking partnerships cards along with corporate cards covering all major cardholders’ segments in terms of income profile and lifestyle. It has diversified customer acquisition network that enables to engage prospective customers across multiple channels. SBI Card is a technology driven company. 

The Company is listed on National Stock Exchange (“NSE”) and The Bombay Stock Exchange (“BSE”). 

Note: The brand name of the company is ‘SBI Card’ and it is registered in the name of ‘SBI Cards and Payment Services Limited’. The company is trading under the entity name ‘SBICARD’ on stock exchanges. Visit www.sbicard.com for more details. 

Experience Contactless Dining at Phoenix Marketcity, Whitefield

Phoenix Marketcity, Bengaluru’s ultimate Shopping & Lifestyle destination has reopened its food court by implementing ‘Contactless Dining’ – a unique and safe dining experience to its patrons. The initiative of contactless dining and ordering solution at the food court aims to offer a hygienic dining experience for the visitors. Contactless dining has minimised human contact by eliminating the use of high-touch elements at restaurants in the food court. Phoenix Marketcity has deployed this technology to make the entire process, from ordering to payment seamlessly digital.

With business activities resuming earlier this month, Phoenix Marketcity has reoriented its focus towards health and safety of its patrons and partners. Anticipating the challenges in food service, specifically the dining segment, Phoenix Marketcity has taken a major step to reinvent eating out experience through contactless dining to curtail contamination risk.

"The present situation demands all of us to prioritize safety and hygiene standards at all times. At Phoenix Marketcity we have set stringent SOPs that are constantly monitored. The contactless dining at our food court will ensure our patrons have minimal human contact to place their order or pay the bill. By deploying technology, we have eliminated the need for menu cards and bills that are often touched and could potentially be a source of concern. Thus, making the entire experience seamless, safe and convenient for our customers. We believe a proactive approach as this towards safety and hygiene will go a long way in building customer confidence and creating a safe environment all around” said, Mr. Gajendra Singh Rathore, Senior Centre Director, Phoenix Marketcity.

Introducing Contactless Dining at Phoenix Marketcity

Contactless Menu: Scan the QR code placed on the table / or from anywhere inside the mall to land on the home page of the Food Court to explore restaurant menu and pairing recommendations for digital orders. The user lands on the landing page of the food court where all the food court brands are visible.

Contactless ordering – order through the app (eliminates contact with the waiter/ staff to place an order or modify an order).

The order is then authenticated by the merchant and the User gets real time order status in his phone via WhatsApp

Contactless payment – Pay the bill via the app & leave the restaurant premises

 

4 Simple Steps for contactless dining/ordering

1 SCAN THE QR CODE WITH YOUR MOBILE CAMERA   

2 TAP ON THE NOTIFICATION LINK

3. ORDER FOOD (DINE-IN/TAKEAWAY)                                                                                         

4. Pay Online

Contactless Dining is a step forward in the right direction for the Food courts and we are sure this will provide for a safe and hassle-free dining experience for customers and improve the economics of the restaurant industry.

Our Food Court brands include : Wow Momo, Naga's, Subway, Eat Fit, Purani Delhi, Kababji, Shiv Sagar, Kailash Parbat, Squeeze Juice Bar, Bao & Grills, Smoke The Sizzler House, Hunan Express, Gongura, Marhaba, Keventers, Gelato, Asia 7 Express, Papa Roti.

Opportunities in Crisis: The Post Covid Fate of e-Grocer Startups

Highlights

* Startups like Crofarm and StoreSe have created a prolonged shift in the behaviour and buying patterns of the consumers  

In wake of the current outbreak, Sunil, a 60 year old Delhi resident, was facing many challenges due to the lockdown and the restrictions of not going out. He was then introduced to apps like Crofarm and StoreSe so that he could order fresh fruits, vegetables and other essentials just at a click and avoid the hassle of going out. These startups have created a shift in the buying behaviour and patterns of the consumers by providing contact less doorstep deliveries for almost everything.  

Crofarm- a farm to retail agritech startup, has entered into business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) with its platform Otipy – a community-based platform to connect consumers, resellers and farmers for bringing fresh produce to doorstep at reasonable prices. The new product works on a social commerce model, which delivers the products to resellers, who handle the last-mile delivery and eliminate middlemen.

Similarly, another player StoreSe - a recently launched 24 hrs delivery online grocery delivery platform is connecting the consumers with their trusted local offline stores. The startup has partnered with offline retail brands such as Vishal MegaMart, Modern Bazaar, Metro Cash & Carry, MORE and leading cab aggregators like Ola and Meru for quick 24 hours delivery service so that the consumers can avoid the hassle of going out. It has witnessed its sales growing 20% on a weekly basis since its launch in March 2020, and is also planning to scale up to 100 plus cities in next six months.

The purchasing habits of the consumers are changing rapidly and the bigger question is will this become the regular habit of people once lockdown is over and the industry is faced by the new normal. This is because it's highly unlikely that consumption patterns will go back to normal as the pandemic has made an indelible mark on the way we approach buying. With the virus around for a longer period of time and there's lack of clarity when vaccines will actually arrive, new behavioural patterns are expected to be strongly set. 

Microsoft's Bing to take on Google

Microsoft has unveiled a new search engine named Bing, renewing its efforts to challenge the dominance of Google in the Internet search market.

The company said the new service will begin to roll out over the coming days and will be fully deployed worldwide June 3.

"Today, search engines do a decent job of helping people navigate the web and find information, but they don't do a very good job of enabling people to use the information they find," Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive officer, said in a statement.

"Bing is an important first step forward in our long-term effort to deliver innovations in search that enable people to find information quickly and use the information they've found to accomplish tasks and make smart decisions," he added.

Microsoft said the Bing service, billed by the company as a Decision Engine, will initially focus on shopping, travel, local business and information, and health-related research - areas in which people want more assistance in making key decisions.

The software giant still has a long way to go to increase its share in the search market.

According to latest analysis by market research firm comScore, in April this year, Google led the US search market with 64.2 per cent of the searches conducted, followed by Yahoo with 20.4 per cent, with Microsoft a distant third with 8.2 per cent.

CXOtoday