The ‘death of the high street’ has long been speculated on, and to some extent observed over the past ten to 15 years. The exponential rise of e-commerce, and the increasing impact of mobile retail, have continued to hammer nails into the bricks and mortar coffin.
It’s funny then, that recent advances in mobile technology may actually offer the high street a valuable lifeline. While the likes of augmented reality, AI-powered advertising and one-click payments enhance the e-commerce side of mobile shopping, retailers are also using phones to power the next generation of physical stores.
With some of the biggest names out there driving ideas forward, it appears there’s an exciting future for the bricks and mortar store.
Unsurprisingly, Amazon is leading the way
US consumers may already be familiar with Amazon Go, the checkout-free store where a smartphone is essential for entry. The Amazon Go app permits you entry to the store, where you can shop freely and then leave straight away, thanks to its ‘Just Walk Out’ technology, which will immediately charge the goods taken to your Amazon account.
In its bookstores, customers require the Amazon app to scan the price of each book, as Amazon offer the same price in store as online, where prices can change rapidly. Pay at an Amazon bookstore or 4-Star store, or go to pick up an order at a locker, and you’ll again need the app to access the relevant services. This month, Amazon is launching its first stores in the UK.
Nike’s ‘House of Innovation’
Dubbed Forbes best retail experience of 2018, Nike’s flagship digital store, the Nike House of Innovation 000, has set the tone for a new type of ‘try before you buy’ retail.
The store, located on New York’s Fifth Avenue, offers customers a range of new experiences, including ‘Scan to Try’, where you simply scan a QR code and the clothes are delivered to a fitting room for you to try on. Using a Nike Plus account, customers can then check out instantly, all without any input from an in-store assistant.
Arming staff
It’s not just customers who will be equipped to enjoy a checkout-free existence. In the US, major names like Target, Walmart and Nordstrom have all already started arming staff with mobile devices to cover a variety of purposes. The primary one, as far as the consumer is concerned, being the ability to process sales where they stand.
Other retailers are utilising mobile devices to understand their customer’s purchase histories, so their staff can offer better advice on products of potential interest. The ability to offer a more targeted in-store service should go some way to combating the increasing abilities of AI-powered online shopping, with both looking to enhance and simplify customer experience.
In our increasing culture of convenience, there’s no doubt bricks and mortar retail faces an uphill battle in attracting customers, however the adoption of the same technologies that are powering the e-commerce market is providing a customer experience that may well keep the high street alive.
With mobile technology doing everything from helping shoppers keep track of their personal finances to achieving true global connectivity, it makes sense for brands to use the same device to power the physical store. From DIY supermarkets to assistant-free try-on processes, the future of in-store retail is brighter than we might have first thought.
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