VIDEO Interview: Key retail post-COVID insights revealed by Zebra's 2021 shopper...

Sunday, 07 March 2021 15:05

VIDEO Interview: Key retail post-COVID insights revealed by Zebra's 2021 shopper study; March 17 Webinar Invite

Zebra's A/NZ director, Tom Christodoulou, and Daniel Park, Sales Engineer Manager, reveal in an exclusive video interview, what customers want in a post-COVID world, leading to retailers quickly adapting to an on-demand reality augmented by enterprise-grade technology delivering connectivity, productivity and customer satisfaction as never before.

Zebra's 2021 Shopper Study, Volume 1 is in its 13th edition, explores all of this in much more detail, and is a must-read for retailers and even savvy consumers who want to see the future that is unfolding, and is available to download here in full. 

The study is billed as "the industry’s only market tracker that analyses the attitudinal behaviour of shoppers, retail associates and retail executives and examines the retail and technology trends impacting shoppers’ purchasing behaviour both in-store and online."

It found that today's savvy shoppers "expect a seamless experience between stores and online and are increasingly placing orders online because of desired product availability, resulting in a surge of ecommerce orders with nearly 60% placing an order in the last three months."

Buying isn't the only part of the shopping experience either, as with more than one-fifth of shoppers returning an item purchased online, 57% of store associates are feeling significantly challenged by these returns. Out-of-stocks also remain a challenge and 41% of shoppers say this is the top reason for leaving stores without a purchase. This is followed by long checkout lines (32%) and an inability to find items (31%) both representing a marked increase from last year.

The study challenges what you think you know about retail, shoppers and technology with plenty more insights like the ones shared above, including that 76% of shoppers want to get in and out of stores quickly, and that 82% of retail execs name "Smart Check-Out" as one the most important technologies over the next five years.

Zebra is also holding a free webinar with the topic of the "Retail Shopper Experience in a post COVID world", at 12pm AEDT on March 17, 2021, which you can register for here. 

The webinar will explore key trends from the 2021 Shopper Vision Study described above, highlighting the perception gap between retailers and shoppers, the new digital customer combining the best of in-store and online retail, how retailers can deliver better performance and productivity with technology, and the impressive advantages of enterprise-grade devices over consumer devices.

After all, as shoppers demand an increasing blend of the online and in-store experience, retailers need to quickly adopt innovative technologies. Today’s on-demand economy requires store employees to be connected and at peak productivity 100% of the time, and the bottom line is – those who don’t invest in technology will be left behind.

So, what does Zebra's Regional A/NZ Director, Tom Christodoulou have to say about Vol.1 of the 2021 Shopper Study, and what does Zebra Sales Engineer Manager, Daniel Park, have to say about the new ES55-series devices that are helping transform the retail experience for the better?

It's all here in our exclusive video interview, after which is a summary of the topics we discussed, and the links again to the 2021 Shopper Study and the March 17 webinar - please read on!

• I started by introducing both gentlemen to the program, and noted that in the previous interview I conducted with Tom, he had already shared information about his role at Zebra, so I asked Daniel to tell us what his role at Zebra entailed.
• Tom shared a range of key insights and findings from the 2021 Shopper Study, as well as the pandemic's impact on shoppers.
• He shared what the study showed retailers should do to ensure that they are able to be as successful as they can be this year, in the face of both positive economic news in Australia, alongside the pending end to Jobkeeper subsidies.
• We discussed some of the retail solutions that Zebra has to offer that caters to retailers across the front and back house of their businesses, with Daniel sharing practical examples of how the EC55-series handheld computers, which offer full Android smartphone-style capabilities, help provide a superior customer experience.
• Tom then shared his final message for iTWire viewers and readers, and for Zebra's current and future customers and partners.

Zebra's 2021 Shopper Study, Volume 1, is a must-read for anyone involved in the retail space, and is available to  after free registration.

Zebra's free webinar with on the topic of the "Retail Shopper Experience in a post COVID world" is on at 12pm AEDT on March 17, 2021, and you can register and attend free here. 

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