maconda visits EuroCIS 2018, Europe’s leading trade fair for technology and innovation in retail
maconda News February 2018
At the end of February, maconda visited EuroCIS in Düsseldorf, Europe’s leading trade fair for technology and innovation in retail. “Technology never sleeps” – under this motto, the fair was shaped by established topics such as checkout systems and software and hardware at the PoS, as well as newer technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), data analytics, and robotics.
Technology never sleeps: Anyone who wants to operate successfully in retail today and in the future cannot ignore innovative technologies surrounding digital and traditional sales channels. It was no coincidence that one of the major topics at EuroCIS was the transition from multichannel to omnichannel. Customers should have a shopping experience that flows seamlessly across all channels and guarantees a consistent brand experience. This also includes smart stores, where digitalization ensures smoother processes and shoppers can benefit from additional digital services. All of this gives brick-and-mortar retail a clear competitive advantage over pure online shops: personal customer interaction in the store is combined with the immersive worlds and process optimizations of digital technologies.
A central theme of the trade fair for implementing an omnichannel strategy this year was once again the “must-haves”: ERP, inventory management, and POS systems – including self-checkout and Click & Collect. In contrast, newer digital marketing trends focus on the (potential) customer and their smartphone. Personalized “on the go” communication and digital value-added services will bind customers even more closely to retailers in the future. Using special transmitters (beacons) and apps, individual customers can be identified in the store and guided through their shopping experience – for example, with product information via AR on their mobile phones – although maconda consultants have significant doubts regarding customer acceptance in this area.
Fully automated smart stores are – at least in Germany and Europe – still a thing of the future. However, the design phase is underway: in-store analysis tools such as sensor floors and cameras are intended to track customer movements and actions, while IoT technologies analyze the data. Some flagship stores already offer a digital “aha” shopping experience in smart fitting rooms: interactive mirrors with touchscreens can, for example, show a blouse in a different color during a fitting or suggest matching accessories.
A maconda trade fair conclusion: AR/VR solutions, in particular, have arrived on the market. Customers love their smartphones – and are open to new, beneficial features. For example, apps that provide real-time additional information about products on the shelf will not be long in coming.
Robotics, on the other hand, is still in its infancy but is being advanced through pilot projects. Whether and when service robots will be present across the board in retail remains to be seen.