Fully automated stores: where it's possible, when it's possible, but feasible!
How do you provide the optimal fulfillment service?
On 21.9.2022 it was time once again: iXtenso and EuroShop had served a new "retail salsa" and invited to the webtalk at the virtually arranged table. Our main ingredient: the certain spiciness for the optimal customer journey, because the topic of the afternoon was "Fully automated stores: Pepper for your fulfillment service".
Have you ever wondered if it's worth investing in automating your store? Our two speakers Matthias Kurz, Business Development Manager at KNAPP, and Marcus Winter, Project Manager at retailer Würth, showed us yesterday that it pays to be brave and try things out, because on the one hand it can make your own day-to-day work easier and, more importantly, with new technologies and touchpoints you can offer your customers an omnichannel shopping experience that they don't (yet) get served up everywhere in this form.
The two industry experts told us how they implemented the topic with expertise and curiosity at Würth. In doing so, they put all the ingredients they brought to this point on the table - unique insights on the approach, learnings and plans for the future included. A nice appetizer of what automation in retail can look like.
During the talk, we also asked them: why does automation and fulfillment service appeal to all stakeholders - retailers, staff and the customer and matter for the retail future?
Here are our insiders' assessments:
Matthias Kurz
"Customers want to act more independently when shopping. [Nevertheless:] The personal interaction between retailers and customers will go on, but be assisted and in some parts replaced by robotics and automation. We have passed the point of return. It's a really big trend and we are going to see a lot more of automation in the future. What can be automated and makes sense at the same time - that is either a value to the customer or to the employee - will be automated. I truly believe in coexistence. Retail is alive and new technologies are a part of our lives."
Want to add your recipe ideas to the next retail salsa? Here's how:
- 21.09.2022retail salsa – Spice up your community
Marcus Winter
"Automate what needs to be automated. We have the opportunity to use technology to build better stores [...]. It is about optimization, shrinking the costs - as always -, to be efficient and to free time of our staff. Everything we don't like to do, does a robot: Getting products and packages on a shelf is something nobody wants or likes to do but it has to be done. You can save about 20 minutes every day, when you let a robot do that for you and your employees. Let's use the opportunities!"
You want to know even more and find out exactly how you can use the ingredient "fulfillment service" for you and your customers? You want to get all the important insights step by step to create your own recipe for success? Click here to watch the on-demand video!