How Retailers can Navigate a World of Instant Gratification

Today’s consumer craves instant gratification. With technology allowing consumers to pull their phones out, tap a few words into a search engine and gain access to information in seconds, expectations have changed over the past decade.

Whether posting selfies on Instagram or mindlessly scrolling through TikTok, people can get whatever information they want with little effort.

We want everything instantly, and anything that disrupts that immediacy feels like an inconvenience. We go to restaurants, scan a QR code at our table and complete orders in seconds. Everything is happening faster than ever, and it requires less effort than ever before—and consumers cannot get enough of it.

Retail is no exception to that craving. According to Statista, 41% of global shoppers now expect their online orders to be delivered within 24 hours. Only a few years ago, that demand would have felt wholly unrealistic. Today, it is an expectation.

As consumer habits morph and evolve alongside technological capability, the modern retailer must be able to deliver both speed and convenience across every touchpoint of the customer shopping journey.

Creating Convenience In Retail

Providing a range of purchasing options can help retailers create convenient experiences. The formula is simple—access to more options provides more opportunities for customers to shop in ways that suit them best. That could be online, in-store or through a mixture of both channels. Retailers must deliver as many options as possible to create convenience.

While technology might be the key driver of these expectations, it can also be the solution. “Omnichannel” has become the go-to buzzword for the retail industry. With the right technology, retailers can create a holistic view of their operations in real-time, from manufacturer through the supply chain and onto the shop floor. They can generate accurate inventory visibility, and when combined with order management software and point-of-sale (POS), a true omnichannel experience can be delivered.

The challenge that many businesses face when deploying technology is that their solutions don’t communicate with each other. From inventory and order management systems to customer relationship management or point of sale, any deployments must be able to communicate in real time. If one falls behind, every other technology is negatively impacted—stock visibility can drop, order fulfillment might falter and the information available to customers can become inaccurate.

To create a true omnichannel offering, retailers must be able to take a holistic view of their operations, with all technologies communicating seamlessly. Only then can they optimize each individual deployment.

Delivering Speed

Seamless experiences have taken over in retail—especially at the checkout. Mobile payments have made the checkout process much quicker, and self-checkout has captured the market. But in such a fast-paced retail environment, these solutions continue to get more advanced.

Traditional checkout terminals can cause issues. Whether they are operated by in-store associates or customers themselves, slow manual processes—especially during peak times—lead to dense queues that can easily turn shoppers away. According to a study undertaken by WaitWhile, nearly 75% of U.S. consumers feel bored, frustrated, disrespected, annoyed or impatient when waiting in queues. So what is the solution?

Technology, once again, can help. With mobile POS, in-store associates can tap into the retailer’s wider technology stack—customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, clienteling solutions and even inventory management systems—to quickly provide customers with accurate information before being able to complete transactions on the spot.

While technology is important, staff also play a significant role in delivering speedy service. They must be well-trained, able to operate the technology effectively, understand all functions and utilize them quickly in order to keep up with customer demands.

This, of course, can take time. Teething issues are commonplace when retailers are undergoing digital transformation, as with any other form of change management within a business. Stakeholders must remain patient, but the long-term benefits are worth any short-term hurdles.

Finding The Next Level

Speed and convenience are vital for retailers today, but they don’t necessarily create long-standing relationships with customers.

According to PwC, nearly 80% of American consumers say that speed, convenience, knowledgeable help and friendly service are the most important elements of a positive customer experience. To differentiate themselves, retailers must provide seamless fulfillment with a range of purchasing options, all while delivering exceptional experiences.

In a world of immediacy, ensuring that interactions are unique for customers is essential for providing value. Whether shopping online or in-store, subtle changes can make a big difference. With the right CRM and clienteling functions, retailers can gradually gather data from their customers—from shoe size to their dog’s name. Over time, retailers can make personalized recommendations to visitors or provide exclusive discounts based on their purchase history. A personal touch goes a long way.

This does, however, come with potential pitfalls. Staff must be trained on how to correctly handle private data, and the technology that retailers deploy must also be able to gather and store information securely.

Retailers must also earn this data. In a privacy-first world, consumers are extremely conscious about sharing information. Retailers must build trust with their customers. This can be achieved through transparency, showing customers how their data is used and stored. Retailers can also show customers the benefits of data-sharing through loyalty programs and personalized experiences.

Creating The Perfect Experience

With the right technology, in-store associates can approach customers with a smile, welcome them and begin providing value immediately. Tablet in hand, they can pull up the customer’s history and recommend any promotions or suggest specific new-season stock. They can provide real-time information on different products—availability, size and color. From there, purchases can be made without the customer even needing to move.

Speed, convenience and a personal touch create the perfect trifecta for the ultimate in-store experience today. As long as retailers have the capability to deal with the highest customer demands, they can be prepared for anything.