Written By: eyos Marketing | Last Updated: February 2023
Innovative technology has transformed retail experiences in recent years. New ideas and developments have allowed brands to deliver standout experiences both in-store and offline, allowing companies to create a true omnichannel experience.
One of the most exciting developments we’ve seen in the past few years has got to be the cashierless store. Completely removing the need for checkout, the cashierless store creates a smoother, more enjoyable shopping experience for customers. And it comes with a wealth of benefits for businesses, too.
What are Cashierless Stores?
Cashierless stores could well be the stores of the future. Created using cutting-edge technology, these stores have no need for a checkout – and that means no queues.
At cashierless stores, customers can simply browse, choose the items they’d like to buy and leave with their chosen products. Every customer is then automatically billed for the products they’ve picked up during their shopping trip, with any relevant discounts and promotions instantly applied.
The fact that cashierless stores are now possible is a testament to the huge advancements in technology we’ve seen in recent years. These stores depend on incredibly complex tech, with cameras, sensors and deep learning all working in unison to deliver a shopping experience that’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.
How Do Cashierless Stores Work?
Cashierless stores use artificial intelligence, with a network of cameras and sensors creating a high-tech shopping experience.
The cameras and sensors located throughout the cashierless store are fully automated. Interconnected sensors can track the location of products along with the weight of a shopper’s basket. They are therefore capable of detecting which products a consumer has chosen to buy, without anything having to be manually scanned at a till.
When the consumer has finished choosing their items, they can simply leave the store, safe in the knowledge that they will be charged the correct amount for all the items they’ve chosen to purchase. A digital receipt is automatically generated and sent to a customer’s smartphone as they leave the store.
Benefits of a Cashierless Store
The idea of the cashierless store is an enormously powerful one. Because the technology used to create a cashierless store quickly eliminates many of the common pain points that customers report about in-store retail experiences.
Not only does a cashierless store speed up the shopping process, it completely removes the need for queuing. For that reason alone, the idea is destined to impress. Take a look at some of the other key benefits of cashierless stores.
Efficient Contactless Shopping
Cashierless stores take contactless shopping to the next level. By removing the checkout from the retail experience, it becomes truly contactless.
If everything works as it should, there’s no need for any human contact at a cashierless store. This means that shopping can be completed faster and more efficiently than it ever could have before. Businesses also benefit from cost savings in terms of staffing, as less staff are required to keep a cashierless store running smoothly.
GDPR Compliance
Cutting edge retail experiences like cashierless stores are impossible to deliver without data collection on customers. But cashierless store technology makes it easy for brands to ensure full compliance, as it’s been designed with GDPR regulations in mind.
Cashierless store technology is designed and created with priority given to the obligations organisations must follow. This means that brands introducing the technology can effortlessly ensure they’re always on the right side of GDPR compliance.
Improved Shopping Experience
The experience is really where the cashierless store excels. Customers using a cashierless store can browse at their leisure, and when it comes time to leave they can simply do so without having to face any frustrating waits in line.
Allowing customers to pick up the products they need and head off on their way creates an unparalleled shopping experience, which traditional stores could never deliver. And it’s likely that once customers try a cashierless store for themselves, they’ll soon be back to shop again.
Will Cashierless Stores Succeed?
Cashierless stores are an exciting and innovative idea, and there’s no denying the benefits they could bring to customers and businesses. But with any advancement in technology comes a unique set of challenges. Cashierless stores are, of course, no exception.
The technology required to design and run a cashierless store remains hugely complex. It’s therefore prohibitively expensive for many companies. It’s worth noting that some customers might feel sceptical of the idea, too. While certain demographics are quick to embrace new technology, others are likely to favour more traditional shopping experiences.
Over time, we can expect to see a gradual rise in the uptake of cashierless stores, as many more big name brands start to adopt the technology. And as the price of such setups comes down, it’s likely that it could become more accessible for smaller businesses too.
A rise in the number of cashierless stores could be enough to persuade hesitant customers to try the new experience, but their initial success will depend on the quality of the technology used. Any hiccoughs could be enough to put customers off, so it’s vital that automated billing and receipt generation works perfectly every time.
There’s no reason why cashierless stores won’t succeed in years to come. It may just be a case of watching and waiting.
Get Advice from eyos retail
eyos retail delivers software designed to transform shopping experiences.
Retailers worldwide use eyos retail software to identify in-store customers through digital receipts, connecting 100% of in-store transactions into any platform in real time.
If you’d like to find out more about how you can upgrade the experience your company offers, get in touch with the team to find out more.
Additional Reading
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