Study Shoppers, retailers have opposite views of robots in retail

Study Shoppers, retailers have opposite views of robots in retailStudy Shoppers, retailers have opposite views of robots in retailIts no secret that Amazon and e-commerce, in general, is killing retail. And retail is responding in kind, by beefing up their brick-and-mortar stores and online portals with increased technology and personalization, plus often transforming their physical sites into Instagram-friendly experiences. But what do customers actually want?The Future of Retail, anew studyconducted by Oracle NetSuite in partnership with Wakefield Research and The Retail Doctor, a retail consulting firm, examined 1,200 consumers and 400 retail executives across the U.S., U.K., andAustralia.As it welches discovered in the study, the retail industry is far out of step with what shoppers desires. While the retail industry is seemingly complicating matters with needless tech, most shoppers want to keep it simple, pay with their phones, and avoid robots.Retail execs think that theyve ma de the environment in their stores more welcoming. Customers didnt agree. 73% believe that the ambiance in retail stores has become more inviting in the past 5 years. Unfortunately, only 45 percent of consumers agree. 19 percent actually felt stores had become less welcoming.No one wants to talk to a robot to shop. Although 79% of retail executives believe chatbots are helpful to customers, 66% of customers disagree in fact, they consider chatbots an unhelpful scourge on the shopping experience, either in-store or online. Only 5% of consumers said theyd want more technology allowing them to talk or interact with a robot or chatbot.Retail execs think that blinding consumers with shiny technology will increase sales.79% of retail executives think enhancing stores with virtual reality and artificial intelligence will increase sales. Only 14% of consumers agree that these technologies will affect their buying decisions.The faith in tech continues, but only on one side 98% of retail exe cs think virtual reality and artificial intelligence tools will increase foot traffic. 48% of customers do elend think these things would influence whether or not they go into a store.Retail execs want to reach out and connect with customers on social media. Customers do not. Nearly every retail executive (98%) thought that they needed to engage with customers on social media in order to build relationships. Only 12% of customers thought this actually had an effect on how they viewed or interacted with a brand.So whats the good news?People still agree that theres a reason to set foot in a shop (97%). Customers like it most when brick-and-mortar stores have items that are consistent to what theyve seen online (36%) and have a smooth store layout (35%). What they would like to see in the future at stores are self-checkout options (38%) and mobile payments (15%).These findings point to a clear and urgent need for better customer service, saidBob Phibbs, CEO, The Retail Doctor, in a rel ease.No retailer wants their customers to be confused or anxious, yet more than half of respondents have felt that way while shopping contrary to popular belief, millennials want store employees to help them. With nearly every respondent reporting that they value brick-and-mortar stores, now is the time to craft every in-store interaction to keep shoppers coming back.