When Will Emerging Retail Tech Become the Norm? with Stuart Armstrong of ComQi

Over the years, e-commerce has become a large entity in the Retail industry. It’s availability and ease-of-use have made it top competition for traditional brick-and-mortar stores, forcing retailers to lean into experience versus convenience. It’s evolved so much so that large retail stores are struggling to remain relevant (i.e. Toys R Us, Sears).

At what point will all of these new techniques and technologies become the new normal? On today’s podcast, we sat down with Group President for ComQi Stuart Armstrong. Retailers who are thriving are doing so by adapting similar technology into their brand, and online stores are now opening up physical stores, making the distinction between brick-and-mortar and e-commerce less apparent.

“If we just invented retailing today, with all the technology, we wouldn’t have that separation. The term ‘omni-channel’ wouldn’t exist. The term ‘e-commerce’ wouldn’t exist,” Armstrong said.

“It would simply be ‘shopping’ and ‘retailing’. Shoppers would have one view of the brand. They wouldn’t have a separate view that’s their website, a separate view that’s their mobile, a separate view that’s their brick-and-mortar. They would see that brand and the continuity between the various channels. And very importantly, that brand would have one view of the consumer and not different views, based upon the channel in which they shop.”

On the podcast, we discuss the mindset of branding, and how digital signage helps to recreate the model of ‘The Local Grocer.’ Armstrong reminds us that Retail isn’t about the technology, but creating the customer experience, even if it’s happening online.

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