According to a recent survey conducted by SOTIInc., the majority of Australian shoppers stand ready to embrace the move towards autonomous shopping experiences, such as Amazon Go.
Recently launched in the U.S., Amazon Go removes checkout counters and having to line up to pay and allows ‘just walk out shopping’. Autonomous shopping brings with it a greater reliance on technology within retail than ever before to provide customers with a better shopping experience.
While the ‘just walk out shopping’ concept is still very new and not an experience many Australians have likely been exposed to, this type of convenience is something they are ready for. According to the SOTI survey, over two thirds (67%) of Australians feel comfortable with an autonomous in-store shopping experience, such as Amazon Go, if it means they don’t have to line up and pay at a register, but can instead simply walk out with their purchases and be charged directly to their bank accounts.
“Retailers have witnessed big shifts in recent years thanks to the adoption of technology in stores and changing customer behaviours,” said Michael Dyson, Managing Director Australia and New Zealand, SOTI.
“Customers want more flexible, faster and convenient shopping options, and they want sales associates to be better informed so they can offer a more personalised shopping experience. Customers are ready to move away from the traditional ‘purchase at a sales counter’ style of transaction.”
These customer desires are reflected by the survey results, which showed that more than half of Australian consumers (57%) would prefer to shop in a retail store that had its staff more focused towards providing customer service (including price checks and product information) on the shop floor, rather than having them stationed behind a checkout counter.
With the SOTI survey revealing 68% of Australians spend up to 20 minutes a week waiting in lines, it’s unsurprising that the survey also found that not having to wait in line (58%), and having a faster and more convenient way to shop (56%), were the two most appealing benefits of being able to shop in an autonomous store.
“We all know that people are very time poor these days and they don’t want to waste time waiting in line at a sales counter,” explained Michael Dyson. “That’s why there is a clear appeal among Australian shoppers for the quicker and more convenient experience offered by autonomous retail.”