The COVID-19 pandemic demanded the world to stay indoors, which meant that many of us were forced to shop online. During these retail experiences, it’s likely that you experienced some level of automation. Perhaps you placed an order on an e-commerce site and then received an automated message or email confirming the details of your order. Or you wanted to return an item that wasn’t right for you and received support from an automated returns process. Automation makes it possible for a retailer to manage customer orders and returns with little to no input from human workers.

On a slightly more complex level, retailers can leverage automation tools to track what products customers are drawn to, which aisles customers spend the most time in and what products they look at the most. They can also use these insights to determine how the store layout can be tailored to benefit customer experience and, most importantly, to boost sales.

Spend across the global retail automation market is predicted to surpass $19.5 billion by 2024, which makes now the perfect time to consider how automation can improve your evolving retail operations.

Below, we’ve rounded a few reasons why automation can help you stay competitive.

Cut costs

When processes are automated, retailers no longer have to rely on people to execute simple tasks. As such, automation can save retailers a great deal of money by reducing the number of employees, minimising the need for office space and decreasing other more general overhead costs.

Boost experiences

Automation software makes it possible for retailers to tailor online experiences for each, individual user. As soon as a new customer lands on your site, you can provide them with personalised recommendations based on their searches and browsing history. This shows customers that you care about their needs.

Drive sales

You can offer the best experience but it all comes down to sales. Have you ever filled your online shopping trolley with items before changing your mind? Retailers can respond to this kind of thing by sending out emails offering a discount or just inviting you to come back and complete your purchase. A simple automated message can be developed to decrease shopping cart abandonment and, in doing so, boost sales.

Up efficiency

In line with the point above, automation makes your business more efficient and it empowers your teams to be more productive. Remember that automated email we mentioned earlier? Now imagine how much time would be wasted if someone had to sit and manually send out these emails every time an order is placed.

Retailers are under more pressure than ever to keep people’s attention and to provide a seamless, convenient shopping experience. If you want to stay up-to-date with all the latest news from the retail space, we can help. Our monthly newsletter brings together a range of insights about all things business strategy and innovation. Subscribe to the right.