Australian shoppers ready to cut the line with autonomous, cashier-less retail

Survey reveals two-thirds of Australian shoppers are ready for a more autonomous in-store shopping experience.

According to a recent survey conducted by SOTI Inc., the world’s most trusted provider of mobile and IoT management solutions, 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 is a new kind of shopping experience that 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.

A new way of shopping

While the ‘just walk out shopping’ concept is still very new and not 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.

Customers want to cut the line

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.”

Autonomous stores, such as Amazon Go, are bagless and allow customers to put products in their pockets or own bag (e.g., handbags, backpacks) and walk out of the store, rather than receiving plastic bags from the store, which was another factor that appealed to 55% of those surveyed.  

The technology must be secure

For consumers to fully get behind the autonomous shopping experience, however, it is crucial that retailers ensure the technology they use is secure. When asked what concern they would have around ‘just walk out shopping,’ 57% of those surveyed by SOTI stated that the security of the technology involved was their primary concern, as well as misuse of information (48%).

“For autonomous stores to really take off in Australia, it is crucial that retailers address any concerns that customers have around the security of the technology and the privacy of their information. Customers want convenience, but never at the risk of the security of their information,” added Michael Dyson.

To ensure the compliance, security, and management of autonomous stores’ technology, retailers need to implement a business-critical mobility solution that provides them with end-to-end security, visibility, and control of mobile devices and IoT endpoints, and enable retailers to secure customer data.

Methodology:

SOTI surveyed 501 Australians.

About SOTI Inc.
SOTI is the world’s most trusted provider of mobile and IoT device management solutions, with more than 17,000 enterprise customers and millions of devices managed worldwide. SOTI’s innovative portfolio of solutions and services provide the tools organisations need to truly mobilise their operations and optimise their mobility investments. SOTI extends secure mobility management to provide a total, flexible solution for comprehensive management and security of all mobile devices and connected peripherals deployed in an organisation. For more information, visit www.soti.net.  

 

 

 

 

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