Go On, Try It — Brands Have Room to Stumble In Retail Tech Experiences: Harris Poll
Note to brands: Consumers are pretty forgiving when it comes to companies trying new tech-enabled retail experiences, indicating a prime opportunity for a few risky dice rolls.
It’s a tolerance that even extends into artificial intelligence — though up to a far shorter point.
Just making an effort matters today, and the brands failing to take advantage of this appetite for innovation are leaving a range of opportunities on the table, according to research presented by The Harris Poll at the P2PI Live event in Chicago last week.
Sixty percent of consumers say they feel more positively about brands that are trying to create new consumer experiences about shopping. What's more, 67% say they appreciate brands that try new technologies and innovations, even if they're unsuccessful.
See also: Learn why Walmart is considered the most AI-ready FMCG retailer
Acknowledging that brands are understandably cautious about potentially upsetting consumers, Michele Salomon, VP at The Harris Poll, instead urged them to be a bit bolder and better utilize some newer technologies.
“Consumers are open to these new [technological and retail] experiences, and they're going to give you the benefit of the doubt,” she stressed.
“They're telling us that they appreciate brands that are going to try new technologies — even if perhaps the first time it doesn't work and it needs a little refinement — and they're going to feel more positively about brands that are trying to increase the overall shopping experience to make it better.”
For example, while just 7% of consumers reported purchasing a product on a livestream — the lowest choice in point-of-purchase tech usage — it received the highest endorsement, with 72% of consumers saying it had an impact on their shopping experience.
This may be because of all the choices, livestreaming is the tech-enabled experience that most closely approximates in-person shopping, according to Salomon.
Grocery Opportunities
Grocery consumers are among those eager for innovation:
- 73% report feeling more positive about grocery stores that offer seamless shopping experiences across online, mobile, and in-store channels
- 70% are willing to try new services and technologies that streamline grocery shopping experiences
- 59% would rather shop at a grocer trying emerging technologies even if they fail sometimes and need to remove the technology
- 52% are more likely to stay loyal to a grocery brand that tries emerging technologies like AI-driven customer service or virtual shopping assistants
“They're also willing to give you the benefit of the doubt if you try something and fail, particularly within grocery,” said Gabriel Rozenwasser, research director at The Harris Poll. “So don't feel that just because grocery is something that people have to do, that there isn't an opportunity there for innovation and for really refined experiences.”
Cold-Water Caution
Excitement and innovation aside, tech nonetheless falls to the bottom of the heap when it comes to consumers’ current priorities. When asked about the two most important issues that companies should focus on today, keeping prices fair during inflation and improving product quality rose to the top, selected by 54% and 48%, respectively. Embracing and investing in future technologies like AI was chosen by just 13%.
Indeed, AI specifically remains an enabler that may be better off behind the scenes: 70% of consumers say companies overestimate their interest in AI-infused products and services, with 72% believing it’s just become another marketing ploy. A clear majority (78%) say what matters to them most is a product or service's overall quality and experience — not if it uses AI.
See also: What CPGs should know about bot-to-bot retail experiences
“Artificial intelligence is here to stay. We all know it's not going anywhere … What consumers are saying, though, is that, ‘Hold on, it’s not just another spice to put in the soup if it doesn't belong there,’” said Salomon.
“You really need to make AI matter. The fact that your product or your goods or services, they have to work. They have to be the quality, and they have to provide the experience, that customers want. So don't throw AI in there just because you can, because it really needs to matter.”
