About this episode
With omnichannel shopping on the rise, consumer behaviors are changing. This is paving the way for a tech-fueled reset in retail, spanning brick-and-mortar stores and ecommerce alike. We discuss this with: Saad Siddiqui, COO, Veeve, Seattle: Siddiqui shares what inspired his team to create a smart shopping cart, how customer and retailer feedback helped the team iteratively improve the cart’s functions and design, and how the team is handling implementation projects as operations scale up. Simon Molnar, founder and CEO, Flagship, Sydney: Molnar discusses why his team developed tech to give brick-and-mortar retailers real-time data on their products, how customers and in-store staff are responding to this tech in a pilot in Sydney, and why he believes teams should be looking to innovate both in-store and online. Key themes [01:03] How changing customer preferences are fueling innovation in retail [02:22] Taking a customer-centric approach to develop the Veeve smart cart [06:28] Using data, first-hand customer feedback for iterative improvements [10:34] How tech can bridge customers’ in-store and online experiences [12:42] A new way for brick-and-mortar retailers to get real-time data on products [15:22] Merging digital and in-store shopping in the Edit Collection pilot