• Zimbabwean retail stores need to start offering state-of-the-art store experiences to inventory management
  • In 2022, the retail industry experienced several intriguing changes related to the usage of alternative energy sources, such as a fresh method of fleet optimization
  • Zimbabwean retailers should be aware of technological advancements that have significantly altered the retail buying experience to support the expansion of their companies both locally and worldwide.

The majority of inventions are typically replicated in developing nations like Zimbabwe, thus this article will highlight a few technological advancements that have transformed the retail shopping experience in Europe. Due to rigid management practices and comfort levels, the grocery retail industry in Zimbabwe appears to be very hesitant to adopt new technology to provide better services and grow its business. All of these areas of retail establishments need to alter, from supply chains to store shelves and beyond.

To compete regionally and internationally, Zimbabwean retail stores need to start offering state-of-the-art store experiences to inventory management, last-mile delivery, sustainability measures, and reining in waste across the supply chain in a bid to see the sector benefit from technology in innovative ways.

Here are two ways that European shops have embraced technology to dominate their respective markets. To obtain a competitive edge, Zimbabwean retailers should see fit to embrace and copy these strategies.

Increased Mobility

Asda, a UK retailer, and GoodMaps, a company that offers navigation services for those who are blind or visually challenged, collaborated on a trial project at their Stevenage store in November 2021. The program had possibilities beyond serving customers who were blind or partially sighted, as the merchant found out.

How the app functions

This initiative's technology employs audio to direct consumers to the appropriate location inside the store. GoodMaps physically scans the store and then uses camera technology to record where customers are moving around, ensuring that the camera sees every item and every aisle. All of the pertinent information is then added to an in-app map. It's a pretty clever application of technology that makes use of customer knowledge. argues Dalton. The blind community and other physically challenged persons can profit from these apps.

Retailers in Zimbabwe don't think it's necessary, for instance, to interact with populations of the visually handicapped. There isn't much that Zimbabwean merchants can provide beyond creating parking spaces for the disabled, which is the only time they give it any thought. These apps for greater mobility can also benefit those who experience social anxiety or find the store environment to be difficult or overwhelming. Zimbabwean shops have been neglecting these issues for a long time.

Result

To increase customer access to the service, Asda has added more than ten additional outlets to the GoodMaps app before the end of 2022. Four- and five-star evaluations have also been given to these establishments, and several customers have indicated that they would change retailers due to the quality of the service. These are a few technological advancements in which Zimbabwean retailers ought to make investments.

Smart Supply Chains

Once more, this technology will examine how well European nations have adopted these technologies. In 2022, the retail industry experienced several intriguing changes related to the usage of alternative energy sources, such as a fresh method of fleet optimization. To meet the various governments in the EuroZone's environmental goals, retailers in Europe have been testing a variety of technologies for their delivery fleet. One such test involved the delivery of commodities from distribution centres to supermarkets using dual-fuel hydrogen trucks. Zimbabwean businesses are still hesitant to invest in such cutting-edge technologies because they are worried about spending too much money on capital equipment.

How this technology functions

Long-distance transportation and logistics could benefit from dual-fuel technologies, such as an electric-diesel hybrid system, which would guarantee significant pollution savings. The key benefit is that this innovation will optimize the transportation system and improve operations, especially in light of all the existing European legislation, new regulations governing green emissions, and impending 2030 targets. Zimbabwean businesses ought to be aware of and use this technology.

In conclusion, Zimbabwean retailers should be aware of technological advancements that have significantly altered the retail buying experience to support the expansion of their companies both locally and worldwide.