With the ever-changing world and increasing demand for convenience, personalization, and more digital adoption, the grocery and retail arenas are quickly adapting to meet growing consumer needs.
When most consumers think e-Commerce and the digital age, they think the end of the traditional brick-and-mortar stores and purely online retail. While online sales continue to rise each year, there remains some personalized options consumers are not able to obtain solely online. Whether it is selecting the perfect thin slice of meat from your personal deli or hand-picking your produce, or just the ease of trying on a shirt to feel the fabric, there is still an inherent need for both online and brick-and-mortar stores. Therefore, it is essential to find the perfect blend of the two worlds.
There have already been new developments in this area to include curbside pickup, online delivery and click and collect meal planning. However, these viable options still do not achieve the convenience and personalization that consumers so strongly desire. Therefore, the future of grocery and retail is omni-channel to bridge the online and in-store experience and give customers more flexibility.
What’s an omni-store, exactly? An omni-store is a physical store paired with digital services. It is the seamless combination of the online and the brick-and-mortar store.
Automated Fulfillment In-Store
Utilizing options such as the AutoStore grid and other emerging technologies, current brick-and-mortar stores can utilize their center aisles for AutoStore high density storage for space efficiency. Customers can have their groceries or retail goods consolidated in less than ten minutes via the AutoStore system and fulfillment application such as KPI-S (Kommand Performance Intelligent Software). Grocery stores utilizing the KPI-S fulfillment application can pick and pack an order quickly and efficiently.
Omni-Channel
One store can satisfy both the in-store experience and e-Commerce customers. Customers can shop within the store on their mobile device or from digital kiosks within the store.
Engaging In-Store Experience
With a more space-efficient storage system, retailers can replace aisles with richer in-store experiences, attractions, or personalized services. With no single point of failure, the design provides customers with a near 100% system availability.
Convenient Click & Collect 24/7
The automated storage and picking system provides a flexible self-service experience. Customers can collect online orders in a few minutes. Curbside and Last Mile Delivery allows customers to select their preferred option to collect pre-picked orders curbside or get home delivery.
Build Today for Tomorrow
The highest density of cubic space utilization uses space to its fullest capacity and makes it possible to expand product assortment. AutoStore’s modular solution is fully customizable to fit any height, floor shape and obstacles. A standardized system permits easy and fast installation. The design is modular based, and just like building blocks, you can build any shape, form, or height you need.
The future is everchanging with more forms of digital experiences emerging every day. Automation coupled with digital applications serves as the perfect combination of convenience and personalization, to fulfill increasing efficiency and consumer demand.
https://kpisolutions.com/redefining-the-micro-fulfillment-space/
