co-op self service

The future is self service

Sir, The Fourth Industrial Revolution is already impacting retail. As physical, digital and biological technologies become entwined, we are witnessing a huge change in how retailers operate and consumers shop. We are already witnessing this change in action, most notably in the form of self-service machines in supermarkets and other retailers.

As tech giants step into physical retail, this shift will happen quicker than first thought. Retailers must invest in digital transformation to thrive, which is why flexible ‘device-as-a-service’ models are so popular. These eliminate financial (and usually logistical) constraints on retailers through subscription payments, allowing them to implement digital technology as quickly as possible.

Mark Kelly, sales director - retail, hospitality & supply chain, Econocom UK & IRL



…or is it checkout staff?

Sir, Sir Ken Morrison said he would rather appoint more checkout operators than appoint another board member. Retail executives may wish to apply his common sense. People would rather have more checkout operators and more staff looking after shelves than these self-service checkouts or company committees. More employment means more money circulating in retail. Paying people on the dole is a waste of scarce resource. Let’s employ them in retail.

John Barstow, member, Usdaw executive council



Clicks are a flawed guide

Sir, Since the dawn of digital, we’ve marvelled at the ability to measure campaign performance based on clicks. Great CTR? Great campaign. Except it’s not really true, and deep down we all know it.

We conducted a study of 60 UK fmcg and GM digital ad campaigns over a 12-month period and found no evidence that click-through is in any way related to sales performance for display. Many campaigns were successful, with the key drivers of performance identified as relevant target audiences, tailored, simple creative messaging, and the right frequency of exposure.

Good marketing leads to high-performing campaigns - and the right approach to measurement brings this to light. Concentrating on clicks does not. At best, you’re having no tangible impact on your digital media performance and could be promoting bad campaigns at the expense of good ones due to a flawed measure.

Tom Langley, head of media propositions, Dunnhumby

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