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My “use by date” has
While everyone is gushing about how technology is making everything convenient and exciting
these days, here's a different take on technology from someone who has experienced retail
throughout the decades.
Retail behavior does vary from region to
region, country to country and in format to
format. But whilst the develolpment timeframe
will be different, eventually the retail path is
always the same, which leads to—less people
employed and less, if any, face to face
commercial and social behaviour.
Traditional “service excellence” will disappear
as generations pass from this life:
My parents generation - My parents are
in their 90’s and have told me they are too old
to learn new skills and with rapid technology
development what you learn today becomes
obsolete tomorrow. For my parents what has
always been a matter of easy and accessible
person to person commercial and social
interaction to complete their daily tasks they
now feel isolated in a world where
technolological competency – human to
machine - is now a necessitiy for most tasks.
My father told me that in the past he could
simply visit the local shops to pay his utilitiy
bills and to complete his banking. When
recently, paying his telephone account he was
advised in the future he will need to pay online
thru the internet or thru an App on his mobile
phone. My Dad explained he did not have nor
intend to get a computer or a mobile phone.
The young assistant looked at him with a
perplexed gaze and asked “But how do you
survive without the internet or a cell phone?”
My Dad answered, “well I’m 95 and will pass
from this earth soon so the problem will solve
itself!"
My generation –In the 80’s, technology
made a first appearance as a tool to support
decision making in retail. Primarily, a
diagnostic tool to provide faster access to
trade data it provided details of retail
performance that allowed me to determine
retail decisions faster and with increased
accuracy.
Over the ensuing decades technology
developed in sophistication becoming easier
and faster to access – from weekly to overnight
to real-time - and became dominant in all
aspects of retail management. With the
reliance upon technology came the move from
“coal face action”, to “desktop detainment”
thus removing much, if not all, of the
customer, store and supplier “human
interafce” and all time being in front of the
computer screen”
Whilst I have been able to grasp and adopt
most of the technnological advancement over
the passing decades, in recent years I am
finding with the speed of change and the
sophistication of technology - like my father -
I too am now struggling to absorb and use
technology today.
MARKET WATCH
by Darrell Wisbey
Darrell is a chief mentor and
retail advisor who has 30
years of retail experience
and has built a reputation
for being a leader who
interprets the market
accurately, define strategic
direction, and deliver
success by motivating,
developing and inspiring
teams to achieve continual
improvement
I am not anti-development and use of
technology in our lives and willingly admit I
enthusiastically used technology in my retail
career. Over the early decades of my career as
technology grew in retail, I was able to grow
with it.
Technology that performs tasks faster, sorts
information more accurately, eliminates
human errors and reduces costs are all great
reasons for implementation but at what point
does the negative impact on people outweigh
the perceived technology operational
advantages?
A final hope:
My hopes, as I find myself nearing the end of
my time in retail, are:
My children’s generation – My kids
entered into a world where technology already
was a part of everyday life and in the first
decades of their lives rapid changes in
technology were accepted with routine ease.
Already in their lives completing tasks on-line
and performing daily needs by way of APPS is
accepted as everyday behaviour. There is little
if any at all, memory of the traditional “face to
face” service that was essential for success in
my life and especially in my retail career. That loss of careers in retail will not be an
outcome from use of technology.
The next generation – These kids are
being born into the age of technology and will
know no different. Perhaps they will never leave
their bubble environments and will only
intereact by way of virtual reality screens
using the latest technology. An existence
without the need for real life human
interactions – a sad world that would be. That forward thinking retailers develop their
retail experience to provide people with the
excitement that was unique to traditional retail
– an experience beyond simply buying
something.
The technology reality: As a child, I still remember the family outing
from our small home in the province to the big
department store in the city and the times
spent in seeing and experiencing things never
before seen nor experienced. Oh, how I hope
retail can one day offer the same exciting
experiences that I was fortunate enough to
enjoy with my family.
Technology is the reality and there is no
doubting the value of technology in our lives.
That real life person to person interactions,
both social and commercial, do not get
replaced with human to technology operations.
That instant and non-stop access to
technology data does not destroy a person's
ability to have a valued and balanced life as an
invidual and within a family.
That retail loyalty returns as a true value in
commercial success.
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