TRANSFORMING RETAIL INTELLIGENCE

"Where's my nearest "Where's my supermarlket?" delivery?"

Finding your voice How voice technology will transform retail

"Add eggs to "Does this come in my baslket" a bigger size?" Alexa, how will voice technology transform retail? This is the question on many retailers’ lips as voice-enabled devices such as and Google Home make their way into homes across the nation.

n this special report – the first in Retail Millennial 20/20 event last month. Voice is going to be Week’s Transformative Tech series that And retailers expect this to transform explores the far-reaching impact of new shopping behaviour. enormously disruptive technology across retail – we uncover “Around 10% of UK households now Ihow voice technology will change the way have a device, and we think and retailers are consumers search and buy products, and voice activation is set to be one of the next big what retailers should do to take advantage. retail shifts when it comes to technology,” significantly Amazon sold more than 33 million Echo says Tesco Labs head of research Paul underestimating smart speakers last year while Google has Wilkinson. shifted more than one Google Home device Schuh director of ecommerce and how quickly it’s per-second since it launched last October. customer experience Sean McKee agrees: The voice-enabled assistants on these “We’re already seeing customers using voice going to come devices have been hailed as the most technology to search for products. Rob Barnes, Accenture important technological development since “We can see how shoppers would use the iPhone, and are tipped to drive a similar voice in a number of ways – from searching change in behaviour. for specific products to tracking orders.” “There’s a whole generation right now, Read on to find out how voice tech- where the youth is developing this idea nology will transform search, shopping and where it’s normal to speak with your house,” engagement, customer service, delivery and Max Amordeluso, EU lead evangelist for distribution, and what you should be doing Alexa at Amazon, told delegates at the about it. Chapter one: The potential of voice

Voice technology has been hailed as the new battleground, with many commentators believing voice-enabled assistants are the most important development since the iPhone.

he technology has actually been on “94% of people say they’re now satis- out by voice. the scene for some time. Voice capa- fied with the interaction,” says Accenture But it is the emergence of the voice- bilities have been built into Google managing director of retail technology enabled assistant – pioneered by Amazon’s search since 2009, while Apple consulting Rob Barnes. Alexa – that has stimulated a big uptick in Tintroduced on its iPhone back in 2011. “In the early days, when we used voice on the use of voice technology. And usage is set However, recent advances in speech our phones and you’d ask to call your mum to explode. recognition and natural language processes and you’d be calling Nigel from the office, Analysts at RBC Capital Markets esti- have helped make voice an essential tool for the ineffectiveness would stop you using it. mated that in 2017 Amazon sold 33 million many consumers. There’s been a tipping point.” Echo smart speaker devices, which host its In fact, satisfaction levels for voice interac- In fact, Google says that 20% of all digital assistant Alexa. tions are now relatively high. Android searches in the US are now carried “There’s a whole generation right now, where the youth is developing this idea where it’s normal to speak with your house,” Most common activities using voice technology Max Amordeluso, EU lead evangelist for Alexa at Amazon, told delegates at the Millennial 20/20 event last month. Play music 95% Amazon is not alone. All the major tech- nology platforms – Google, Apple, Microsoft and Samsung – are vying for a slice of the Weather/news 92% voice assistant market. The technology is becoming so wide- spread that research consultancy Ovum General questions 88% estimates by 2021 there will be more digital assistants installed in devices than there are Timers/alarms/shopping lists 77% people on the planet.

Multiple occasions – 16% Voice and shopping Make a purchase Made one purchase – 12% Playing music or asking what the weather Add to basket to buy online – 17% is like may still be the most common uses of voice-enabled devices, but users are finding Digital subscriptions 44% new functions, including searching for and buying products. Amordeluso revealed that 42% of Smart home devices 41% Amazon Echo users had added an item to a shopping list. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Google UK head of search Alessandra % respondents Source: OC&C Alari says: “We are beginning to see voice Chapter one: The potential of voice

become an everyday, accepted behaviour, “Around 10% of UK households now be seen, such as clothes. moving from an experimental tool and party have a smart speaker device, and we think And voice technology will not be limited trick to becoming more fully embedded in voice activation is set to be one of the next big to smart speakers. how we live our lives.” retail shifts when it comes to technology,” Amazon has opened up its voice frame- Consumers aren’t just searching for prod- he says. work and there are now more than 50 prod- ucts via voice – they are also buying them. OC&C estimates that $5bn (£4.4bn) will be ucts – from cars to kitchen appliances – that According to research by consultancy OC&C, spent through voice commerce in the UK by are capable of giving Alexa a voice. 16% of smart speaker users have bought 2022, representing 3% of all online spend. Already car manufacturers, including products via the device more than once. Ford, BMW, Mini, Seat, Skoda and Toyota, Tesco Labs head of technology research New behaviours emerge are integrating Alexa into their vehicles. Paul Wilkinson predicts that voice will have Voice is already changing how people shop. Vista Retail Support technical services a big impact on retail. Tesco director of online business services director James Pepper says this could enable Rafael Orta told IGD Online and Digital shoppers to order products in their car and By 2021, there will Summit late last year: “What we’re seeing is have sat-nav systems instantly programmed a more continuous basket construction.” with directions to the nearest location to be more digital Shopping by voice is in its infancy and the collect from. bulk of orders are made by consumers who Barnes says: “Voice is going to be enor- assistants than know precisely what they want to buy. mously disruptive and retailers are signifi- As a result, groceries and items such as cantly underestimating how quickly it’s people on the planet electronics and homewares are the most going to come.” Estimate by common purchases. Retailers need to understand how their However, the next generation of Google customers will use voice technology on a technology research and Amazon voice-enabled devices have day-to-day basis and determine how this in-built screens, which should open up will impact interactions with their brand, or consultancy Ovum voice commerce across products that need to risk being left behind.

Meet the voice assistants

Name: Alexa Name: Name: Siri Name: Powered by: Amazon Powered by: Google Powered by: Apple Powered by: Microsoft Launched: 2014 for US Amazon Launched: 2016 Launched: 2011 Launched: 2014 Prime members, 2016 in UK Compatible devices: All modern Compatible devices: iPhone, Apple Compatible devices: Microsoft Compatible devices: Echo and Echo Android phones and Google Home Watch, AirPods and HomePod phones, Windows 10 PCs and Dot speakers, Echo Show (with speakers (launched 2017) speaker (launched in February speakers screen), Echo Look (with camera) Key feature: Access to all of Google’s 2018) Key feature: Integrated with and Echo Tap intelligence, and no need to teach Key feature: Integrated with iOS (the Windows Key feature: The Alexa devices can it skills Apple operating software) hear you in noisy environments

Name: Name: Duer Name: LingLong Name: AliGenie Powered by: Samsung Powered by: Chinese Powered by: Chinese ecommerce Powered by: Alibaba Launched: 2017 search engine giant giant JD.com Launched: 2017 Compatible devices: Samsung Baidu Launched: 2016 Compatible devices: , smartphones and Family Hub 2.0 Launched: 2017 Compatible devices: DingDong A1, Genie FireEye refrigerators Compatible devices: Little Fish A2 and A3 Key features: Voice/print Key feature: Understands speakers (video and camera), Key feature: English lessons for recognition to ensure only natural language Sengled smart lamp speaker, PopIn children authorised users Aladdin smart lamp, and Huawei can make orders and Xiaomi phones. using the device Key feature: Takes users’ previous searches and location into account when providing assistance Chapter two: Voice tech and search

Consumers are increasingly using voice to search for products, companies and services, with media analytics firm ComScore forecasting that half of all searches will be carried out this way in just two years.

eople tend to search differently via to a wide range of queries. “If they think the results are biased and not voice than they do through text These answer boxes also determine the tailored to them, they’ll not continue to use search as, unsurprisingly, they use a answers given to Google Home users. the device,” he says. more conversational tone. Unlike the world of text search, businesses “The platform businesses don’t want PAlessandra Alari, head of search at Google are unable to pay for voice search terms that. They are far more interested in the data UK, says: “One of the reasons people are currently. and trying to pair people up with the right using voice search is that it offers a hands- Google tried to introduce paid advertising product.” free way to get quick answers. into search results last year, but this was not The focus for brands and retailers should “Almost 70% of queries to Google warmly received. therefore be SEO and making sure they have Assistant are being asked in normal, natural In the US, Google Home customers who content that surfaces at the top of relevant speech, as opposed to the keyword phrases asked for a summary of the day complained search results. people generally type into a search box. when Google Assistant told them about the Alari says: “For brands, the key to opti- “Using a voice assistant feels much more opening of Beauty and the Beast in cinemas. mising for voice search is knowing what like a human conversation.” The search giant swiftly removed the ad. the questions are likely to be, and why your However, reports surfaced earlier this product is the answer.” Topping Google search year that Amazon is in talks with consumer Alan Boughen, president of paid search All brands and retailers strive to land at the goods giant P&G and cleaning products firm EMEA at advertising giant Omnicom Media top of search results. However, this is even Clorox to promote their products on its Echo Group, says pre-existing tools such as Google more crucial for voice searches. Shoppers devices. Keyword Planner can help brands under- do not want to listen to an endless list of Accenture managing director of retail stand what is being searched for. responses to voice queries – they want just technology consulting Rob Barnes believes He recommends retailers use websites one answer. consumers will not tolerate paid-for search such as AnswerThePublic.com to map out results. the types of questions consumers ask about products and brands. Retailers should then set about creating content to answer those queries. The key to optimising This content needs to be structured in a way that Google rates highly. Boughen says for voice search is the search engine prioritises web pages with knowing what the “structured data” and recommends that brands use websites such as Schema.org An example of an ’answer box’ on a Google questions are likely to to make it easier for webmasters to assess search results page content. be, and why your Jeremy Pounder, futures director at media Google has been evolving to respond to product is the answer agency Mindshare, says a brand’s credibility the growth of voice search and, for the past in the area being searched is also taken into couple of years, has provided ‘answer boxes’ Alessandra Alari, Google account by Google. Chapter two: Voice tech and search

Reviews and social recommendations are Amazon Choice selection criteria important factors while determining cred- ibility, so Pounder urges retailers to build Product Customer experience Supply chain strong relationships with influencers in their Average product rating: >4.5 field. Low return rate All products Prime eligible (i.e. fulfilled by Amazon) How does Amazon do it? Average number of reviews: Strong product guarantees Max. 2-3 day delivery (no stack Amazon’s digital assistant Alexa makes 846 (variable) limitation) product recommendations based on relevant “Best seller” ranking: >#8 Low proportion of negative Perfect order rate (i.e. errors in items in a customer’s order history or basket customer experiences orders delivered to Amazon) >99% in the first instance. across all products Low basket abandonment High customer response rate High order punctuality rate rate within 24 hours Pre-fulfilment cancellation Accurate product information Low order delivery time rate: <2.5% which is not misleading Majority priced at “value end” of market – particularly among cheaper products

An example of an Amazon Choice product

If a customer has not made a purchase of that nature before, Alexa will suggest an ‘Amazon’s Choice’ product. Amazon’s Choice products currently only exist in more “functional” categories, such as electronics, and health and fitness. In categories that do not currently have the Amazon’s Choice feature, the top search result is read aloud. Currently, brands cannot advertise or sponsor search terms on Amazon Echo. Products attain Amazon’s Choice status based on being popular and well-priced, having strong customer metrics and excel- lent supply chain metrics. Amazon’s Choice products also have to be eligible for Prime and sold wholesale to the online giant. This gives brands and retailers more impetus than ever to start selling on Amazon, says Boughen. The Amazon Echo Show has an in-built LCD screen “You need to be on Amazon to be in the game,” he says. many categories, including fashion. The future of search In fact, Amazon’s Echo Look device – Action points: what Right now, consumers tend to search via currently available to buy by invitation voice-operated devices like Amazon Echo only – is designed specifically for the style- should you do now? and Google Home for very functional items. conscious shopper and is described as a Aural results do not make for a good “style assistant”. ●●Understand what types of searches people browsing experience. Users can take full-length photos and short are making that relate to your product or However, the next evolution of voice-oper- videos using their voice to check out their service ated devices will bring a visual element. outfits. Over time, Alexa will learn users’ ●●Make sure you have content on your website Amazon’s latest-iteration Echo Show and style and make product recommendations. that answers these questions Google’s new Smart Display have in-built A built-in feature called Style Check ●●Build relationships with influencers to screens. combines machine-learning algorithms with ensure your content offer is deemed credible Vista Retail Support technical services advice from fashion specialists to give users ●●Make sure your page is SEO-ready. Make director James Pepper says visuals have been a “second opinion” and advise which outfit it easy for search engine crawlers to assess the “missing element” of these devices as a looks the best based on fit, colour, styling and your site lot of things can’t be explained aurally. current trends. ●●Decide whether selling on Amazon is right He believes shoppers will search by voice This functionality makes it a good route to for you. Search is increasingly being diverted and then scroll through results visually on market for clothing brands, but also provides away from Google, and Amazon is the big the new-generation devices. Amazon with a platform to promote its own winner. Brands and retailers can benefit from This should open up opportunities via fashion credentials – an area that it is eager selling on Amazon’s marketplace voice search for brands and retailers across to build on. Chapter three: Voice tech, shopping and engagement

Voice technology is not just impacting how we search – it’s changing how we interact and shop with brands.

he bulk of voice commerce currently developed skills to enable shoppers to buy The best skills take takes place on Amazon. directly through them using Amazon Echo Consultancy OC&C estimates that devices. away the friction of the online giant takes 90% of all These skills allow shoppers to place items Tspend via voice. in their basket via voice command and create doing a task The seamless nature in which users can a continuous basket throughout the week. find products, add them to their Amazon Google UK head of search Alessandra Jeremy Pounder, basket and pay has undoubtedly driven this Alari says: “This changing behaviour gives Mindshare impressive market share. brands an opportunity to use voice search Some retailers have attempted to sell using as their ‘always on’ connection, so that they Amazon and Google’s voice ecosystems by are constantly available to engage and assist developing branded shopping experiences consumers.” on Echo and Home devices. doing a task,” he explains. On Amazon’s Echo devices, skills are What makes a good skill? Pounder uses the example of the Star- the apps of the voice world. Echo users can The really good branded skills have been bucks skill in the US, which allows users to enable or disable branded skills in the same based around utility so far, according to pre-order coffee from the in-built Amazon way that they can install or uninstall apps. Mindshare futures director Jeremy Pounder. Echo in Ford cars for pick-up at its drive- Ocado, Tesco and Morrisons have “The best skills take away the friction of through locations. “That’s a great example of a specific moment, when buying via voice is better than any alternative,” says Pounder. Domino’s Pizza launched a skill in the UK late last year to allow its customers to order their favourite pizza using just six words: “Alexa, ask Domino’s to feed me.” Tom Ollerton, innovation director at Domino’s agency We Are Social, says the takeaway firm’s customers tend to order the same pizza to the same address, so the reordering skill makes this process even easier than tapping its app. Pounder also highlights Tesco’s presence on Amazon Echo and Google Home as an experience that makes life easier for users. Amazon’s Alexa is built into Ford cars, allowing Shoppers can buy Tesco groceries on both users to pre-order a coffee from Starbucks devices as a result of its collaboration with IFTTT, a platform that joins together shop- Chapter three: Voice tech, shopping and engagement

pers’ online accounts. Tesco Labs head of technology research Paul Wilkinson says: “If the customer shops with us regularly, we do our best to match this command with the products they normally choose, so their usual two pints of semi-skimmed milk are added to their basket – not just the first result that’s returned.” It is no surprise that grocery retailers like Tesco have been the first to market in the UK with branded skills. The transactions that are taking place via voice right now tend to focus on reordering and replenishing products, making super- market shopping a good fit. Vista Retail Support technical services director James Pepper says: “It’s really incon- venient to shop online for grocery. “Building a shopping list as and when you remember, then completing the transaction once a week, really simplifies the process.” Brand building through skills Skills and actions are not right for every Skills aren’t just about ecommerce; they can Both include subtle references to Unilever also offer an effective route for consumers to products. brand as there are only engage with brands. Similarly, drinks manufacturer Pernod Ricard Barnes says that, when developing skills, launched the What Cocktail? Alexa skill to help a limited number that retailers need to focus on “meeting the everyday users mix drinks at home, and washing powder the shopper will use needs of their customers on this platform”. brand Tide has a skill that tells users how to get For fashion retailers, this might be style rid of 100 different stains. advice rather than product information, for There is also an opportunity for brands to right and will offer shoppers an in-built vast example. entertain users through voice-enabled devices. range, sold at competitive prices, with a FMCG giant Unilever has launched several Last Christmas, John Lewis partnered with completely seamless shopping experience. skills to engage with its consumers. Google Home to release an interactive audio Accenture managing director of retail Its Recipedia skill gives step-by-step storybook for children based on Moz the technology consulting Rob Barnes says that instructions on how to cook more than 650 Monster, the star of its Christmas campaign. some retailers, particularly those operating meals, while its Cleanipedia skill shares Children could use the Google Home speaker in categories that are commoditised, should household tips. to read aloud and ask questions about the story. insert themselves into Amazon’s supply chain by selling on its marketplace, rather than investing in their own branded experi- Skills shortage Selling via Google Home ence. An increasing number of brands and retailers On Google, brands can create ‘actions’ that However, retailers who sell more unique are developing Alexa skills, with Amazon allow Google Home users to get things done product and have a distinct offer should reporting a 428% increase in these year on with specific brands. create their own skills and actions to give year. However, the consumer uptake of skills Unlike Amazon Echo skills, users do customers a similar experience via voice that is thought to have been limited so far. not have to enable a branded experience or they would get across other sales channels. According to a 2017 report by VoiceLabs, request that Google Assistant uses it. only 31% of Alexa skills have more than one Instead, the assistant decides which is the customer review, which suggests they are best action to fulfil the user’s request – much not being used regularly. like a traditional search engine – and then Action points: what The fact that users need to enable these asks if they want to use it. skills and specifically ask Alexa to add goods The fact that consumers do not have to should you do now? to to their Ocado or Tesco baskets makes this explicitly search for this action, as they do on a clunky process. Amazon, can make interaction with brands ●●Determine whether a branded shopping or Voice is about ease, and if Amazon is a easier on Google’s voice platform. engagement experience is right for your brand plausible place to buy products – which it ●●Assess what purpose a skill or action is across a wide range of categories – users Is a skill or action right for your would serve for your shoppers. Would it be will not take the extra step of asking Alexa to brand? transactional or would it provide unique purchase through a particular skill, unless Skills and actions are not right for every content? there is already strong brand loyalty there. brand as, just like apps in the mobile world, ●●Decide which platform works for you. OC&C partner Will Hayllar says: “The risk, there are only a limited number that the Amazon may be more of a transactional which is part of Amazon’s objective here, shopper will use. environment, but can you entice shoppers to is making it more and more easy to shop And right now one of the biggest players take the extra step to download your skill? through them.” in voice, Amazon, is a retailer in its own Chapter four: Voice tech and customer service

Smart home technology is spearheading consumer voice interaction. However, experts believe people will soon feel comfortable using this technology outside the home as well.

or retail, the obvious next step is Voice-activated products have already Meanwhile, in Japan, Henn-na hotels use bringing voice assistance into stores. been used to provide customer service by a robots to check in guests. Rob Barnes, Accenture’s managing number of hospitality brands globally. Mindshare futures director Jeremy director of retail consulting tech- In San Antonio, Texas, the JW Marriott Pounder says fashion retailers could embed Fnology, says this could be win-win for resort uses Echo Dot in its hotel rooms voice assistants into changing rooms. These consumers and retailers. to inform guests about restaurants, room could order products in different sizes and “The common complaint you hear from service and directions. even offer style advice. consumers is that they want to engage with There is also an opportunity for brands staff in store,” he says. Voice-activated devices to link this customer-facing, voice-enabled “Meanwhile, retailers say they want to technology with back-end systems, such take staff away from more mundane tasks. could be linked to as real-time stock information, to further This could be the solution.” enhance the experience. “It’s hard to have highly knowledgeable shopping trolleys or to experienced people across all stores in your Navigating the store network. Voice could offer a new heightened a voice-activated Technology is already being used by retailers customer experience by making it acces- assistant on an app to help shoppers navigate stores. sible to the customer in a way they would be Harrods makes use of interactive maps on comfortable with.” Paul Wilkinson, Tesco its app to help shoppers find specific brands and products at its Knightsbridge store. And Barnes says interactive voice Amazon’s Echo Dot can now be response technology could solve simple found in some JW Marriott hotels queries, such as giving directions to specific products. By using either voice-enabled devices or shoppers’ own smartphones, retailers could bring these directions to life and facilitate conversation between users and virtual store assistants. Tesco Labs head of research technology Paul Wilkinson told delegates at Retail Week’s Tech. event last year that there was “a lot of opportunity” for the grocer to deploy voice search tech in-store to allow shoppers to locate items on their shopping lists faster. He said voice-activated devices could be linked to shopping trolleys or to a voice-acti- vated assistant on a retailer’s mobile app. Chapter four: Voice tech and customer service

Voice technology IN NUMBERS The rise of voice search Smart speaker penetration % voice search on Android, 2017 UK households % total search on voice in 2020 2017 2022 10%

20% (US)

The Harrods app includes an interactive store map to aid shoppers 50% 48% (global estimate) Tech for colleagues And it’s not just shoppers that could WORLDWIDE UK FOCUS benefit from voice technology. Wilkinson says store colleagues could use it to check information like stock levels, By 2017 2022 Voice assistant Voice commerce delivery schedules and promotions in-store, brand preference predicted spend as well as helping customers with specific queries. 2021 When mobile devices such as iPads and there wil be more £3.5bn kiosks were first introduced into stores, will be spent via digital assistants Amazon some retailers found shoppers reluctant to 80% Echo voice commerce use them. installed in devices in the UK... However, when staff used this technology THAN PEOPLE ...amounting to to assist shoppers instead, real value was achieved. ON THE PLANET “We already have our colleague app Google 3% 20% Home of all online spend Inform, which enables colleagues to scan products and quickly receive information about them, so voice could be part of making Battle of the brands Amazon’s dominance that even more helpful,” says Wilkinson. Estimated number of smart The % of all voice commerce speaker devices sold globally spend that went to Amazon Action points: what 90% should you do now?

●●Identify the real benefits of introducing voice technology into store – avoid having tech for tech’s sake 33million ●●Explore whether voice devices could carry 8 out more routine tasks to free up customer million service staff to focus on more complex issues ●●Identify ways that voice technology could

make colleagues better informed Sources: Google, OC&C, RBC Capital Markets, ComScore, Ovum Chapter five: Voice tech, delivery and distribution

Voice technology could also help boost productivity and improve customer experience across delivery and distribution.

ne of the objectives of Amazon Echo Google Home to allow shoppers to do just having to input a barcode or postcode. is to make shopping with Amazon that. Hermes senior digital imagineer Carl easier, and tracking parcels is a On Amazon Echo, users have to enable the Robinson says its customers are using this fundamental function of the device. Hermes skill, but Google Home customers functionality. OBy asking “Alexa, where’s my stuff?” simply ask Google Assistant where their “The experiences that we’ve put out have shoppers can find out the status of their Hermes delivery is and are updated with gained more usage than we expected, and Amazon order. Users can also set up notifica- the location of all parcels in transit without they’ve proven sticky enough to keep people tions to be informed when their purchases coming back using them,” he says. are sent out for delivery. It makes sense to use “We’re removing obstacles and making it Parcel tracking is one of shoppers’ most as seamless as possible.” desired delivery options – according to a hearing rather than Retail Week survey last December, 40% of Warehouse uses shoppers said the ability to track parcels was visual instructions as Productivity is under the spotlight in retail the most important element of delivery. warehouses, and voice technology could Parcel tracking on voice-enabled devices eyes are looking for enable employees to work more efficiently. could save shoppers calling a contact centre product or pallet “Lots of warehouses are already using or logging on to a web portal. It is a core func- voice to direct pickers where to find items,” tion of Ocado’s Alexa skill. locations says OC&C partner Will Hayllar. Courier Hermes has launched a parcel- Workers use headsets and are given aural tracking service on both Amazon Echo and Will Hayllar, OC&C directions to product or pallet locations. “It makes sense to use hearing rather than The ring light on Alexa visual instructions as eyes are looking for devices turns yellow product,” says Hayllar. when there is a delivery John Lewis has used voice picking for notification for the user the past decade, and in 2015 implemented voice technology to improve the accuracy of loading onto vehicles at its distribution centres. The technology, provided by Voiteq, was introduced to prevent errors in the loading of goods to store, which it said at the time was “a reasonably frequent occurrence”. John Lewis distribution systems manager William Armitage said: “We can only put that down to the process of having to hold devices for scanning or interacting with screens and keyboards. Chapter five:Voice tech, delivery and distribution

integrated into the majority of modern smartphones, Robinson says there could be an opportunity to harness these devices in retail warehouses, rather than investing in hardware. However, he sounds a note of caution about bringing emerging technology such as voice recognition into workplaces. “When you force employees to use new technology, it generally doesn’t work,” he says. ”When consumer adoption of this tech- nology is higher and employees are using it already in their day-to-day lives, it opens up more uses in a distribution environment.”

Action points: what

John Lewis has been using voice picking in their distribution centres for the last decade should you do now? ●●Look to bring parcel-tracking functionality “We wanted a solution that offered hands-free. to your businesses’ skills and actions on partners the same productivity, increased Tesco Labs head of technology research voice-enabled devices. Tracking improves accuracy and hands-free, eyes-free benefits Paul Wilkinson says tech of this type could customers’ delivery experience and doing this of the voice-directed system we already help its warehouse workers. via voice is quick and easy. It can also reduce successfully use for picking.” “Voice could complement our picking call centre activity The technology translates on-screen activity, enabling colleagues to confirm ●●Assess the benefits of bringing voice instructions into voice and then enters the when a task is completed simply by saying recognition systems into your warehouses. user’s verbal response back to the screen. so, making their experience even simpler,” This can make picking, packing and loading This enables employees working within he says. safer and more accurate the loading environment to be completely With voice recognition technology

Find out more…

The digital revolution has ushered in the most and their approach to the home. challenging era in the history of retail. Join us The message is clear: the way ahead won’t be at Tech. – the most important two-day festival easy, but significant opportunities wait for those of digital retailing – and enjoy the following brands who lay the groundwork to optimise their sessions: strategies for the future now.

Mass-personalisation and in-home commerce: Personalised shopping through v-commerce What next for marketing? Unlike innovations in the past, nowadays Voice-based interaction with digital services is technological advance in one area will certainly fast overtaking screen-based interaction, leading have transformative impacts in another area. brand owners and their agencies to a watershed AI voice assistance is one of the hottest topics point in the history of marketing. in tech right now. Personalisation has made its With the ability to create new and compelling way from a novel feature on a music streaming propositions informed by both consumers’ service, to becoming a key feature in the behavioural data (what they did, where they shopping journey. did it and why) and contextual data (what time Many retailers avidly integrate related of day did they do it, what was the weather technology to make this possible both in-store like), marketers must adapt to the new rules of and online. Its adoption started with high-value engagement, opportunities and challenges this items such as electronics and fashion. heralds… and fast. David Coombs (Head of Strategic Services, Panellists: Cheil UK) presents a snapshot of the future ●●Toby Knight, Solutions Architecture, AWS of marketing in a world driven by mass- ●●Paul Wilkinson, Head of Technology Research, personalisation and in-home commerce. He Tesco Labs highlights some of the data challenges many ●●Ravi Mattu, Editorial Director in Tech, Financial brand owners are still struggling to deal with Times and talks about his experience with Samsung Find out more: Tech.Retail-Week.com Join the conversation… What does the future hold for voice technology in retail? Tweet us @RetailWeek or leave a comment on our Facebook page.

Want more stories like this in your inbox? Sign up to the Retail Week daily emails and get the biggest retail headlines each morning. Manage your newsletter preferences at Retail-Week.com/newsletters

Written by Gemma Goldfingle Produced by John Beaumont and Nathan May