California-based HashCash Consultants is helping a UAE retailer reform its operational and business set-up through digital integration. The project aims to help the company enable a low-touch shopping experience in their physical stores using automation and digitisation.
 
“The idea is to make physical stores thrive alongside ecommerce platforms,” said Raj Chowdhury, HashCash CEO. “We optimise the existing systems incorporating advanced digital applications and facilitate automation that allows retail outlets to offer their customers a safe, seamless and smart shopping experience.”
 
The idea was generated as a contingency measure to uphold social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, given the far-reaching and long-lasting benefits of such a system, the collaboration has taken a more futuristic approach towards its fulfilment.
 
The scalable technology takes the legacy retail architecture and gives it a smart digital makeover with the promise of enhancing the retail shopping experience.
 
Covid-19 has dealt a severe blow to businesses across sectors, and retail happens to be one of the hardest-hit industries. The sector is reeling from the heavy loss, with businesses still far from completely functional. While most have switched to ecommerce platforms, the physical stores are evolving to meet the changed consumer behaviour and requirements.
 
HashCash has designed digital technology that lets the retailer keep business as usual at physical outlets by ensuring a low touch shopping experience. It is doing this by:

• Leveraging IoT for in-store management facilitating automation of retail operations which reduces human touch
• A intuitive and agile store application for customer service accompanied by e-wallet allows the stores to go cashier-less
• Smart automation allows customers to choose, buy, pay and check out all on their own
• Integration for enhanced customer service and optimal product placement around the store
• In build store app chatbots offer real-time assistance to the shoppers

The advances in security protocols within the system can create a safe ecosystem and a unified platform to execute all these retail operations. It ensures a low touch experience while giving the retail outlet a futuristic renovation.