Understanding Customer Needs
To higher serve customers, a retailer realized that it needed to look beyond just technology and deal with understanding what drives customers to go to their forecourts. The company desired to discover the "pain points" that customers experience when refilling and shopping on the service stations. To answer these questions, the team decided to go on to the source and gather feedback from customers.
Gathering Feedback and Insights
The team hung out in service stations in two countries, collecting helpful feedback from customers. They also drew on research from EY about future consumer trends, including the importance of convenience, personalization, and unique experiences. By combining these insights, the corporate gained a deeper understanding of what customers want and wish.
Developing a Solution
With a newfound understanding of customer needs, the corporate selected to speculate in Augmented Reality (AR) technology before the tip of the 12 months. The team worked in an agile and accelerated way, bringing together talent from the retailer’s marketing and brand teams, in addition to EY’s consumer, mobility, and technology specialists. Within just 10 weeks, they designed and tested a proof-of-concept app.
The App: A Treasure Hunt Experience
The app was designed to send customers on a treasure hunt, encouraging them to unlock games and discounts within the convenience stores. This created a fun and differentiated retail experience that engaged latest kinds of customers and encouraged return visits. By leveraging AR technology, the corporate aimed to offer a singular and enjoyable experience for its customers.
Conclusion
By taking the time to know customer needs and pain points, the retailer was in a position to develop a progressive solution that addressed these issues. The use of AR technology and the creation of a treasure hunt experience helped to create a fun and fascinating retail experience, setting the corporate aside from its competitors. This approach demonstrates the importance of putting the shopper at the middle of business decisions and using technology to boost the shopper experience.
