Last updated : May 02, 2025 5:59 pm
With the aim of enabling access to best front-end tech solutions for offline retailers, Retail Tech Yatra, a new discussion platform, was launched on April 30 at Chennai Hilton, connecting leading retailers/retail designers/VM professionals with industry stakeholders representing key segments of the front-end tech ecosystem - the hardware, the core technology and the content.
Retail Tech Yatra, a first of its kind platform that brings together key stakeholders in the front-end retail tech eco-system, was officially kick-started on April 30 at the Chennai Hilton.
The event was conceived as a platform to enable access feasible, ROI-driven front end tech integration solutions and practices for offline retail.
The inaugural edition of Retail Tech Yatra made a promising start, featuring focused discussions between leading retailers/VM heads/store designers on one side, and industry players representing all the key segments of the front-end tech eco-system on the other. These include hardware, technology and content.
Surender Gnanaolivu, retail industry expert and retail experience design curator, who is also the Independent Consultant for Chief Strategy & Development at 4Dimensions Retail Design, moderated the discussions following presentations by Huzefa Merchant - Founder and CEO of INSYNC Shop Fittings, Anurag Sehgal, Managing Director of Digital Tranzform Pvt Ltd, and Shubham Choubey, Creative Director & Founder, Zero Design Studio.
The event began by Surender setting the context and the core of his message was clear - tech has to solve human problems, a point that resonated with the assembled audience comprising leading retailers from the South.
Building a strong case for placing the customer right at the centre of the whole retail experience, while curating sensory touchpoints, Surender took the audience through interesting examples. As these examples showed, most brands who get it right in the context of consumer experience are those who are closely cued into the their customer’s pain points and use technology to address those problems, while striking the right chord. An important takeaway from his presentation was: “Technology cannot replace humans, but is about freeing them to do what only they can do best.”
Huzefa then took the stage to demonstrate how technology was the key to unlocking closer connect with the new age shoppers. As he pointed out, “Eight out of 10 shoppers today use their smartphones in store, 90% of shoppers read reviews before they buy their products…”
Having established the need to connect with the shoppers of today, Huzefa drove home the need to leverage technology for elevated customer experience. Huzefa made a compelling presentation on how technology can be leveraged to create a versatile store that seduces the shopper, while being cost efficient and ROI-centric. Using technology to re-imagine the store while humanizing the shopper experience, was the crux of Huzefa’s message.
Anurag, representing the tech deployment part of, front-end tech eco-system, then underscored the importance of understanding and catering to different stakeholders in the retail experience funnel by capitalizing on technology.
Taking the audience through real life examples of leading brands like Asian Paints, Pidilite, Van Heusen and Uber, Anurag highlighted the need to use technology as a medium to solve problems and elevate the customer journey. He also demonstrated how ROI from tech investments can be realised with the right and strategic deployment.
Shubham Choubey , Creative Director and Founder of Zero Design Studio, then touched on the other critical part of a tech-led retail experience - content. As he pointed out, “Retail DOOH is now about smart storytelling. Tech enables personalization at the point of decision.”
Defining right content in retail experience, Shubham highlighted, “Visual triggers that match shopper intent,messaging that adapts by zone, time, or inventory and
storytelling that doesn’t interrupt but invites”.
Shubham also highlighted some common issues with content in this context:
As he pointed out "In-store screens are silent sellers — give them something smart to say.”
He then spelt out a clear check list for the right content strategy:
Reiterating the need for right content in a tech led store interface, Shubham presented some real life case studies and effectively summed up his presentation.
The event ended with pointed questions raised by the audience comprising retail heads and others in the retail community and throwing into the spotlight very critical aspects of front- end tech investments in retail.