UK Retail Technology Trends 2023

From Cashierless Stores to AI Chatbots, Which Innovations Are Winning With Consumers?

Report by Carina Perkins  | UPDATED: Oct 7, 2024
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Report Snapshot
Retailers should invest in technology that delivers frictionless and personalized shopping experiences.
When it comes to technology, age does matter.
Immersive technology can elevate the in-store experience—but fast payment is a bigger priority.
Self-service technology doesn’t always remove frictions.
Cashierless technology has broad appeal—but “just walk out” stores are proving a step too far.
Consumers are turning to smartphones to improve the in-store experience.
AR technology is starting to catch on.
Online checkout technology is helping tackle cart abandonment.
AI is speeding up service and product discovery—but consumers remain cautious.
What should retailers do next?
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
The pandemic accelerated investment in CX technology to meet rapidly changing needs. But as consumer priorities shift again amid high inflation, UK retailers need to understand which technologies are hitting the mark and which are not.
Topics
Retail Sales
UK
Table of Contents
Report Snapshot
Retailers should invest in technology that delivers frictionless and personalized shopping experiences.
When it comes to technology, age does matter.
Immersive technology can elevate the in-store experience—but fast payment is a bigger priority.
Self-service technology doesn’t always remove frictions.
Cashierless technology has broad appeal—but “just walk out” stores are proving a step too far.
Consumers are turning to smartphones to improve the in-store experience.
AR technology is starting to catch on.
Online checkout technology is helping tackle cart abandonment.
AI is speeding up service and product discovery—but consumers remain cautious.
What should retailers do next?
Sources
Media Gallery

Report Snapshot

The pandemic ushered in a new digital age for UK retail and accelerated investment in customer experience (CX) technology to meet rapidly changing consumer needs. But shoppers have now returned to stores, and consumer priorities are shifting again amid high inflation and a cost-of-living crisis. To maintain growth in a competitive market, retailers need to understand which consumer-facing technologies are hitting the mark, and which are not.

Key Question: What do UK consumers think about emerging retail technologies, and where should retailers focus their investments?

How Interested Are UK Adults in Using Cashierless Checkout* Technologies? (% of respondents, by demographic, April 2023)
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KEY STAT: Cashierless checkout is one of the most widely adopted consumer-facing technologies, with 70.5% of UK adults either already using it or interested in it. But that drops to 57.5% of adults 55 and older.

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Table of Contents

  1. Report Snapshot
  2. Retailers should invest in technology that delivers frictionless and personalized shopping experiences.
  3. When it comes to technology, age does matter.
  4. Immersive technology can elevate the in-store experience—but fast payment is a bigger priority.
  5. Self-service technology doesn’t always remove frictions.
  1. Cashierless technology has broad appeal—but “just walk out” stores are proving a step too far.
  2. Consumers are turning to smartphones to improve the in-store experience.
  3. AR technology is starting to catch on.
  4. Online checkout technology is helping tackle cart abandonment.
  5. AI is speeding up service and product discovery—but consumers remain cautious.
  1. What should retailers do next?
  2. Sources
  3. Media Gallery

Charts in This Report

How Interested Are UK Adults in Using Cashierless Checkout* Technologies? (% of respondents, by demographic, April 2023)How Interested Are UK Adults in Using Select Retail Shopping Technology? (% of respondents, April 2023)
Technology Innovations That UK Shoppers Want Most Digitally vs. In-Store, by Generation, Q1 2023 (% of respondents in each group)UK Adults' Most Recent In-Store Purchase Method, Oct 2022 (% of respondents)
Would Adults in Great Britain Prefer to Use Self-Checkout or a Register With a Human Cashier in a Supermarket? (% of respondents, by demographic, May 2022)In-Store Shopping Activities That UK Internet Users Conduct via Smartphone, 2022 & 2023 (% of respondents)
How Interested Are UK Adults in Using AR*/VR While Shopping? (% of respondents, by demographic, April 2023)What Payment Methods Are UK Adults Using to Purchase Products Online? (% of respondents, April 2023)
How Interested Are UK Adults in Using AI Chatbots While Shopping? (% of respondents, by demographic, April 2023)

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First Published on Jun 15, 2023

authors

Carina Perkins

Contributors

Suzy Davidkhanian
VP, Content
Bill Fisher
Angela Kim
Senior Researcher