Retailers are increasingly beginning to turn to technology to solve the challenges presented by the Covid-19 era. Here are eight examples of tech innovations that are being used to improve the in-store shopping experience.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the way that we shop.

During the period when lockdown restrictions were tightest in many parts of the world, ecommerce saw an unprecedented boom, with shoppers turning to online channels and delivery to buy goods that they couldn’t, or didn’t feel able, to go out to physical stores to buy.

Even now that those restrictions are easing and the vast majority of brick-and-mortar retail stores have reopened, fears about contamination persist. Shop owners are keen to earn their customers’ trust by demonstrating that they have put processes in place to manage the risk, and customers are keen to shop in an environment where they can feel confident and safe.

On top of measures like employing thorough cleaning regimes, requiring customers wear face coverings, making hand sanitiser widely available and laying down markings to encourage shoppers to physically distance themselves, retailers are increasingly beginning to turn to technology to solve these problems and improve the shopping experience.

From digital signage and QR codes to scan, pay and go technology, many technological solutions are emerging or coming into greater prominence that promise an enhanced, smooth and Covid-19 safe in-store shopping experience. And depending on their success, we could see these technologies becoming part of the ‘new normal’ retail experience in the longer term.

Here are eight examples of in-store technology innovations for the Covid-19 era.