PC +
Disclaimer: No direct affiliation with PC+ or YOLO
An optimal grocery shopping experience is characterized by efficient and seamless processes that minimize customer wait times and frustration. This includes quick and efficient checkout and payment options, as well as clear and easy navigation throughout the store, allowing shoppers to locate desired items without delay. Such an experience not only saves customers valuable time, but also enhances their satisfaction and overall shopping experience. This would become necessary when we are dealing with extreme scenarios such as pandemics or natural disasters, ensuring that customers are able to maintain personal health and safety precautions.
Design Brief
The purpose of this project was to develop a creative and innovative concept for a chosen brand that would not only benefit the brand but also create brand equity and financial value. The objective was to create a concept that would influence the way consumers interact with the brand's service and develop a foresight vision for the brand in the future.
The Brand
LOBLAWS
Loblaws aims to create a personalized and connected shopping experience for all customers by leveraging data collected from various interactions and shared experiences within the store. Through this data, Loblaws can understand each customer's individual preferences and needs, as well as the collective preferences and needs of the community. By accurately detecting customer interactions with favorite products and store locations, Loblaws can provide a seamless and independent shopping experience that aligns with each individual's personal well-being. The goal is to integrate Loblaws into the lives of its customers, creating a harmonious and integrated shopping experience.
Core Values
Further Together
- We value those who put the team’s success ahead of individual wins. When we win, we win together.
Customer at the Centre
- Putting ourselves in the customers shoes is fundamental to our success.
Powered by Data
- We pair data with our customer-centric mindset to answer the “why?” of every decision.
Design Process
RESEARCH
To understand potential opportunities for improving the grocery shopping experience, I conducted a week of research and analysis focusing on the customer journey from before entering the store through checkout. Supermarkets in Canada serve a large volume of customers on a daily basis, and during times of increased demand such as pandemics, holidays, and natural disasters, they may become overwhelmed and unable to meet the needs of all shoppers. This can lead to less frequent visits to supermarkets, but when customers do shop, they may stock up on more items than usual, leading to a higher likelihood of common items running out of stock. By understanding these challenges and identifying potential solutions, we aimed to develop concepts that would add value to the targeted brand and enhance the overall shopping experience.
Service Scenario & Concept
Situation
Supermarkets faced several challenges during COVID-19 related to the safety of customers, supply stocks, and customer navigation in space. They had to quickly adapt to these challenges in order to continue providing essential services to their communities while also prioritizing the health and safety of their customers and employees.
The pandemic led to panic buying and stockpiling of items, such as toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and canned goods, which created shortages in some areas. Moreover, the closure of factories and production facilities due to lockdowns and reduced staffing levels impacted the supply of goods. Transportation and logistics were also affected, causing delays in the delivery of goods and resulting in shortages on store shelves. As a result, many grocery stores had to implement purchasing limits on certain items to ensure that they could meet the needs of all customers.
Concept
The Loblaws app saves customers time by allowing them to scan products from home and check availability. This would be a service provided to Loblaws premium and loyal customers, creating a high valued experience. This user experience, makes use of machine learning to help customers easily find the products they need in-store and provides information on neighbouring branches. The augmented reality feature helps customers navigate the store efficiently and the YOLO technology speeds up the self-checkout process by accurately scanning items and identifying their prices. Overall, the app enhances the shopping experience by providing convenient and efficient tools to help customers make informed decisions and save time.
PC+ Premium Service
PC X YOLO
To enhance the efficiency and convenience of the shopping experience, Loblaws would have developed a mobile app in this scenario, that allows customers to check the availability of products at their local store and neighboring branches before even setting foot inside the supermarket. Using the app's built-in camera, customers can scan products from the comfort of their own home and receive real-time information on stock levels and location within the store. This helps customers make the most of their time by ensuring that the items they need are in stock and easily accessible when they arrive at the store. Additionally, the app's guidance on product location minimizes the chances of confusion and helps customers navigate the store more efficiently.
Technologies
SMART ISLES
To improve the in-store shopping experience and drive engagement, brands and retailers are implementing Internet of Things (IoT) cameras that provide real-time analytics on customer behavior. Loblaws can leverage this technology by installing IoT cameras on store shelves to gather data on customer interactions with products. This data can be integrated into Loblaws' PC applications to optimize various aspects of the shopping experience, such as pricing and packaging strategies, and to compare the impact of in-store media spend to online sales. Inventory sensing shelves can also be utilized to understand how many shoppers pass by or shop at a particular shelf, how long they spend there, and how many times a product or piece of product content is engaged with. This information can help Loblaws optimize product placements, evaluate the effectiveness of marketing efforts, and justify the allocation of shopper marketing budgets.
SELF-CHECKOUT
The implementation of advanced object detection technology, such as YOLO (You Only Look Once), at self-checkout stations has the potential to significantly improve the speed and convenience of the grocery shopping experience for customers. By using artificial intelligence-powered DSP (Digital Signal Processors), self-checkout machines can quickly and accurately scan all items, identify products and prices, and complete the checkout process without the need for manual intervention. This not only saves time for customers, but also reduces the likelihood of errors caused by human mistakes, such as scanning items twice or selecting the wrong item. The result is a more seamless and efficient checkout process that allows customers to easily drop in and out of Loblaws stores without being held up in long lines or having to individually scan every item.
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