In the future, you will be able to make online purchases and receive them in minutes from the comfort of your house.
Technologies are being put in place to ensure that you can purchase products on the go and receive them in less than 2 hours (virtually anywhere in the world); and, if you are in the U.S., you will be able to get them in less than 30 minutes through drone delivery.
There are challenges that online shoppers have faced until now. However, the advent of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR) is fast changing the customer experience.
Up until now, online shoppers have had to think about what they want, the right brand, as well as the right product specifications. These often require intense online research of competing brands and searching for vital product information in a sea of millions of Google results. After spending countless hours researching the perfect items for your needs, there is a risk of having information overload. When this happens, online shoppers end up making the wrong purchases. This is a cognitive bias where people make the wrong choices—oversized suits, wrong colors or inaccurate shapes.
In the nearest future, the tech-savvy customer will have to utilize the emerging technologies to scale through the current hurdles of shopping experienced online. The future holds more golden opportunities for customers who have embraced the internet. These opportunities include:
Ultra-fast delivery
If you think online store is already fast, think again. In the nearest future, drones will be making regular deliveries to the remotest areas of the world. Amazon is already talking about 30-minute drone delivery. This is no news as customers are already favouring one-day delivery over other incentives.
You no longer have to think about your future purchases
Imagine having your kitchen restock itself? Amazing, isn’t it? Indeed, there are already technologies such as “Dash Button” and startups like WePlenish who are utilizing the internet of things (IOT) in revolutionizing the modern kitchen.
What does this imply? It means you do not have to worry about running out of essentials like detergents, snacks, coffee because your containers have sensors that are able to transmit the inventory levels of your items and automatically order for your favourite brand of items, to replenish those items without you having to think about these items.
A curated customer experience
When the emerging technologies are fully implemented in online shopping, visiting an ecommerce store will be like visiting Netflix or your favourite YouTube channel. E-commerce stores will be extremely customized for your personal preferences. You will be welcomed by your favourite music, the store will automatically display in the color of your choice, and you will be able to find the nearest store with in-stock products.
Indeed, while the current customer experience is great, the future of online shopping promises much more. How excited are you?
