Digital evolution in Ticino’s stores: an opportunity to be seized

Digital tools and new technologies to improve the shopping experience and ensure competitiveness in the post-pandemic era: shops in the Canton of Ticino have returned to in-person customer traffic levels seen before the pandemic. However, the growing popularity of online shopping, accelerated by the period of forced isolation, has demonstrated that digital is now an unavoidable reality even for the retail sector.

According to the Digital Innovation in Retail Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano, retailers must adapt to new consumer needs by focusing on digital technological tools to improve customer service and ensure survival in the market. Statistics show that nearly a fifth of companies invest in smart technologies, which allow for real-time display of updated prices and offer greater transparency to customers. Meanwhile, 28% of large operators in the sector use digital kiosks to provide product information directly to consumers.

Major retailers such as Coop, Migros, and Manor now have DIY scanning systems (35%), through apps or dedicated devices (scanners) that can be used while shopping. One of the most interesting aspects of digitalization concerns checkouts: although only a third of companies invest in digital payment solutions (such as contactless POS or mobile payments), only large stores are betting on autonomous check-out systems.

These innovations allow customers to scan and pay for products quickly and conveniently, improving the shopping experience.

In conclusion, digital can represent an opportunity to increase sales and consolidate market presence. Retailers in Ticino would therefore do well to seriously consider the introduction and expansion of these new technologies in their commercial establishments.