Latin American retailers define weapons to face operational challenges and price inflation

According to a survey carried out by the Nielsen Group in the region, 81% of retailers want to have real-time and accurate information about their store operations, 76% plan to use technology to improve the customer experience and 68% intend to invest in training and retaining employees. “This data is important for reinforcing our vision of the Latin American markets in which we already operate and those in which we are beginning to prospect. It’s clear that retailers have begun to understand that the amounts allocated to technology are investments that bear fruit, and not exactly expenses,” says Luis Parra, Head of Latin America at GIC Brasil. The Brazilian company develops and supplies automation solutions for food retail. The study reveals that technology investments in the region are looking for integrated tools, choosing the right partner, aligning strategic operational objectives and a unified platform. Parra explains that his perception of the market is that retailers want to have everything under control, with quick access. He adds that automated management systems, such as RUB, make it possible to meet most of these aspirations. Solutions like this, which allow control of the flow of processes, people and products within the store, are essential for retailers. Many retailers point out that some of the main day-to-day problems are precisely the immediate visibility of inventories, prices according to plan, the location of products in the store, logistics for e-commerce and the mobility of staff in the store, along with task management. In other words, management on time, with accurate data. The survey also analyzed the behavior of Latin American consumers. The study details that, for physical stores, consumers expect to find availability of the products they want, agility in purchasing, speed of service and check-out without delays or setbacks, as well as the intention to compare prices whenever necessary. The use of category management and planograms are essential to serve this consumer. It all ties in with the biggest concern of consumers in the region today: rising prices. This concern covers both basic products and higher value-added products, according to the interviewees. In general, global inflation has accelerated this year, with the Ukraine War and its consequences for supply chains. It was no different in Latin America, where some countries had already been experiencing double-digit inflation in recent years. By: Nilson Brandão / CONTEÚDO EVOLUTIVO