Saudi Arabia: Technology is Pivotal as Retailers Gear Up for 2030
Gilly Farrell, Glory Marketing Manager EMEA Indirect
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The Retail Sector is Buzzing
Saudi Retail Forum, held in Riyadh in December, was buzzing with the news that Saudi Arabia has been chosen as the venue for World Expo 2030. Every keynote and discussion panel highlighted the significance of this for the industry. It is the cherry on the cake for the government, already driving initiatives to heavily promote tourism and investment in the non-oil economy. As the Google keynote speaker at the event illustrated, the data is showing how tourism, sports and cultural events are fueling the retail sector and opening up tremendous opportunities for domestic and international brands.
Retail is indeed booming, and you could feel the energy on the ground. This aligns with Moody’s Analytics predicting a 3-4% growth each year in the non-oil economy to 2030. I ended 2023 in Riyadh to manage Glory’s presence as sponsor of this impressive retail conference. The top Retail brands with their management teams were there, alongside the technology partners and innovators who are supporting them across all retail segments.
And the key decision-makers in the kingdom are looking for solutions to supercharge the store customer experience to wow shoppers, to diversify and to scale.
The focus is local, but their challenges are very much aligned with Retail across the world, as they seek to deliver choice, convenience, and control for shoppers.
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How do we deliver a seamless omni-channel experience for our customers?
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How do we run our operations more efficiently?
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How can we make e-commerce work as a profitable concern?
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What technology can best support staff and improve customer service?
Glory participated to showcase how our hardware and software technology, deployed across the globe, can help retailers address the key challenges around payments, ordering and delivery across all channels. Through assisted service, self-checkouts, and kiosk technology. And how you can drive efficiency, security, and experience by automating cash management both at the point of sale and in retail back offices.
Automate & Focus Staff Resources on Customer Experience
With the right technology in place, these key points on the customer journey can become seamless – allowing the experience with your brand to take centre stage. To delight your customers, to retain their loyalty, and to attract new advocates of your brand.
At the same time, retailers need to use technology to automate behind the scenes, that then allows them to focus their staff resources on customer facing activities.
The years leading up to 2030 are an opportunity for Saudi Arabia to prepare their retail environments for the world to experience.
Contact Glory to discuss how we can help you achieve your ambitions with the best technology solutions to drive growth and improve your business processes. And take a look at content we showcased at the Saudi Retail Forum.