Shopping online thanks to these 8 technological trends

Fall robots for delivery, new means of payment, applications that note product quality or purchase by voice command … Focus on eight technologies that are revolutionizing the way we shop online.

Some 40.5 million Internet users, or 70% of French people, have made online shopping during the 3e quarter 2019, according to the Observatory of uses Internet of Mediametry, an increase of 4.4% over one year. A trend directly linked to new technologies that are changing the way we consume and making online shopping more convenient, faster and more environmentally friendly.

Shopping online: the smart health connected lock

Having your groceries delivered directly to your fridge even when you're not at health home, it's possible thanks to smart health connected locks. This system makes it possible to lock or unlock the opening of the door remotely thanks to its smartphone. The user sends a secure invitation to the driver's phone, which can then enter the accommodation to store the shopping. In the United States, Walmart offers this service “ InHome Delivery In four cities and tests are carried out in France by the Casino group (Franprix). However, the system still generates reluctance on the part of consumers, who are reluctant to let a stranger into their health home.

Purchase by voice command

" okay Google, order me a pizza " More and more brands are developing partnerships with the services ofsmart health connected speakers as Amazon Echo, Google health home or Apple HomePod. Monoprix, Carrefour or Leclerc have for example developed their voice application to Google Assistant, whose functions essentially boil down to the creation of shopping lists which can then be found on the brand's website or Drive application. Intermarché offers to finalize the purchase directly by voice command. These systems are still quite laborious to use. The progress ofartificial intelligence should improve the fluidity of the route in the coming years.

Product rating applications

One in four French people use an app that rates products food or cosmetics according to their nutritional or ecological profile, according to an Ifop study. Yuka's success, downloaded by 15 million users, has been emulated even in the ranks of distributors. System U for example launched What's in it, which allows you to filter products according to ingredients to be excluded or ecological criteria (gluten free, organic, Made in France…). Of applications which have a significant impact when a person wishes to shop, since one in three users declares that they no longer buy a brand if the results obtained via the application did not meet their expectations.

The dematerialization of the receipt

" A hypermarket uses 10,600 rolls of thermal paper to print receipts, the distance equivalent of a Paris-Montpellier "Reports to 20 minutes former LaRem MP Patricia Mirallès, author of a amendment aimed at eliminating cash receipts and paper bank card receipts by 2023. The project is based on health arguments (presence of bisphenol A on the tickets) and ecological, although theSending email also has an ecological impact not negligible. Several brands already offer the ticket to be sent by email, and customers can also go to payment platforms or mobile applications to pay for their purchases online. The dematerialization also saves time at the cash desk and easily finds the ticket in case of exchange or refund.

Delivery robots and drones

"The last kilometer" represents 55% of the delivery cost ", reports the start-up French Unsupervised.ai, who works on a four-legged robot called Aida, capable of delivering packages up to 15 kg. This is one of the latest ideas in the proliferation of new devices to simplify and reduce the cost of deliveries. In the United States, Amazon launched in 2019 its Scout robot, a sort of caddy-cooler that walks the sidewalks thanks to its sensors and its intelligent navigation system. A myriad other start-ups are also developing their own autonomous robot. The drones allow them to serve areas that are difficult to access but remain dependent on authorization overview. La Poste currently has only two commercial lines in France.

New means of payment

Contactless bank card, PayPal or Paylib account, mobile payment… To pay for purchases online or in stores, the customer is now spoiled for choice. Apple Pay is now available with almost all bank cards in France, and recorded 10 billion transactions worldwide in 2019, twice as much as the previous year. Mastercard for its part launched payment by selfie : when paying for purchases made on the Internet, the application scans the previously registered face and validates the payment. Those who fear the piracy have the possibility to pay online … with cash. Amazon therefore offers to charge a sum as a gift voucher to a partner point of sale.

Shopping online with augmented reality

The impossibility of trying a product or a description that is too little detailed remains the first obstacle to online shopping. New solutions based on augmented reality are now able to offer a purchasing experience close to reality. Opticians offer, for example, the virtual fitting of glasses by uploading their photo to the site. Ikea launched in 2017 an application allowing to view a piece of furniture on sale on the site in his living room. Today, all sectors can offer this type of experience, from clothing to make-up, including household appliances. And it works: according to Cdiscount, the conversion rate increases from 20 to 80% when the products are presented in augmented reality on the site.

Blockchain for product traceability

Since January 2018, Carrefour customers can check the origin of certain products (chicken, tomato, eggs, camembert …) by scanning a QR Code with their smartphone. A traceability made possible by technology blockchain, which records and secures data across the entire production chain. Responding to growing consumer demand on the origin of the products that they buy. The blockchain also makes it possible to identify defective products more quickly and to identify the source of the problem. For products with high added value, such as wine or jewelry, the blockchain also provides certifications against counterfeiting.

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