Virtual Supermarket Technology: Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages of Hybermarket Technology
Virtual subway Store
Virtual subway stores makes shopping easier and saves time. For the point of make shopping easier and simple is customers can scan the barcode from any product they have at hand to place an order for one. It is easier for the customer to reorder food and office supplies that ran out of them, instead of having to remember to put it on a list, for a future trip to the store. The customer can get the product by setting the delivery time and location when they make the payment.
Retailer set retail kiosks with life-size images of real product displays, placed in high-traffic areas like subway stations, which will be attacking the customer while they are waiting around. It’s serving as an advertisement for the retailer. However, it can also save lots of money for the retailer, which they would have been spending open a real store.
Card Scanning Technology
Card scanning technology is more secure. This simple technology has increased the level of card security. It uses encryption and authentication technology which has increased the level of card security associated with payment cards. The microprocessor chip embedded at the heart of the smart card requires contact to the card reader and certain areas of the chip can be programmed for specific industries. Next, save to transport. Having the cards gives the holder the ability to carry larger amounts of money. It can reduce the problem of stolen money. Once cards had been stolen, it is nearly impossible to recover it because it needs the pin number of the cards. It can avoid the long queue. Card scanning technology just needs a few seconds to complete the payment, it gives the customer a fast and simple shopping experience.
Intelligent retail and purchases
Advantage of intelligent retail and purchase is it help customer found the stuff faster and easier. This type of technology include the location of each stuff, after customer key in the stuff system will come out the location that the stuff placed, can give the route to the stuff. Next, customer can list the stuff that they want before they go to the hypermarket. It is a good habit of plan before shopping. It can avoid buying the stuff that not really wants. Besides that, the technology of intelligent retail and purchase will show that the promotion of the hypermarket. It can attract the customer to visit the hypermarket and able to help the customer to find out the latest promotion product. Last but not least, intelligent retail and purchase can also give the suggestion or notification of promotion of customer favorable. The system of the technology had record the purchase of the customer, so system can depend of the previous purchases then come out the suggestion.
Touch Screen Purchasing
Advantage of touch screen purchasing is fast and simple purchasing. This technology only need the customer to stay in front of the touch screen kiosk of the hypermarket, key in the name of the product, select the brand of item that they want, after that customer can get the product after they pay. It can save the time of searching for item placed and the difference price of the similar product. Customer can get the information though the touch screen kiosk. Technology of touch screen purchasing is very easy to use. Customer only need to key in the stuff that they want, after that kiosk will come out the information of the product. No any personal device needed, so it’s also easily for everyone to use the technology.
Disadvantages of Hypermarket Technology
Disadvantage of virtual subway store is may late delivery. In the concept of virtual subway store, delivery places an important role. Customer will get the product by using delivery. If the delivery company suddenly comes out issue, for example weather, personal factor and so on, it will affect the time of deliver. Next, virtual shopping mode might elevate the case of returning product. Since customer does not seem the actual product that they will get, it is unable to make sure that the product is in good conditions before they purchase. Additional fees like shipping will be hidden until the late of the checkout process was a disadvantage of virtual subway mode. Sometimes retailer was hidden the cost of shipping fees, in order to get more attractive of customer. When the customer almost finishes the order they only get that they need to pay the shipping fees as well.
The disadvantage of card scanning technology is easily lost. Because of the card are small, it is easily lost the card if the person are irresponsible. If lost the card, it will be very inconvenience, because a card may have double or more uses. The process of register another card it take many procedure, it is very trouble to the user. Next, Possible Risk of Identify Theft. While if use the card collect, it make the job of bearing person more easier. However, for criminals seeking a new identity, they are like gold, based on the amount of information it can contain on an individual.
Unnecessary Surveys will be provided after shopping is the disadvantage of the intelligent retail and purchases. Due to the system of this technology, the survey will be provided before customer go out. Retailer always seeks for improvement for their business in order to maintain the customer, and find out the way that increase loyalty customer. Next, intelligent retail and purchase are too dependent on mobile device. Hypermarket can only use the mobile device to connect the hypermarket system connection. It required the customer have the mobile devices and also application to connect with the hypermarket system. While for those who are not match to the system connection they are unable to use the technology.
Disadvantage of touch screen purchasing is low privacy. Customer personal information may be seems by large screen kiosk. When customer stands in front of the kiosk making purchase, someone maybe stand behind them, so that they will saw the personal information of the customer. Lost the delight of shopping. Some of customers’ is more likely to enjoy searching the product, touch and feel the product. So when the hypermarket become advance, customer do not have the delight of shopping. For touch screen purchasing, it’s also need customer go out to the hypermarket to buy the stuff themselves. It just provides the kiosk to select the product to save the customer time for find the stuff placed.
Implementation challenges
The main challenge of many retailer is retailer have to implement technology into existing stores to become multichannel. Such as smart screens, in-store tablets and the use of near-field communications (NCF) for contactless payments. Besides that, implementation challenge by using virtual subway store is good mobile connective is required. The order takes by virtual subway mode by using mobile to scan the barcode of the product. But in real life, there is no all people are practiced with the mobile function.
Implementation challenge of card scanning technology is slow adoption. If used as a payment card, not every store or restaurant will have the hardware necessary to use these cards. One of the reasons for this is since the technology is more secure, it is also more expensive to produce and use. Therefore, some stores may charge a basic minimum fee for using smart cards for payment, rather than cash.
The challenge of intelligent retailer and purchase is not everyone have mobile device. It is very hard for the hypermarket to implement this system while some of the customer does not have the mobile devices or application. In order to set up the system, it needs the accurate data. The data have to been set at the factory, and it was costly.
Touch Screen purchasing implementation challenge is set up cost. Hypermarket need to set up lot of touch screen kiosk at the hypermarket. The cost of set up kiosk is expensive. This type of technology is only save the place of display of the product. It’s also need to keep the inventory of all the product that they sell. The inventory costs are high for this technology.
Security Issues
For the secure issue, customer should always look for the address-bar padlock symbol. Look for the address-bar padlock symbol. A webpage should always be Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)-encrypted when plan to use credit card information to shop. SSL encryption ensures privacy by restricting the computers that can access the data being transferred, limiting access to user and the online retailer exclusively. Next, never give out credit card number over email. Legitimate retailers will never ask for credit card information or other sensitive personal details over email. The only time that needs to give the information of credit card is when you are on an SSL-encrypted webpage operated by a trusted retailer. If shopping on a mobile device, stick to apps you know. Mobile shopping presents its own set of security issues, it is better for us to use apps that came directly from retailers, and to make purchases inside those apps.
Lastly, never make purchases over public, for example unsecured WIFI. It could leave your personal information at risk.
Integrating security practices across agencies, a task requiring collaboration among separate and dissimilar internal organizations; achieving smart card interoperability across the government; and maintaining the security of smart card systems and the privacy of personal information. According to Worku (2010), e-payment and e-banking applications represent a security challenge as they highly depend on critical ICT systems that create vulnerabilities in financial institutions, businesses and potentially harm customers
Customer information is set in the mobile, so when they lost the mobile, personal information will be disclosed. Next, the system of the technology is having the data of customer purchases record. They can simply send the annoying promotion message to the customer and also sell the customer purchase record to the other industry.
Customer personal information display in the touch screen kiosk. Interest parties will easily to get the information for immoral purpose. It is very danger for the customer. Beside that customer should know their right. Consumers are required to write a physical letter within 60 days detailing any complaint to the retailer, with a return receipt acting as proof that the creditor received the letter.
The Federal Trade Commission provides an example letter, so all you need to do is fill in the blanks with your information.
