Consumers are facing increasingly competing pressures, with economic challenges forcing them to prioritise value and convenience, says Jon Charters, Key Account Manager at SOTI.

According to new data nearly two thirds (62%) of UK shoppers say economic factors have influenced their ability to purchase their usual items in the past 12 months.

However, expectations remain high, with research in SOTI’s latest “Retail Tech Assessment” report showing that a shopping experience enhanced by technology rich, immersive experiences, is a priority for over half of customers globally (58%) and in the UK (57%). For retailers, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity to win the loyalty of the cautious customer at a time when the demand for tech use in store is high.

Innovation-led store immersion

Imagine a customer, Natalie, walks into a store. She syncs her loyalty app with a smart trolley and shopping list, which then easily guides her through the aisles highlighting the goods she needs, based on her shopping list, past purchases and dietary preferences. She uses an interactive kiosk to see how a new jacket would look on a virtual avatar of herself. Finally, she pays with a quick tap on a mobile terminal held by a store associate. The experience is seamless, personalised and builds confidence to buy using new tech.

Now, consider what must happen behind the scenes to make this possible.

Every one of these devices is a potential entry point for a data breach and requires absolute accuracy to work efficiently. Natalie’s trust is won by the convenience, but it can be instantly shattered if the underlying technology isn’t managed and secure.

The tech-driven experience

57% of British shoppers say they would like to see more technology-enhanced shopping and 52% actively choose to shop in stores that use technology to make the in-person shopping experience more personalised.

It reduces the risk of buyer’s remorse, whether that’s due to incorrect sizing, a colour that looked different under store lighting or the realisation that the item doesn’t actually meet their needs. With 81% actively cutting costs, immersive retail experiences act as a powerful confidence builder for consumers, increasing trust in brands which in turn leads to a positive impact on both long-term and immediate sales.

Equally, retailers are leveraging immersive technologies to enhance customer interactions and create more engagement. This enhances the customer experience and creates a more welcoming environment that lays the foundations for stronger brand identity.

However, the technology needs to work seamlessly. Consumers expect a blended shopping experience combined of digital convenience with physical engagement, whether this is through emerging technology such as smart trollies, virtual fitting rooms, avatars, personal shopper devices or interactive kiosks. Connected store concepts where customers can sync their apps with in-store display, and closely align their online experiences with in-store, to provide a uniquely personal journey, also empowers the customer to make conscious decisions and feel satisfied about their purchase.

In addition, over half (55%) of consumers in the UK think retailers should use AI to improve the items recommended to them in-store. Hyper-personalising retail apps that analyse and collect data from consumer purchase patterns and contextual data, such as location, time of day or in store behaviour, allows retailers to provide highly relevant recommendations, promotions and content that consumers want, when they want it.

Data privacy & security

With the need for retail technology to deliver a more immersive experience resting on a fragile foundation of customer trust, the main concern is data and how that is protected.

In fact, SOTI’s report found 84% of consumers in the UK harbour concerns about data privacy and security in retail. This poses a direct threat to purchasing decisions, with 85% of shoppers admitting they would think twice before using a retailer that has suffered a cyberattack or data breach.

Every customer-facing device, including tablets, smart displays and mobile payment terminals, is a new touchpoint where that trust can be won or irreparably lost. The operational integrity of each device is therefore paramount as this represents a significant commercial risk, where losing your customers’ confidence directly impacts sales revenue and undermines the entire investment in the in-store experience.

Delivering immersive retail experiences

Secure and reliable experiences must be delivered with efficiency at scale. This requires a unified platform that allows IT teams to monitor device health, deploy security patches and manage applications remotely.

This includes practical steps like locking down devices so they can only run whitelisted retail applications, or ensuring security patches for a newly discovered vulnerability can be deployed remotely to every device overnight, without requiring manual IT intervention in each store. This ensures the entire technology ecosystem is agile, secure and always ready to support customer needs.

Transparency and trust-building are essential when introducing new technologies.

As retailers increasingly use apps to co-create experiences, the psychological trade-off between personalisation and privacy risk highlights the importance of maintaining that trust through clear communication and ethical data use. This could mean a simple, one-sentence notification on a smart mirror screen that says, “We are using AI to suggest styles. We do not store your image.” This clarity builds trust without disrupting the experience.

To stay ahead, retailers must respond to shifting consumer behaviours with both physical and digital offerings that meet changing consumer expectations. However, for the cost-conscious consumer, the decision to engage relies firmly on the trust that their data is safe.

Ultimately, the retailers who will thrive are not the ones with the flashiest technology, but those who understand that in a digital world, customer trust is the most valuable asset. The ‘wow’ factor of an immersive experience is fleeting, but the confidence that comes from feeling safe is what builds lasting loyalty.