MY EXPERIENCES WITH DIGITALIZATION IN THE RETAIL INDUSTRY
I work in a sports store, and over the past few years, I’ve had a front-row seat to the changes that digitalization has brought to the retail industry—from customer service and inventory management to marketing and beyond. The transformation has been rapid.
One of the most noticeable changes has been in customer service. It’s no longer enough to just know how a shoe fits or what kind of features a pair of skis has. Today’s customers often come in already having researched products online and now they are looking for added values, something they can’t find with a quick Google search. That means we need to stay updated not only on the products in-store, but also on what’s available online, what campaigns are running, and what digital tools the company is using. Customers often show me a product they found on our website and ask if it’s available in-store. Sometimes they’ve already ordered online and are simply picking it up from the store.
Digital tools have also made my job easier in many ways. We use electronic inventory systems and smart devices that allow us to check stock availability, place orders, and monitor inventory in real time. This makes customer service more efficient and saves time searching for products. Promotions, pricing, and new arrivals update automatically in our systems, so we no longer need to do everything manually.
The growth of e-commerce has also changed the role of the physical store. Many customers shop online but come into the store and try items on or pick them up. At the same time multi-channel or omni-channel shopping is the “new normal”. It means that customer experience should be seamless on every channel (online and offline, social media etc.) of the company. It means huge investments to the it-systems, logistics, marketing, education and so on. As a result, we’ve become more like advisors and specialists, which makes the work more interesting, but also demands more knowledge and skills. It’s important to stay up to date with both products and technologies. If you want to be part of the competition you must make those investments soon not later.
Of course, digitalization brings its own challenges. New systems and constant updates require us to adapt. At times, it feels like technology evolves faster than we can learn it. Overall, I feel that digitalization has made working in a sports store more dynamic and versatile. It’s interesting to see what will happen in the near future.
OPEN DIGITAL SOCIETY AND GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
There are some risks related to open society. I think one of the highest risks is collecting, sharing and losing personal data. For example, social media platforms, online stores and mobile apps often collect lots of user data. We are not fully aware of where or how they use it. It’s the same thing in the public sector or healthcare business. There is a huge amount of personal data and it’s often private and very sensitive, so we don’t want it to spread in the wrong hands. That’s why we have GDPR. It’s a key response to those risks.
GDPR
Its purpose is to ensure that personal data is handled safely, fairly and legally in the digital age. As a store manager in a sports store, I must take care of multiple things consider GDPR. Here are key points how GDPR affects my daily routines:
- I must ensure that customer data (loyalty cards, returns, reclaims, contact info etc.) is handled safely and confidentially.
- Handle personal information of the staff safely and confidentially.
- Train the staff to follow data protection rules, such as not leaving customer info visible at the register.
GDPR makes me more responsible for protecting both customer and employee data. It requires careful attention to how data is collected, used, stored, and shared at the store and the organization level. I think it’s a great way to build trust between customers/employees and organization. Companies must tell the customers why they collect the data and how they are going to use it. Even if it requires more documentation and more investments in the processes, it’s still a great improvement to everyone’s daily life.
ChatGPT
I asked ChatGPT a few questions related to my work.
- How can a supervisor motivate employees in a busy retail store?
ChatGPT suggested clear communication, positive feedback, good work organization, and involving staff in decision-making. It also reminded me about the importance of breaks during busy times.
- How can a supervisor resolve a conflict between employees?
ChatGPT emphasized neutral discussion, listening, finding a mutual solution, and following up on the situation. It also mentioned the importance of documentation.
I think those are quite a good answers. I know it’s short, but it shows me the same answers as literature of the modern leadership. And the funny thing is, it tells to keep breaks when there is a busy environment. Of course, it is important but for me it tells that ChatGPT is a machine, and it answers straight to your question. There is no human side to it.
After all, ChatGPT or whatever other AI are great tools for studying or work, but the decisive factor is how we use it and what are the rules of using it. Do we use it the right way? Not to do all the work for us, but with us. Together.
SELF EVALUATION
It was interesting to read blogs written about digi society. I found many familiar things. I understood that If I want to be one of the top supervisors in my industry, I must study all the time, for example from digitalization and opportunities of it. Studying must be continuous because in the future the need for development and studying will increase. At the same time digitalization is developing so quickly and I’m sure AI is taking on a bigger role all the time, so I have to keep myself updated constantly.
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