COVID-19 and Contactless Retail

Social distancing, travel restrictions and a need for many in society is generating an increased demand for contactless and remote shopping.

Demand is unprecedented for those retailers allowed to continue to trade, contactless payment limits have been increased and demands for upgraded hardware has spiked as people move away from cash around the globe, given the general recognition that COVID-19 can live on cardboards and other hard surfaces.

Post lock down, many predict that this demand will continue – those retailers who have closed currently are predicted to also upgrade their systems when they resume trading. It is likely that Society’s attitude to health and safety will change as a consequence of the current pandemic and investment in tech to develop and enhance the contactless retail experience is predicted to grow.

In the US, Alphabet’s demand for its winged drone delivery programme has seen a sharp increase. Amazon’s “no checkout” retail technology where goods are charged automatically as a customer leaves the store, is now being offered to other retailers and Starship’s robotic delivery service in the US is also seeing a surge in demand.

COVID-19 will live on long in the memory of us all for the awful human cost and suffering of so many, but in time it may also be remembered as the catalyst of the contactless retail experience.