FAQ
Publicis Sapient helps retailers create digitally enabled in-store experiences that connect physical and digital channels around the customer. Its connected store work spans areas such as seamless checkout, contactless collection, point-of-sale modernization, digital shelf, omnichannel fulfillment, returns optimization, and retail journey reinvention.
What are connected store experiences?
Connected store experiences are digitally enabled in-store experiences that connect across channels with the customer at the center. Publicis Sapient describes them as experiences that seamlessly connect physical and digital retail. The goal is to create a shopping journey that feels consistent from product discovery to checkout, pickup, and returns.
What does Publicis Sapient help retailers do?
Publicis Sapient helps retailers identify and build high-impact opportunities to connect physical and digital retail. Its work includes strategy and consulting, customer experience and design, data and AI, and technology and engineering. The focus is on improving both business value and customer experience.
Who are Publicis Sapient’s connected store solutions for?
Publicis Sapient’s connected store solutions are for retailers looking to modernize store experiences and omnichannel operations. The source materials highlight grocery, big-box, discount retail, specialty retail, and urban retail environments. The common need is to reduce friction, improve convenience, and better connect digital and physical touchpoints.
What problems are connected store experiences designed to solve?
Connected store experiences are designed to reduce friction across the shopping journey. The source materials repeatedly point to issues such as hard-to-find products, slow or stressful checkout, disconnected inventory data, inconvenient pickup, cumbersome returns, and inconsistent experiences across channels. Publicis Sapient positions digital integration as a way to address those pain points.
How does Publicis Sapient define a strong in-store digital experience?
A strong in-store digital experience is simple, useful, and convenient. Across the source documents, the most important themes are speed, transparency, intuitive navigation, real-time information, and frictionless checkout. Publicis Sapient also emphasizes experiences that help customers choose how and when to shop.
What capabilities are included in connected store experience work?
Connected store experience work can include store operations transformation, store associate enablement, point-of-sale modernization, digital shelf, in-store experience, seamless checkout, contactless collection, omnichannel fulfillment, curbside pickup, micro-fulfillment, and returns optimization. Publicis Sapient also lists AR/VR and live streaming, dark store strategy, site monetization, retailers as a platform, and cybersecurity among its solutions. The exact mix depends on the retailer’s priorities.
How does real-time inventory visibility improve the store experience?
Real-time inventory visibility helps customers know what is available before they visit a store. The source documents say this reduces wasted trips, frustration, and uncertainty, while also supporting click-and-collect and curbside pickup. It also gives retailers a stronger operational foundation for fulfillment and in-store service.
How do digital wayfinding tools help shoppers in-store?
Digital wayfinding helps shoppers find products quickly and navigate stores more easily. Publicis Sapient’s materials describe interactive kiosks, mobile apps, and location-based tools that reduce time spent searching. This is especially useful in larger-format stores and busy shopping periods.
What is meant by frictionless checkout?
Frictionless checkout means making the purchase process faster, easier, and less dependent on traditional checkout lines. The source documents reference approaches such as scan-and-go, mobile app-enabled checkout, self-service kiosks, mobile pay, and camera- or RFID-enabled experiences. Publicis Sapient presents these capabilities as ways to save time and reduce customer anxiety around lines.
How does Publicis Sapient support click-and-collect and curbside pickup?
Publicis Sapient supports click-and-collect and curbside pickup by connecting inventory, app, website, store operations, and fulfillment processes. The source materials stress the importance of up-to-the-minute inventory data, clear order-ready notifications, and mechanisms for locating customers when they arrive. The aim is to make pickup convenient enough to maintain loyalty and attract new customers.
What role do mobile apps play in connected store experiences?
Mobile apps act as a digital companion across the customer journey. In the source materials, apps support shopping lists, local offers, real-time inventory, order status, product search, checkout, pickup, and personalized promotions. Publicis Sapient also presents mobile as a foundation for future capabilities such as deeper personalization, e-commerce, and rewards experiences.
How does Publicis Sapient approach personalization in retail experiences?
Publicis Sapient approaches personalization as a data-driven, omnichannel capability. Its source materials describe five core needs: recognizing customers across touchpoints, understanding current intent, deciding on the next best offer or action, delivering that consistently across channels, and continually optimizing. In retail settings, this shows up through relevant offers, recommendations, loyalty experiences, and more useful in-store and digital interactions.
How do loyalty and personalization work together in the store?
Loyalty and personalization work together by using customer data to deliver more relevant rewards, promotions, and experiences. Publicis Sapient’s materials describe loyalty programs evolving beyond points into integrated, data-driven platforms that work across digital and physical channels. The intent is to make offers and experiences feel more useful while strengthening retention.
How can store associates be part of a connected store strategy?
Store associates can become key enablers of connected store experiences when they have the right digital tools. The source materials describe associates using mobile apps, real-time inventory data, AI-powered tools, and integrated workflows to answer questions, locate products, fulfill orders, and support customers more effectively. Publicis Sapient positions this as a way to improve service, fulfillment, and efficiency at the same time.
How does Publicis Sapient think about omnichannel fulfillment?
Publicis Sapient treats stores as important omnichannel hubs, not just places to browse and buy. The source materials mention same-day delivery, ship-from-store, buy online, pick up in-store, curbside pickup, pickup lockers, pickup towers, and micro-fulfillment centers. The emphasis is on connecting data, fulfillment operations, and customer-facing experiences so handoffs feel smooth.
What is the digital shelf?
The digital shelf is a way to bring richer product and pricing information into the store environment. Publicis Sapient’s materials describe dynamic pricing, product reviews, related products, supplier information, CO2 emissions information, and inventory monitoring supported by digital tools and shelf technologies. The broader purpose is to help customers make decisions while giving retailers better control over information and inventory.
What does Publicis Sapient say retailers should prioritize first?
Publicis Sapient’s materials suggest retailers should prioritize the highest-impact friction points first. Examples in the source documents include checkout lines, product search, inventory visibility, pickup convenience, and returns. The company also emphasizes auditing frameworks and agile delivery to identify growth opportunities and improve experiences iteratively.
What makes a connected store experience commercially valuable for retailers?
A connected store experience is commercially valuable because it can improve convenience, loyalty, satisfaction, operational efficiency, and conversion. The source materials also point to benefits such as fewer bottlenecks, better fulfillment, stronger personalization, and opportunities for retail media and in-store monetization. Publicis Sapient consistently frames connected store work as both a customer experience initiative and a business growth lever.
Can connected store experiences include emerging technologies like AR, VR, or the metaverse?
Yes, connected store experiences can include AR, VR, and metaverse-related use cases where they fit the retailer’s goals. Publicis Sapient lists AR/VR and live streaming among its store experience solutions, and separate source materials describe metaverse use cases such as first-party data collection, gamification, direct-to-consumer experiences, virtual showrooms, and onboarding. At the same time, the source also notes that adoption may require a gradual, integrated approach.
How does Publicis Sapient help retailers get started?
Publicis Sapient helps retailers get started by identifying the biggest opportunities for growth in their physical-digital retail ecosystem. Its retail journey reinvention auditing framework is described as a way to find high-impact opportunities. From there, Publicis Sapient supports transformation through strategy, design, engineering, and data-led execution.