Trends in Retail: Analysis of ASDA and Recommendations

Inquiry based learning

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Trend in retail..............................................................................................................................3
Analysis of an organization.........................................................................................................5
Recommendations........................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................10
Questionnaire.............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
In this competitive era, organizations are focused upon their products and services so that
they attract customers towards it. Further, with the rise of personalization and digitalization,
retail industry becomes more advanced. In the same way, current study also shed a light upon
different trends that contribute towards a growth of an industry. Thus, the chosen firm for this
report is ASDA which is one of the top multinational firms in UK and also highlights the issues
if company faces. Therefore, study will determine the key trends within a retail industry and
analyze the organization through primary research. Lastly, it recommend the ways to the firm in
order to comply with new changes.
Trend in retail
Transformation in a digital space has completely reshaped the shopping behavior of the
customers and focused to enhance the online experience as well. Due to pandemic, customers
behavior changed overnights as health and safety concerns. Therefore, there are numerous
changes identified within retail industry. Some of them are as mentioned below:
Staff-free and cashier-less store: It is one of the topmost priority of all the customers
due to pandemic. Most of the people become cashless, as they prefer to pay online. Also, with
social distancing become a relevant for protecting public health in 2021, cashier-less store are an
important retail trend which need to be consider (Noghabaei and et.al., 2020). For example,
Amazon uses such advance technologies i.e. Amazon Go Grocery Model where system track
what customer place into their cart and when they leaves, store will automatically charge from
the credit card. Now, bar-codes and scanners are used in order to provide cashless facilities to
their customers.
Virtual fitting rooms: Another trend which is attract range of customers by 90% and
from 2021, it cannot be ignored. It is the most intriguing innovations in retail industry which
utilizes the Augmented reality (AR). As, try-before-you-approach is more difficult during
COVID-19 pandemic and this facility is a unique position that helps customer to make their own
choice (7 trends to change the retail industry, 2020). Firm like, Kendra Scott, Etsy already uses
such technology in order to provide good customer experience. On the other side, Virtual

shopping can be done on customer’s smartphones in which ARKit is one of the best Virtual
reality applications in 2021.
Machine learning for demand forecasting: In the time of pandemic, it is necessary for
the company to determine the customer’s demand and then offer products accordingly. For that,
machine learning is used for demand forecasting (Paik and Lee, 2021). This innovations improve
the automatic demand forecasting, inventory planning and relationship with customers so that
company’s sales increases in positive manner. Further, Lachine learning approach is versatile
and adaptive that identify the trend of market. Most of the renowned companies like Amazon,
Asos uses ML learning in order to forecasting the customers.
Robots and Autonomous vehicles: This technology is started at the end of 2019, but not
all the companies complied with the same. Such that Safeway, a supermarket chain provide a
new driverless cart service to deliver the groceries to local residents. Serve Robotics worked for
Uber and now, Walmart is also getting ready to deploy with fully autonomous trucks to deliver
products immediately (Ying and et.al., 2020). Through such facilities, companies are able to
reduce the workload of human, however it affect the employment rates within a country. So, it
can be stated that companies must focused upon such advance technologies in order to improve
their operations and maintain long term relationship with customers as well.
Personalization: Another trend of retail industry which increases year by year. It means
that sending a list of items to the business or shopping with an employee using mobile video
technology within big brands. This is trendy during pandemic times, because people were strictly
forbid to go outside and that is why, this technology used in order to provide especial treatment
to their customers. The personalization trend also identified during pre-covid and it increases the
experience of customers towards a business.
Through the above, it has been analyzed that the trend within retail sector is keep changes
as per the change in markets. Recently most of the business converted into online shopping
because the craze of online purchasing increases. Also, no one prefers to go outside and that is
why, trend of online shopping increases during and post Covid-19.