THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com Wednesday, January 29, 2014 INDUSTRY 45

Selling convenience remains a keyattraction in driving retail businesses,especially in the developing countrieswhere shopping experience is changing.To adapt to the competitive new reality,smart retailers are drawing on classicretailing truths of the past and augment-ing them for the now. Indeed, Innovativeretailers are embracing this new reality,using digital and technological solutionsto manage and extend their storefronts.FEMI ADEKOYA, who was at the 2014edition of the Wincor World in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany, examines howinnovations by I.T solutions provider likeWincor Nixdorf hope to drive the retailindustry revolution.

How technological innovations will drive Nigeria’sretail industry revolution

An automatic scanner being showcased at the Wincor World 2014 PHOTO: WINCOR-NIXDORF

HITHERTO the evolution of big entrants likeShoprite, Woolworths, Mr Price into the

Nigerian retail industry, activities within theindustry have been demonstrated by clearexchange of goods at convenience stores ornearest markets.

However, with the retail industry in Nigeriasteadily becoming more organised, largely driv-en by the efforts of some state governments toban street trading, revitalise city centres andmodernise trading standards, as well as a grow-ing population of sophisticated middle-classconsumers, the tide is constantly changing withthe deepening of e-commerce and improvedtechnology.

For instance, the Nigerian retail industry ischaracterized by three markets catering to thegrowing demands of a teeming youthful popu-lation, namely, the traditional open markets orstreet traders, semi-formal modernised mar-kets and Western-style shopping centres or for-mal retail outlets.

Indeed, many retailers are continuously fight-ing to cater to consumers who are evolving howthey shop; both in-store and online, consideringthe great deal of transactions done through e-payment channels and online shopping.To help meet this change, retailers are continu-

ing to explore new payment and loyalty tech-nologies to meet the demands on the modernconsumer

Between 2011 and 2013, international chainshave continued to expand in a fragmented mar-ket with efforts to double the stakes by 2014.

In 2011 and 2012 alone, Retail SupermarketsNigeria Ltd, the national brand owner ofShoprite, opened four more stores in Nigeria,thus widening its national presence, while ArteeIndustries Ltd, the Nigerian partner ofInternationale Spar Centrale BV, opened anoth-er Spar outlet in 2012.

Meanwhile, following the acquisition ofGame’s Massmart Holding Ltd by Wal-MartStores Inc, the company has begun its ownexpansion, opening its second store at the endof 2011. There was also a great deal of activity inthe apparel specialist retailers channel as newinternational players entered Nigeria in 2012.

In an emerging industry already witnessingfierce competition, especially among interna-tional chains, the future of retail activitieswould be shaped by a lot of factors.

According to experts at Wincor Nixdorf, theretail industry is facing great challenges.

They noted that saturated markets and theneed to create more growth in internationalmarkets by extending store networks are just aschallenging for the IT resources of retail compa-nies as the necessary investment in omnichan-nel technologies.

Going by the growth projections in emergingmarkets, the President and Chief ExecutiveOfficer of Wincor Nixdorf, Eckard Heidloff,while speaking at the Wincor World 2014 fair inRheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany, recently, notedthat the company has redirected its strategy tocapture the growth potential offered by Nigeriaand other emerging markets to deploy mobilepayments and cashless payment solutions.

Indeed, the firm stated that new technologies,especially the Automated Teller Machines(ATMs) that would enable bank customers todesign their own user interfaces using thetouch and swipe technology associated withtablet and smart phones would be deployed inthe country.

Heidloff, whose firm has been a key player inthe Nigerian banking and retail sectors throughthe deployment of Automated Teller Machines(ATMs) added that the company has optimised

its global manufacturing and supply-chain net-work to address the needs of the market.

Heidloff added: "Today's consumers do theirbusiness via smart phone, tablet or the Internetas well as in bricks-and-mortar bank branchesand stores. Banks and retailers are currentlychanging the way they do business to accom-modate this trend. We support them in theirefforts and enable new processes, especiallythrough innovative software."Customers are becoming increasingly knowl-

edgeable and cannot be taken for granted.Wide options in service provision put bankersand retailers on their toes. With the new solu-tions that we have developed, we hope to assistbanks and the retail sector create new busi-nesses that would increase their profitability.Software is a further key driver for growth,which enables banks and retailers to adapt tochanging customer demands and transformsstores and branches."

On his part, Chief Technology Officer of thecompany, Reinhard Rabenstein explained thatthe move to embrace innovation, especially inretail banking is key in differentiating competi-tion as well as in reducing operating costs.

He stressed that new channel architecturesare being developed to address concerns inoperational costs through branch transforma-tion in the banks and retail stores.

Also, Wincor Nixdorf’s President, Africa,Middle East and Portugal, Paulo Gomes added

that the firm would harness the opportunitiesin the emerging markets while retaining itsleadership position through profitable part-nerships and the deployment of innovativesolutions.

Indeed, some of the game changers in theretail industry include:The continued use of Smartphones to driveretail landscape As consumer confidence in using mobiledevices in the shopping environment increas-es, retailers would need to continue investingin meeting consumer expectations as thistrend continues to grow. A multichannel strat-egy is key, as not only will this channel act as anenabler through showrooming in store, butalso through online shopping on the move.With retailers having the opportunity to deliv-er personalised messages and offers in store,together with convenient and quick ways topay, the mobile device really allows consumersto manage all their interactions with a brandthrough a single portal, on a single device.Convergence of payments and loyaltyThe field of loyalty is shifting, with the empha-sis moving away from pure points collectingand redemption schemes into more instant,targeted and geo-fenced rewards. With thegrowing trend of energy conservation andrecycling in Lagos state for instance, retailstores may need to converge payments andloyalty to enhance the customer experience.

With the new Revendo product generation,Wincor Nixdorf has developed a modular, plat-form-based concept that combines a standard-ized, especially high-quality module for therecognition of single bottles with differentchassies for stand-alone solutions (Revendo9010) and the respective backroom compo-nents for through-the-wall solutions (Revendo9020).�Individualised service will be a differentiator

Delivering an enhanced individualised servicethat appeals to customer’s varied shoppingpreferences for example online, in-store, viamobile or click and collect, will be the areawhere retailers can really differentiate them-selves.

For instance, Wincor Nixdorf is premiering acheckout solution that focuses on rapid scan-ning of articles at the checkout. With this solu-tion, the products are placed on a conveyor beltand automatically scanned, thus aiding theease of waiting in queues.

Also, the mobile shopping assistant seeks toenhance greater shopping independence andconvenience and allows consumers to scantheir articles themselves instead of having towait in line at the checkout.With various solutions being showcased at the

Wincor World, early adoption of some of thesesolutions may aid retail businesses, especiallyfor international lines seeking to strengthentheir grip of the growing retail markets inNigeria.

Close-up launches Cupid game

Hinduja Group, Stallion announce partnership in NigeriaHINDUJA Group, one of the globally

renowned business house, has enteredinto a strategic partnership with theregional conglomerate-Stallion Group, fora wide range of activities in Nigeria and subSaharan Africa.

Specifically, the partnership will see thefirms expanding their model range frompresently two to a full range of twelve mod-els.The Hinduja Group is being promoted byIndia’s wealthy Hinduja family, engaged in

diversified activities including automotive,oil and gas, power and healthcare.

The Stallion Group is an international con-glomerate with presence in 18 countriesengaged in agriculture, commodities, vehi-cle assembly, steel manufacturing, plastics,packaging, food products, real estate andother large scale industries.

Stallion is already assembling Hinduja’sAshok Leyland range of buses in Nigeria thatare plying on Nigerian roads.

Notable additions include Ashok Leyland’snew models like Captain, Dost, Boss and sev-

eral others. These models shall be assembled for the

Nigerian market at Stallion’s ultra modernfactory in Lagos.

The factory will also assemble military anddefence products including Ashok Leyland’sestablished models in this segment.

The partnership was finalised in Davos, onthe sidelines of the World Economic Forumby Hinduja Group’s Co Chairman G P Hindujaand Stallion Group’s Chairman SunilVaswani.

To aid social interaction, Close-up hascommenced an online activity that

would aid the realization of its set goals.The firm, through the launch of social

interaction site called “Cupid Games”,hopes to set the pace for an engagingonline fixture that will evolve new lovelovers relationship and boost several rela-tionships among Nigerian youths.

‘The close up Cupid game’, according tothe organizers, is a platform for youths tointeract with friends especially during thisseason of valentine.The organizers noted: “It is a very interest-

ing and exciting game that is available toplay both online via www.cupid-

games.com/ng" or via sms by textingUsername+ Gender+ Age+ State of Residenceto 20050 and this open to peoples who are atleast 18years old above.”

The promoters, during the launchingwhich took place in Lagos recently notedthat “during the course of the game, the play-ers will test their capability by answering aseries of fun questions and some players willeventually be able to meet who they are chat-ting with in person, if they adjudged com-patible.

“For some high score players, they will havethe opportunity of attending the Close upCupid Valentine’s Grand Ball party, wherecompatible couples in the chat game will

meet again with other one to engage in thelast series of the game where the last cou-ples standing will be getting the grand prizeof an exciting weeklong trip to MagneticIsland in Australia’’. Speaking at the launching Brand BuildingDirector, Unilever Nigeria Plc, David Okeme,said that this would be opportunity for theyouths to get closer and start conversationswith others.

He added saying: “Valentine period is a sea-son in the year for getting closer andexpressing affection, and as Nigeria’s lead-ing toothpaste brand, the firm will use thisopportunity to engage young people at atime when closeness is in the air.