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Tech@Home: Eros Group Says No Amount of Technology Can Ever Replace Human Interaction

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Deepak Babani, the Executive Vice Chairman of Eros Group, speaks about how tech shopping has changed in recent years

How has the technology/consumer electronics buying experience changed in recent months? Do you see more people buying online or offline from tech retail stores?
At Eros Group we always aim to provide a delightful experience to customers whether in-store, online or after-sales service. At Eros, we had already begun strengthening our online business strategy even before the pandemic hit.

Today, we have in place a thriving and engaging digital platform where consumers can browse and buy with ease. The impact of e-commerce on the sector has been substantial with many consumers exploring and experiencing online shopping for the first time, overcoming mindset barriers of setting up online accounts and making digital or online payments, and beginning to trust this way of shopping. While we are boosting our in-shop presence we are creating better avenues for touch-less shopping as digital adoption is here to stay.

In the end, our motto is to fulfill customer expectations and during the past 12 months, we have strengthened & added new members to our call center team to enhance our customer experience. We increased our online presence by adding new brands, line-ups to our eCommerce portal. The after-sales service team also extended its efforts to help customers.

Do brand stores still add value to the overall shopping experience?
Brick-and-mortar retail dominated the high street, but, with the invention of the internet, a whole new paradigm of sales and marketing changed the retail industry completely. Nowadays, brick-and-mortar retail is at risk of falling behind as e-commerce continues to grow exponentially. There is also the social aspect of shopping to consider.

People crave human interaction, and as the world becomes more digital, sometimes that reaction comes from talking with a sales associate in the store. Shopping is a social experience, and nothing can re-create wandering through a store with friends. No amount of technology can ever replace human touch and interaction.

As stores move online, the e-commerce world could become increasingly competitive, which would drive more stores back to the physical space to take advantage of cheap real estate. The cycle could take 10 to 20 years to unfold, but it is a definite possibility. Perhaps the most likely scenario is a blend of these two ideas—more integration between the physical retail and e-commerce spaces.

Technology will play a new role and allow customers to see and try items before they make a purchase. An eCommerce platform can host unlimited brands and products while store cannot BUT on another hand a store can act as a pick-up or delivery point for eCommerce orders plus customers can always touch and feel the product in the store.

If you were to list out the top five factors that people look for while shopping for tech products/consumer electronics/home appliances, what would those be?
The most important factor for buying any electronic products would be:

  • Need
  • Genuine brand/stock/authorized distributor
  • Pricing
  • After-Sales Service
  • Warranty

How high do people rate after-sales service these days?
After-sales service is one of the most important and integral parts of the electronics industry. It plays an important role in customer satisfaction and customer retention. It generates loyal customers and increases brand value. People often change their buying decisions basis after-sales service and warranty on the product, especially when it comes to large or medium sizes appliances and gadgets as well. Therefore, after-sales service is of vital importance for a satisfied and happy customer that eventually brings in more revenue to the organization for a long time.

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