With the announcement that England will enter a second lockdown, retailers will be forced to close their doors once again. Retailers need to reboot their Covid-19 preparations as a second national lockdown comes into force. But rather than going backwards, retailers will have grown from the experience of the first wave and put their knowledge into action. Accelerating their digital transformation and utilising technology to meet the demands of our new contactless society is a new necessity.

The point of sale no longer sits behind a fixed counter. Retailers will need to prepare for the surge in online sales, as customers will be unwilling or unable to shop in-store. Customers have responded well to the expanded world of self-scanning, click-and-collect, curbside pickup, and home delivery. Our customer data shows that some retailers have seen up to a 500% increase in transactions through these contactless solutions.

Since the outbreak of coronavirus, computer vision software on personal phones is yielding new value for businesses, allowing staff to maintain social distancing, and keeping them and customers safe.

Smart scanning, with computer vision and AR on a smartphone, is a frictionless and fast way to identify and pick products from storerooms. And with the retail industry set to fluctuate for the foreseeable future as employees self-isolate and redeploy – and shopping patterns change in line with government measures – it’s a model that scales, easily and affordably.