Perceived usefulness of innovative technology in retailing: Consumers׳ and retailers׳ point of view

Technology has always played important role in retailing. On one hand, technology enables retailers to improve their services to customers, to improve their management operations and reduce their cost as well. On the other hand, technology brings some benefits to consumers related to short lines at checkouts, higher speed in providing services in the store, no pricing errors, loyalty card programmes, etc. The main purpose of the paper is to discuss the benefits and limitations of technology in retailing in general. For the purpose of getting better insight into the importance of new technological solutions for retailers and consumers, different areas of technology in retailing have been explored in the selected retail context of the Republic of Croatia. The findings of the two-phase study, including a qualitative and a quantitative approach, suggest that innovative technology help consumers to make their shopping decisions, while better understanding of consumer goals and related stored information in turn would help retailers to develop successful retail strategy.