Weekend Consumer Blast: When app meets the aisle, how seamless is the shopping experience?

As retail becomes increasingly omni-channel, how are retailers integrating the digital interface with in-store shopping? We went on a store tour a few weeks ago in North Bergen, NJ, to try out how retailers' apps worked in stores. Somewhat surprisingly, the in-store mode of Home Depot's and Lowe's apps were the real bright spot, which could help drive efficiency gains if and when demand starts to rebound in home improvement. Sam's Club Scan & Go was as seamless as expected, whereas Walmart's Sparky still has room for improvement to provide better in-store navigation in Walmart supercenters. As retailers improve the integration of technology into the in-store experience, this could open up a wide range of opportunities, from easier navigation and faster checkout to product discovery and personalized offers in store at the point of purchase.