How Can Customer Experience Improve Retail Operations Sustainability?

Consumer needs drive supply chains, so they are arguably the main actors in the process. Nonetheless, consumers are unaware of their ability to contribute to stock management and the sustainability of retail operations, from the reduction of stockouts and waste to the minimization of energy-environmental impacts, through the centralization of stock in distribution and consolidation of last-mile delivery in pooling systems. For this to happen, companies must provide channels that allow consumers to actively participate in the process and negotiate delivery times and prices through sustainable purchase options, through a crowdsourcing strategy in phygital stores. This paper explores two alternative strategies, maintaining or changing the current physical retail business model, based on the increase in online commerce and the use of mobile devices and applications in the purchase process. The first is applied in physical stores in a gaming context through a consumer-facing augmented reality mobile application that rewards users for identifying stockouts and informing the need to replace products in the shelves. The second involves the transformation of physical stores into a showroom format, where desired products are read through a QR code or using artificial intelligence through a mobile application, in which virtual shopping carts are created and deliveries can be fulfilled via home distribution centers, collection points, or drive-in.