In-store shoppers were waiting on busy associates just to check a price, and every delay chipped away at satisfaction while overloading staff.
“Give shoppers the answer in their hand and everyone wins, the customer and the associate.”
A retail client wanted to enhance the in-store experience by giving customers instant access to product and pricing information without needing staff. Long wait times, inconsistent product data, and limited digital engagement were reducing satisfaction and overburdening associates, and the app had to scan barcodes, show promotions, and offer loyalty features with real-time accuracy and seamless integration with in-store systems.
Research through surveys, interviews, and in-store observation found that 70% of shoppers preferred self-help. Grounded in three pillars, instant access, personal connection, and seamless transition, ML arteka mapped the journey and designed a hybrid app around four modules: Scan and Go, Store Info, a Promotions Hub, and Profile and Loyalty, with a floating scan button, card-based product display, offline mode, and a promotions carousel, prototyped and tested in Figma.
The result: price checks 75% faster, a 60% increase in customer satisfaction, 30% fewer staff-assisted queries, and a 20% rise in app adoption within the first quarter.
Business Outcomes
A hybrid self-serve app shifted shoppers from reactive support to proactive discovery, in store.
Instant, self-serve product lookups.
A better in-store experience.
Associates freed for higher-value work.
The Transformation
From waiting on associates to instant, self-serve answers.
- 1
ResearchUnderstand the ShopperSurveys, interviews, and in-store observation found 70% of shoppers preferred self-help. - 2
DefineFour Core ModulesStructured the app around Scan and Go, Store Info, a Promotions Hub, and Profile and Loyalty. - 3
DesignSimple, Fast, ReliableBuilt a card-based Figma design with large tap targets, validated with real shoppers. - 4
BuildKey FeaturesAdded a floating scan button, card-based product display, offline mode, and a promotions carousel.
The Business Challenge
Waiting in the Aisle for a Price
Long waits and inconsistent data were hurting satisfaction and overloading associates.
Long wait times
Shoppers waited on staff for product and pricing information.
Inconsistent product data
Real-time accuracy was needed across in-store systems.
Limited digital engagement
There was little self-serve interaction in store.
Overburdened associates
Repetitive queries consumed staff time.
Business Outcomes in Detail
What the Numbers Mean
Instant, self-serve product lookups.
A better in-store experience.
Associates freed for higher-value work.
Technology Snapshot
The Hybrid App
Self-serve design in retail succeeds when simplicity meets reliability. Putting the answer in the shopper’s hand shifted them from reactive support to proactive discovery, and freed associates for higher-value work.
Executive Questions and Answers
The questions leadership tends to ask when evaluating an approach like this.
Speed
How did price checks get 75% faster?
A floating scan button and Scan and Go put instant product pricing and details in the shopper’s hand, from any screen, without finding an associate.
Reliability
What about poor in-store connectivity?
An offline mode keeps the app usable in low-connectivity environments, syncing when a connection is available.
Impact
What did it change for staff?
Staff-assisted queries fell 30%, freeing associates from repetitive questions while customer satisfaction rose 60%.
