Ukrainian vending trends

Automation and sales through vending machines are showing increasingly positive trends in the growth of their share in retail worldwide. But what is the situation with vending now in Ukraine?

This niche is almost free in our country, despite all its prospects. New technologies, acceleration of life rhythm, lack of time, electronic accounts - different factors lead to the fact that among consumers is growing popularity of self-service cash registers and vending machines that allow you to buy the desired products at any time and without additional assistance. 

The Ukrainian niche of vending machines is represented mainly by coffee vending machines, snack vending machines and terminals providing the opportunity to pay for services. But the market, certainly, will continue developing, and the world tendencies will not leave Ukraine aside.

Promising cases

• Clothing. In Europe and Asia, no one will be surprised by the vending machines selling socks, slippers, or even underwear.
  
• Flower production. Automatic machines that give the opportunity at any time in a couple of clicks to buy a bouquet of fresh flowers.
  
• Ready meal [hot or cold]. Technology is driving this trend; one of the latest innovations in vending is the refrigerator with RFID technology. And sausage vending machines, for example, have recently become a real hit in Germany.
  
• Books. Printed products do not require any special storage conditions. However, vending machines with book products are popular if they are placed at bus stops, airports, train stations, waiting rooms and many other public places.

Popularity of online second hand solutions among Z generation

An interesting trend has already been noted in the U.S.: the new generation prefers to use online technology to earn money without resorting to physical labor or formal full-time employment. 

Technological advances, active development of social networks and mobile applications have provided Generation Z with new tools for easier and more successful earning. In recent years, there has been a steady trend in the U.S. to introduce new, increasingly diverse apps for exchanging and selling second-hand clothing and shoes that target young people under 26.

Depop is one of the most popular apps of this type for selling clothes online. It has allowed some teenagers to achieve commercial success even before they received their school diplomas.

What is the advantage of such applications?

• The opportunity to make money by selling and reselling both new and second-hand items on the job, regardless of age or education.
  
• The opportunity to sell goods of own production.
  
• Ability to earn by reselling exclusive and limited goods, such as concert tickets or items from a discontinued collection.
  
• Availability. Now unlikely to meet a member of Generation Z who does not own a smartphone. Unlike Internet resources, applications allow you to always stay in touch and instantly receive alerts, which speeds up the turnover of goods and increases the popularity of such projects.

Online shopping. What is popular among Ukrainian consumers in 2019

Modern delivery and safe shopping services increase the loyalty of Ukrainians to online shopping. According to the research of GfK, today one in three Ukrainians, who use the Internet, at least once made an online order. At the same time, almost 100% of these users have resorted to online shopping many times over the past year alone. In addition, the average income of online buyers was usually twice as high as that of offline buyers, according to the same research by GfK.

The most popular product categories among Ukrainian online buyers, according to GfK

1. Electronics.
2. Household appliances.
3. Clothes.
4. Cosmetic goods.
5. Perfumery.

On the OLX platform, there is a similar trend. So the top sales leader remains electronics. The top three leaders also include clothes and cosmetics; besides, children's things are in great demand. Compared to 2018, this year the category of "household goods" is also gaining popularity.

There are many different motivations to encourage users to make online purchases of different categories. In general, buyers note similar factors among the main advantages provided by a particular seller or site:

• lower prices;
• the convenience of delivery;
• time saving.

As for delivery, according to the statistics of GfK and OLX, the most popular way is still the services of large courier services. 

Confidence in cashless payments is growing

The Internet is becoming safer for commerce and users' trust in cashless payment is growing. According to GfK and OLX, today the majority of buyers prefer the cashless payment method, and the trend shows only increasing popularity of this type of payment.

Why do buyers prefer non-cash payment?

• Bonuses when paying by card;
• favorable price offer;
• the security of this payment method;
• confidence in the online store.

Main customer complaints and feedback channels for conflict resolution

Every year the competition in the world of retail is increasing, creating a good reputation and "basis" of regular customers help to maintain stability and increase profits despite various factors and market fluctuations. At the same time, the financial cost of attracting new customers is many times higher than the cost of retaining the old ones.

According to research data, customers' expectations of service increase every year. For many, service is an indicator of how the company treats it and whether it is worthwhile to interact with it. The main complaints of Ukrainian buyers are reduced to conflicts when buying goods and services. 

Claims of Ukrainian buyers

• The staff's rude/non-friendly attitude,
• staff incompetence,
• wrong price for a product/service,
• poor product/service quality,
• the slowness of service,
• cheated/calculated.

In such cases, the feedback is what will help to increase customer loyalty, retain regular customers, maintain reputation and avoid losses. However, only a small proportion of consumers have indicated that they are willing to leave complaints or get involved in proceedings.  

4Service conducted a survey to identify customer-preferred feedback channels and their effectiveness. The results of this survey showed the following picture of user preferences:

1. Verbal treatment.
2. Telephone hotline.
3. The book of complaints.
4. Social networks.

The most effective way to resolve the problem and the conflict was to address the person in charge verbally, as well as to leave real-time feedback via a mobile device. 

The importance of the ability to establish a dialogue with your consumer and have feedback is difficult to overestimate, so in the near future, we can note the importance of the development and development of feedback services, which are accessible from mobile devices.

Such were the main news and observations of the global and Ukrainian retailing in July.