Reinvent POS experience for today's users—shoppers and sellers

In-depth field user research was conducted in Dubai with a leading investment group to understand the needs of retail store owners and users, aiming to shape an integrated eCommerce and Fintech platform.

Role

UX/UI Designer

Industry

Retail - E Commerce

Duration

6 months

Stage 1. My Role

My primary role was to enhance the overall experience for both shopkeepers and customers by deeply understanding their pain points and identifying opportunities for technology modernization.

This project stands as a testament to effective teamwork. I collaborated closely with a diverse group of stakeholders—from both our internal team and the client side. Through seamless coordination and shared vision, we successfully achieved the business goals within a 6-month timeline.

Stage 2. Research Overview

Understanding the current state

To gain a deeper understanding of the user base for the POS machine, we conducted qualitative interviews with 10+ local shopkeepers across couple of geographies and three distinct market segments, along with one quick-service restaurant and a range of end consumers
Participants were selected based on key criteria including revenue generation, customer demographics, and store location, ensuring a diverse and representative sample.
The research uncovered valuable insights into the wide spectrum of consumers served by local shopkeepers. It revealed variations in shopping behaviour influenced by nationality and highlighted how shopkeepers adapt their operations and discover new business opportunities in response to evolving customer needs.

Stage 4. Insights & Recommendations

Key Insights and Recommendations Derived from User Interviews, Personas, and Current Journey Analysis

Insights

Shopkeepers rely on paper records and memory to track customers and purchases, making the process slow and error-prone.
High foot traffic during peak hours creates long queues and limits personal customer interaction.
Returns and expired products are managed manually through supplier calls and date checks, making the process inefficient and prone to errors.
Customers may struggle to find preferred products when their local baqala is out of stock, requiring shopkeepers to contact nearby stores with no guarantee of availability.

Recommendations

Introduce a digital Khata and e-wallet to provide accurate, real-time tracking of customer purchases and transactions.
Enable QR payments, e-wallets, and barcode scanning to make checkout faster and more convenient.
Automate inventory and expiry tracking with batch-level monitoring and vendor-suggested reordering.
Add an in-app shopkeeper chatbot to check nearby stock and complete transactions digitally.

Stage 5. Uncovered Design Approach

After gathering all the key insights, we have identified a theme that should be strictly followed to redesign the experience for both shopkeepers and customers.

Personal Touch: By utilizing user personas and journeys, we can craft a tailored experience that meets the unique needs of both shopkeepers and customers.
Process Transformation: Streamline transactions by automating many of the existing manual processes.
Technology Upgradation: Leveraging modern applications, APIs, and microservices to create a seamless omni-channel experience.
Ease and Streamlining: Both consumers and shopkeepers value convenience and are open to utilizing technology to enhance it.