Pizza Hut launches digital concept store in Malaysia, features greeting robot

Pizza Hut Malaysia has launched uts newly refurbished digital concept store in Sunway Pyramid. Speaking to A+M, a spokesperson from Pizza Hut said both initiatives serve to push Pizza Hut forward in its digital transformation, supporting the brand’s mission of making it "easy", to get a great pizza and providing a "better" quality of experience for customers.On its new digital concept store, the Pizza Hut spokesperson said customers will be able to an entirely new digital experience from the moment they set foot in the restaurant, to the moment they exit. In the newly launched digital concept store, all Pizza Hut servers are also equipped with tablets for faster and better accurate orders to the kitchen.The new store is also Pizza Hut’s first in Asia Pacific to feature Digital Take Away Kiosks. The kiosks allow customers to make orders and pay more quickly, increasing efficiency and reducing wait times to place an order. From ordering and queue management digital panels outside the store, right to the greeting robots, the store was designed to be innately digital in nature.Customers will also get to experience an augmented reality menu, bringing food to life in greater vividness than ever before as they select their dishes. The digital experience continues after the order is made, with an engaging digital game to keep customers entertained while they wait for their freshly baked pizzas.Speaking at the launch event, Merrill Pereyra, chief executive officer of QSR Brands said, “When looking at implementing digital technology into our digital concept store, we approached the task from a customer’s point of view. How could we make the whole experience easier and better for customers? That’s why we’ve implemented several solutions, one of it being the Digital Take-Away Kiosks – because customers told us they wanted to be able to order and complete their transactions quicker, so that they could more quickly enjoy delicious pizzas. This way, our investment into the kiosk translates immediately into a solution that makes our customer experience better.”In developing Pizza Hut’s digital strategy, Pereyra said the organisation has taken a step back to look at the essence of what the food industry is all about."In our industry, customer experience is key," he said, adding for the company, digital isn’t just a matter of applying technology for technology’s sake - but it’s about making its customer experience better. For Pizza Hut, Pereyra said, digital also means making it "easier for our customers to get a better pizza - whether in store or at home or anywhere at all."This is why, Pereyra said, Pizza Hut embarked on a digital transformation journey, starting with its website revamp and now, our mobile app and very first digital concept store.We’re hoping to provide customers an entirely new digital experience from the moment they walk into the store, order and enjoy their dining experience.Additionally, the CEO said that this is just and only the beginning. The company is now looking to expand its digital concept to more stores, to bring an easier and better digital experience to all its customers.On digital front, Pizza Hut is definitely gearing up on its continuous investment in digital technology to enhance customer experience. Pereyra added,Our investment into our digital strategy is not driven just by a blind need to stay 'in-trend.'"Instead, we are using technology in a deliberate and strategic manner to make our customer experience richer, better and ultimately more enjoyable - just like the pizza they enjoy. After all, everyone loves delicious and hot pizzas. The question is always: how can we get better pizzas to you in an easier manner and reward you while doing so?," Pereyra said.“We believe this is what puts a smile on our customers faces and this is why we are so committed to embracing technology to make our customer experience easier and better,” he added.[gallery link="file" ids="198705,198707,198706"]Banking more on mobile appFor customers who prefer to enjoy pizza delivered, Pizza Hut started making the experience better with a revamp of its website earlier in May this year, with easier and more convenient ordering, navigating and tracking mechanisms. The investment paid off with an 107% increase in website traffic, while online sales transactions increased by 31%.Pizza Hut is taking this one step further by officially launching its mobile app. The new app aims to ordering pizza an easier and more "rewarding" experience. Since the app has been introduced in early September, it has been downloaded 37,432 times to date, with a steady increase in sales coming in through the mobile app, the fast food chain said.The app remembers customers’ last order and preferences  - including previous delivery address, so repeat customers don’t have to enter data over and over again. With built-in GPS and location data available on many mobile phones today - the app can detect the customer’s location and make ordering as simple as a click. Delivery status monitoring serves to make it easier for customers to check how soon their pizzas will arrive.On top of making ordering easier, Pizza Hut’s mobile app has incorporated a loyalty programme to retain customers. With every order, customers will be awarded pizza points that can be redeemed for rewards such as free side dishes, drinks or free pizzas.In celebrating its new mobile app, Pizza Hut is also giving away 35,000 pizzas through its new promotion, “You Download, We Belanja”. Customers are only required to download the Pizza Hut mobile app, order a regular pizza and they will get another regular pizza for free, while stocks last until 30 October 2017.