Q-Zero: Making the Future Affordable for Small and Mid-sized Businesses

More than 30 years ago we used to sing “Video Killed the Radio Star”, and I still recall my mother’s nostalgic gaze! A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then: Now I am awaiting my son and his children whispering: “E-commerce Killed the Shopping Mall”! Yet the physical grocery and retail stores are fiercely resisting their gloomy demise. They are actually looking for a lifeline, a pathway toward the future that could allow them to survive and possibly flourish.
The survival strategy could be summarized in a few words: Omnichannel and Cashierless Shopping Model.
The ‘omnichannel’ is the result of an unexpected reconciliation that brings together bits and atoms to infuse a new spirit into the ailing traditional brick and mortar shopping experience. Thanks to the omnipresence of mobile phones, the physical grocery and retail stores have been radically transformed to generate what we may now legitly call a full cycle O2O shopping experience: Online to offline shopping, and vice versa.
In parallel, the ubiquity of smartphone has offered the needed support to make grocery and retail shopping as quick and seamless as possible for numerous consumers who still prefer visiting physical stores for at least part of their purchases.
While the retail businesses with deep pocket have the necessary means to easily jump on the omnichannel and cashierless bandwagon, the small to mid-sized businesses are running the risk of gradually suffocating in their hapless cul de sac.
A new startup with offices based simultaneously in Ireland and Italy is building a platform to specifically address the small to mid-sized retailers case. I have had the opportunity to advise the team, and recently I had a long conversation with the talented businesswoman sitting at the company’s wheelhouse, JoAnna O’Sullivan. JoAnna has a quite extensive international background. She has studied for her degree in Media and Communications with Australian Monash University and spent significant time in Singapore, France and more recently Italy. Her experience in Luxury Goods & Retail Operations has given her a unique perspective on this fast paced industry. She is a true insider of retail shopping.
Here are some key insights from a recent conversation.
When and how did you become interested in omnichannel and cashierless shopping model?
“Well, for many years I worked in the Luxury goods and retail environments and could see many issues that consumers were faced with in their buying journey. Working within the industry gave me a unique insight into how different retailers cope with rapid changes in consumerism. It seemed to me that the industry was very slow to adapt to new technologies and, in reality, sales were being lost and consumer frustration over lack of experience within certain retail categories was increasing dramatically. I wanted to create a product or system to drive change and solve some of those outstanding issues. We researched thoroughly which were the best solutions currently available in the market and which products needed yet to be developed. In the last couple of years, we are finally seeing a shift to innovate but some retailers seem unclear in their strategy. It is my core belief that the keys to success in retail innovation should be a consumer-centric approach: Consumer empowerment in relation to payments, access to customization platforms and AI driven automation! It is really an exciting time for retail- we have the tech but the correct implementation specifically around CX (customer experience) is crucial to the overall success!”
During these months since I started to work with your team, I heard you often talk of ‘full cycle cashierless O2O shopping model’. Could you share your perspective?
“We want to see the dots joined from the ‘online to the offline’, that we can keep a connected journey for the consumers through this omnichannel approach in their shopping journey via the use of their mobile device. Q-Zero can track purchasing from the end users own mobile device and sync wishlists: this way the retailer can customize offers and send push notifications.”
What type and size of businesses are you targeting?
“Q-Zero is the first omnichannel and cashierless shopping franchise platform in the world designed bottom-up for small to medium-sized grocery and retail businesses. By joining Q-Zero Global Franchise, businesses enter the future of shopping with zero infrastructure investments. Q-Zero makes the future affordable for businesses with a simple all-inclusive annual membership subscription. If there is one observation I have from researching the innovation taking place in the digital retail sector over the last few years it’s that change is certain. Agility is needed for that technological innovation whether it’s the rise of voice-directed personal shopping, bots for personalization, product recognition or supply chain tech. We are well positioned to provide that in a more affordable way to small to mid-sized retailers so they can have one cohesive omnichannel solution.”
Has your startup received any seed funding? Are you open to fresh seed and round investments?
“We have had a significant interest both here in Europe and in the US in our technology from Angels and early stage VC’s, but as early Seed funding is becoming harder to raise, we have yet to procure a seed round …”
How could an interested investor get in touch with you?
“Interested parties can simply fill out the investor form or email me directly at Joanna@stylerepublica.com. I will be happy to field all enquiries.”
