Transforming living spaces

UAE-based Royal Furniture aims to strengthen its brand presence, foster customer loyalty and establish itself as a household name with a strong focus on adorning ‘homes of the future’.

Asked how he would define ‘homes of the future’, here’s what Sulin Sugathan, Director of Retail & Technology, Royal Furniture said, “Smart homes – featuring interconnected devices that anticipate and respond to residents’ needs, from climate control to security systems – will transform living spaces. Moreover, voice assistants and AI (artificial intelligence) will streamline tasks and revolutionise the way people live.”

If homes prioritise user-friendly interfaces and ensure data privacy and adaptability, an environment will be created that’s efficient and intuitively support wellbeing by leveraging technology that’s not just advanced but also accessible and reassuring.

Barriers to tech adoption

Despite the promises of creating a ‘smarter’ and more ‘intuitive future of home, tech adoption often creates roadblocks.

For Royal Furniture, a significant barrier to tech adoption is data migration. With over 30 years of accumulated data, transferring this vast amount of information from the old system to a new, more advanced system has been a “considerable” challenge, Sugathan admitted.

Further, ensuring the accuracy, security and integrity of data during the migration process is also critical and requires meticulous planning and execution. “We are committed to overcoming this roadblock to leverage the benefits of modern technology and enhance our operational efficiency. We aim to unlock new capabilities and streamline our operations by addressing this barrier, ultimately providing better customer service and driving business growth,” he added.

Tech investments in the pipeline

Talking about planned tech-driven investments in 2025, Sugathan shared, “We plan to upgrade our CRM (customer relationship management) systems, incorporating cutting edge features to offer personalised customer experiences with AI-driven content and recommendations, improve global service through multilingual and emotionally intelligent chatbots and enable hands-free interactions via voice assistants.”

Additionally, advanced NLP (natural language processing) and intelligent data cleaning will automate data entry and management, ensuring data accuracy and integrity.

Tomorrow’s tech agenda

In summation, asked if digital transformation was yesterday, what’s tomorrow’s tech agenda, Sugathan observed, “Tomorrow’s tech agenda will leverage AI and data analytics to enhance customer experiences. Retailers will prioritise personalised shopping experiences using AI-driven insights, seamless online and offline integration and adopting blockchain for transparent supply chains.”

Importantly, sustainability will be key, with innovations in green technology and ethical sourcing gaining traction, he concluded.

To get more insights up and close, register to meet Sulin Sugathan at the Middle East Retail Forum 2024.