Innovating retail: From bargain hunting to hassle-free returns

Innovating retail: From bargain hunting to hassle-free returns

Remember the days of frantic holiday shopping sprees – battling crowds, endless queues and overwhelming choices? Over the recent decades, online shopping has revolutionised retail, literally bringing a world of merchandise to our fingertips from the comfort of our own home, no matter where we are.

But let’s be honest, online shopping still has its downsides. The logistics can be pricey and unreliable, returns are complicated, and the sheer volume of promotions can be information overload. And for merchants, harnessing the vast amounts of available data remains a significant challenge, and many struggle to effectively harness the insights available to them, leading to missed opportunities to engage consumers.

Four Park companies are now changing the game. Smarter, simpler, more satisfying – say hello to the future of retail.

Buy&Ship: Simplifying global shopping

Savvy shoppers understand that sometimes the same product is cheaper abroad. But navigating the complexities of international shopping can be daunting. The sheer volume of websites and often burdensome international shipping can quickly discourage even the most dedicated bargain hunter. That’s where Buy&Ship comes in.

Their AI-powered overseas online shopping and services platform, Buy&Ship One, is designed specifically for Asian consumers. Unlike other services that simply offer a shipping solution, it proactively guides users to the best deals worldwide. By continuously analysing global price trends Buy&Ship seamlessly integrates product comparisons and logistics into one user-friendly platform. The result is a truly seamless, one-click global e-shopping experience, eliminating hassle and maximising savings, allowing users to focus on the joy of discovering incredible deals from around the world.

Buy&Ship's ambitious future roadmap includes significant AI advancements, anchored by a vision to revolutionise the global e-commerce market and fundamentally transform how people shop. The company aims to become the leading destination for Asian consumers within the next five years, dominating markets in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Japan by 2027.

On-us: Reinventing consumer incentives

AI is also helping brands unlock greater value in customer relationships and business return through incentives and customer engagement. On-us has developed an AI-powered Smart E-Vouchers platform that turns promotions into powerful tools for connection. 

After the pandemic, On-us leveraged their omni-tech capabilities with data-driven, AI-powered insights to energise every retail participant. Its platform was crafted to create win-win-win solutions: flexible, non-cashback rewards that can be redeemed across 200+ brands and 900+ cities, a cost-efficient pay-upon-redemption model that allows businesses to optimise their budgets, and innovative campaign networks that give merchants the exposure they need to rebuild their brand presence.

Providing retailers with real-time insights into spending behaviour and campaign performance, On-us also integrates its Smart E-Vouchers with card schemes to strategically influence consumers' credit card preferences, driving revenue for credit card companies. Breaking new ground in the industry with a major product launch in December 2024, On-us is setting itself up as the world’s first incentive platform to offer real-time card-linked non-cashback benefits, to the right customers at the right time.

Following its success as the first Hong Kong venture to win the 2024 Visa Accelerator Program, On-us has gained a solid traction in Taiwan and Malaysia, is looking to expand into Japan and Thailand - aiming to integrate its solutions into MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) to drive cross-border incentive commerce.

Return Helper: Transforming returns into relationships  

But what about that dreaded return? The tedious process often gives shoppers pause – 67% of buyers check the seller’s return policy before purchasing. As the first return management service to combine software with warehousing, Return Helper offers sellers a one-stop, user-friendly platform to manage all reverse logistics while making it a breeze for consumers to create return labels. This empowers consumers with a hassle-free return experience while enabling retailers  to recover the highest commercial value from returned merchandise 

Return Helper’s AI-driven warehouse system ensures swift and efficient returns processing for global retailers. Beyond logistics, its solutions foster trust between buyers and sellers, enhancing the overall buying experience and transforming a potential pain point into a key moment for building loyalty.

Trusted by major players like Amazon, eBay, Shopify and OnBuy.com, Return Helper ensures that the post-purchase experience is optimised for sellers and remains as rewarding as the purchase itself for consumers.

Return Helper is focused on maintaining its position as the leading returns management service provider in e-commerce, particularly in the fashion and electronics sectors. To that end, the company is working on a cutting-edge AI solution to further enhance warehouse efficiency. It is also planning a strategic expansion into key e-commerce markets like South Korea and Vietnam, solidifying its global leadership in seamless returns management.

SmartRetail: Bringing back the value of offline shopping 

The challenges of retail aren't limited to consumers. Merchants face equally complex issues, from managing data overload to creating engaging customer experiences. SmartRetail offers a powerful solution. In today's online-dominated market, it's making offline shopping meaningful again by bridging the gap between digital insights and in-person interactions through its cutting-edge edge-AI computer vision technology.

With unique tools like gaze tracking and anonymous unique IDs, SmartRetail’s innovation helps merchants understand their in-store shoppers in real time and deliver targeted in-store advertisements and rewards that traditional methods can’t. By pairing technology with tangible incentives, SmartRetail is redefining the way advertisers and consumers interact, turning physical spaces into dynamic, data-driven environments. 

Moving forward, SmartRetail is working on integrating more advanced AI technologies that will further personalise customer experiences and enhance data-driven decision-making for retailers and advertisers, and is also scaling its presence in Japan, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia, working towards 100,000 touchpoints through strategic partnerships and enhanced AI capabilities. 

Setting a new standard for retail

Despite their varied areas of focus, these trailblazers are united by a shared commitment to staying ahead through innovation. Hence, “keeping up” for them is not merely a response to rapid industry changes – it’s about taking the lead in driving transformation.

A new era of retail innovation is upon us. Join us to “Keep Up for I&T Tomorrow” and make a difference in the way people connect with brands and experience the world.