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Travelport Releases First Annual 2024 State of Modern Retailing Report

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International research highlights how overwhelmed customers feel when booking travel due to newfound proliferation of offers

58% of travelers feel overwhelmed by too many choices 56% of travelers say airline offers are more difficult to understand now than they were 10 years ago 71% of travelers feel anxious about whether they got the best deal after they’ve booked their trip 88% of travelers would prefer to see all flight options and fares on one screen

LANGLEY, United Kingdom, July 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Travelport, a global technology company that powers bookings for hundreds of thousands of travel suppliers worldwide, today released its 2024 State of Modern Retailing Report. Combining international independent research, cross-industry comparisons and consumer insights, the headline of 2024’s report asserts that searching and booking travel directly from travel providers has become more time-consuming and complicated than ever.

“Despite travel providers favoring direct-to-consumer connections, the sheer volume of options is overwhelming to travelers, making them less confident in their booking choices,” said Jen Catto, Chief Marketing Officer at Travelport. “Our research found that instead of feeling excited after booking a trip, most travelers are left feeling anxious, wondering if they got the best deal. For the travel industry, this signals a growing need and opportunity for travel agencies. Their expertise in comparison shopping aids travelers in confidently booking the best option, based on their personal preferences.”

KEY STUDY HIGHLIGHTS:

More Choice Leaves Travelers Feeling Overwhelmed

Travelport estimates that air travel options have gone from about 500 economy/ business options available in 2010 to over 10,000 options in 2024 (economy, economy plus, flexi- family, business, first, etc.). That’s a 1,900% increase.The majority of travelers (58%) feel that the volume of choice is overwhelming.56% of travelers say that airline offers are more difficult to understand now than they were 10 years ago.61% of travelers also believe there are more penalties now when changing a flight than there were 10 years ago, with 66% citing that there are too many hidden fees.The majority of travelers (71%) sometimes feel anxious about whether they got the best deal after they’ve booked their trip, with 42% feeling like airline offers have become ‘less suitable’ over time in meeting their personal preferences.

DTC (Direct to Consumer) Feels More Like Difficult to Compare

Most travelers (80%) agree that comparing fares from different airlines is very time-consuming, with more than two-thirds (69%) feeling that information is often restricted on some airline booking sites.When it comes to shopping for all components of their trip, 60% said they spend an average of one to four hours planning, while more than one-third (36%) spend more than five hours searching and comparing options before booking.Most respondents (88%) agree they would prefer to see all flight options and fares on one screen, which is likely the reason that more than half (54%) said they frequently use a comparison site to search for information before purchasing their ticket.The majority of Millennial (70%) and Gen X (64%) travelers often use online travel agencies (OTAs) to book, citing choice and price transparency as the primary reasons.Travelers are looking to artificial intelligence (AI) to provide more than just a chatbot, and agencies will increasingly rely on their technology partners to implement AI and ML (machine learning) in creative ways, such as Travelport’s Content Curation Layer.

Amenities That Matter Most

When booking flights, respondents said that luggage allowance (63%), cancellation and change policies (50%) and seat selection (50%) are the most important factors to compare.Most travelers (63%) also stated that they feel airlines do not put the customer first when it comes to customer servicing matters (flight cancellations, exchanges, etc.)The hotel features that were cited as most important to travelers were WiFi availability (48%), complimentary breakfast options (47%), and hotel facilities (45%).

International Insights

Dynamic pricing and offers among US-based airlines could be complicating the retailing experience for American travelers, as more US respondents (49%) feel shopping for flights takes more time than comparing hotels (40%), car rentals (8%) and restaurants (3%).Additionally, more US travelers (47%) feel like airline offers are not customized to their needs, compared to travelers from Germany (34%), South Africa (35%) and the U.K. (45%).Unlike American respondents, hotel shopping is the more time-consuming experience for travelers from Germany (52%), South Africa (54%) and the UK (59%).

“Travel providers are continually refining and expanding their offerings to fit their customers unique needs and preferences,” Catto added. “Prioritizing partnerships with agencies will ensure a truly personalized service to their travelers. That will make the shopping experience seamless for all.”

For more information and to read the 2024 State of Modern Retailing report, please visit Travelport.com/difficult-to-compare.

Notes for Editors

The survey was conducted by Travelport using the Toluna Research platform.The research sample consisted of 1,659 consumers from Germany, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States that have taken at least one or more flights for business or leisure within the last 12 months.

About Travelport
Travelport is a global technology company that powers bookings for hundreds of thousands of travel suppliers worldwide. Buyers and sellers of travel are connected by the company’s next generation marketplace, Travelport+, which simplifies how brands connect, upgrades how travel is sold, and enables modern digital retailing. Headquartered in the United Kingdom and operating in more than 165 countries around the world, Travelport is focused on driving innovation that simplifies the complex travel ecosystem.

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A new product line to accelerate the automation of companies

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RIVIÈRE-DU-LOUP, QC, Sept. 27, 2024 /CNW/ – Automation has become critical for businesses to drive growth and performance. Companies need to accelerate their automation initiatives through more autonomous and intuitive solutions that can quickly deliver the benefits of robotics to enhance their efficiency and competitiveness.  

Driven by its commitment to innovation and supporting manufacturing companies in strengthening their operational efficiency, Premier Tech is introducing the future of automation thanks to its new product line TOMA™ – which aims to accelerate packaging automation projects through a comprehensive and intuitive do-it-yourself experience – hence delivering automation made friendustrial™.

The first product under the TOMA™ brand – and its underlying mindset – is a palletizing solution featuring the most advanced interface on the market, bringing together industrial robustness and user-friendliness with collaborative robotics. Thanks to its seamless integration requiring no coding, no engineering and no programming, both small and large manufacturers can access the benefits of automation, setting a new standard for efficiency and ease of use.

“Today, we are launching more than a product line. We are launching a totally new approach to automation — we are launching the ‘Automation made friendustrial™’ mindset. Our teams at Premier Tech Systems and Automation have successfully merged industrial-level efficiency with ease of operation. This was achieved by leveraging the cobot technology from Fanuc, the worldwide leader in robotics,” says Jean Bélanger, president and chief executive officer of Premier Tech.

This launch is backed by more than 35 years of experience in automation and palletization, combined with new technologies in cobotics and the strong commitment of Premier Tech in ensuring that advanced technologies are made available to a wide range of manufacturers.

TOMA™ comes with a new innovative business model harnessing the power of an online, seamless and intuitive do-it-yourself configuration. It will enable companies to look at their packaging operations from a new perspective and implement automation projects where the financial feasibility was yet under pressure.

“TOMA™ cobots allowed us to enhance the work ergonomics of our teams, meet their needs — especially for night shifts —, and increase our productivity. This new solution is robust, intuitive and easy to program. With its agility and reliability, we can use it in various workspaces according to our needs,” says Pascal Gagné, operations manager at Groupe TAQ and launch partner.

For more information on TOMA™ and see how your company can leverage this solution, visit www.tomarobots.com

About Premier Tech

At Premier Tech, we are all about making a difference by connecting People and Technologies for over 100 years. One team driven by a shared will to deliver sustainable solutions that help feed, protect and improve our world.

Premier Tech has a wide range of products, services, brands and technologies allowing to increase crop yields, bring beautiful gardens to life, automate the handling and packaging operations of many manufacturing facilities, treat and recycle water, support companies in their digital transformation and offer bio-ingredients for the well-being of humans and animals.

Premier Tech today records sales of more than one billion dollars and is growing internationally, driven by its 5  200 team members in 28 countries. This is our time as we move Beyond 100.

For more information about Premier Tech, visit www.premiertech.com

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SOURCE Premier Tech ltée

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InventHelp Inventor Develops Improved Wearable Blanket to Increase Warmth (TLS-4013)

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PITTSBURGH, Sept. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — “I wanted to create a more comfortable and convenient blanket to provide warmth at home while relaxing or doing various chores without restricting your movement or use of hands,” said an inventor, from Batesville, Miss., “so I invented the HEAT WRAP. My design would offer an improved alternative to using portable heaters, conventional heated blankets, and heating pads.”

The patent-pending invention provides an improved design for a wearable blanket. In doing so, it would surround the wearer in cozy warmth. As a result, it increases comfort and relaxation. It also allows the user to stay productive at home and on the go. The invention features a versatile design that is easy to use so it is ideal for the general population, especially the elderly and those living in cold weather areas.

The original design was submitted to the National sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 23-TLS-4013, InventHelp, 100 Beecham Drive, Suite 110, Pittsburgh, PA 15205-9801, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp’s Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.

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SOURCE InventHelp

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Raken Expands Construction Equipment Management Solution With Enhanced Tracking, Reporting, and Maintenance

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SAN DIEGO, Sept. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Raken, the top-rated field management app for the construction industry, has expanded its equipment management capabilities to better help customers leverage their valuable assets.

The California-based software developer recently introduced new and enhanced workflows for detailed equipment tracking, automated reporting, and proactive maintenance. Combined with the app’s daily reports, time tracking, safety and quality management tools, and document management, this update to their equipment management features further establishes Raken as the all-in-one solution for improving field productivity and visibility.

Built with purpose

Raken developed its new, improved equipment management tools to meet one of the industry’s most vital needs. Equipment is a significant cost for most construction companies, who spend hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars buying, renting, and maintaining equipment every year.

“Knowing where equipment is, who is using it, and what condition it’s in is critical in construction,” said Mike Bates, VP of Corporate Strategy. “Raken makes it easy to capture and analyze key data points so you can protect and maximize your investment.”

Track, maintain, and report on owned and rented equipment

Contractors can improve equipment utilization and maintenance with Raken, helping to keep their projects on schedule and under budget.

Benefits for the field and office include:

Easily add new or update equipmentSee where each piece of equipment is located and its conditionTrack details such as deployment history, hours, mileage, and fuel consumptionReport on critical metrics to help reduce idle time, manage costs, improve operator productivity and moreMonitor deficiencies, maintenance schedules, and return dates

Raken’s equipment management tools include an automated dashboard for analyzing utilization trends, productivity, fuel consumption and Co2 emissions. Users can also run snapshot reports organizing equipment by custom criteria and view detailed deployment and usage summaries.

The app also allows users to enable automatic email notifications for scheduled repairs, returns, and maintenance, plus quickly track deficiencies by operator to provide targeted training or guidance.

“Raken now provides an even clearer view of all your assets across your company and projects, so you can maximize usage, better manage your budgets, and extend the lifespan of your equipment,” said Mike Bates.

Launching soon

Raken will continue to grow equipment management capabilities based on industry trends and customer feedback. Additional tools for tracking and reporting on small equipment units and status are currently in development, and will be released in the coming months.

About Raken

Raken is an all-in-one field management solution for the construction industry that uses mobile technology to streamline field workflows and build better projects. Designed for ease-of-use, our software empowers crews to quickly and easily share real-time data and updates from the jobsite. Raken helps customers increase project visibility and compliance with digital daily reports, time and production tracking, comprehensive safety tools, document management, and more. To learn more, visit www.rakenapp.com.

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SOURCE Raken

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