(Finance) – “The first thing we observe in the area is there is a need for closeness and this need for closeness – which was also so important during the Covid emergency era where our network played a central role in supporting the community in the provision of basic services and as a neighborhood reference point – has maintained over the DNA this value and we feel that it continues to have it and that there is a need for it”. He told Finance Stefania Gentile, CEO of Mooneyon the occasion of the ninth edition of the Payments Fair.
“The second thing we see is that digitalization is super important and is certainly growing, but it is often accompanied by a last mile which is truly human and proximity – says the manager – The two things – digital head and human heart – in a certain sense reinforce each other in hybrid models – online and offline – which go beyond the business model, because they are daily lifestyles”.
Taking concrete examples, “even with reference to native digital populations and who we therefore expect to be pure digital, we are seeing that young people need proximity. The age range of young people, aged 24 to 35, frequent our stores significantly and account for 21% of our customerswhich are two percentage points more than the average of the Italian population and paradoxically the age group between 55 and 64 – which we could imagine to be more suited to a proximity channel – is instead less represented, minus three percentage points, 26% versus 29%”.
“The other thing that we are noticing in our observatory and which strengthens this concept between digital and human and therefore phygital – let’s remember that six out of 10 customers are phygital in Italy – is the fact that the operations carried out are operations that can arise in a digital context, for example in an app, and then close in proximity“Gentile said.
Also giving some examples here, “out of 100% of our instant and ordinary bank transfers, 27% are born and die on the online channel, but as many as 73% generate, carry out the entire process – registration, recipient, IBAN – generation of the QR Code online and then with the QR Code you go to the vicinity, scan the QR code and make the transfer. This is the case in 73% of cases, with one occurrence demonstrating that sometimes habits are the most important thingsbecause then I save the QR Code in my address book and if every month I have to pay the rent and make the same type of transfer, I go back to the vicinity and do the same”.
“But this is not only in the payment transactional product – says the CEO of Mooney – It is interesting to note that this phygital is also confirmed in electronic tolling. For example, we recently launched our MooneyGo and referring for example to marketing campaigns and digital communications that go to prospective potential buyers, we realize that I delve into everything digitally but then the conversion of these customers towards the purchase is done in proximity. Over a quarter of these gentlemen, rather than completing the online purchase procedure and having the device delivered to their home, prefer to go nearby perhaps to ask for the latest product features, perhaps to get an idea and perhaps to take the device directly from the shelf take it home and put it in your car.”
Looking to the future, “we we want to work on the characteristics that are most congenial to us and therefore rely on these values that are recognized in us. First of all, we are very widespread across the 8,000 Italian municipalities, because we have a presence of 64%; this means that there are 6 Mooney points per 10,000 inhabitants, 43% of our network is also open on Sundays, our typical customers are looking for comfort, proximity, km0 close to hometwo out of three are happy not to have queues and many of those interviewed also tell us that they are happy to be able to find other service items available at the point of sale to be able to buy rather than having the possibility in their typical day to also drink a coffee or to have a quick lunch.”
“This confirms us to also focus on a “One Stop Shop” modelbecause then in the end maybe I am very digital and could very well do things from my app or at home, but in reality I am there and maybe I have an ice cream with my daughter or I have a coffee and pay a bill”, said Gentile.
“Speaking of this, I can also say that in our points of sale that have our cash register, we went to look at the receipts out of curiosity and I can say that every six coffee or cafeteria receipts there is also a slip and therefore it means That in the morning it’s no longer just coffee and croissant, but it’s also coffee, croissant and bulletin – he concluded – This is very important in my opinion”.