Brazilian retail is undergoing a drastic transformation that goes beyond simple fluctuations in consumption. According to Mauricio Weissberg, According to TH-G&B Tecnologia's CEO, the sector is facing an "identity and foundation crisis." While giants like Americanas and Carrefour are closing stores and international players are leaving the country, Weissberg points to a structural mismatch between the education system, official data, and the reality on the streets.
Data myopia and the educational crisis
In his analysis of the macroeconomic scenario, Weissberg warns of the danger of basing business strategies on statistics that do not reflect the "real world." According to the executive, there is a distortion that masks the erosion of purchasing power and structural unemployment. "The political manipulation of institutions like the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) has generated statistical distortions that mask the erosion of purchasing power and structural unemployment. But the data that no official spreadsheet can hide is that of school dropout rates and functional illiteracy," he assesses.
“Our schools have become factories of illiterates,” states the CEO. “We deliver to the job market young people without basic logical reasoning skills, without any preparation for practical life and, crucially, with zero financial literacy.” According to him, this lack of qualification creates a cycle of poverty and default that stifles physical commerce, which is now also a victim of the phenomenon of [unclear/negative]. showrooming — when the customer uses the physical store only to test products that they will buy online in foreign marketplaces.
PIC Money: the phygital answer
To break this cycle, Mauricio Weissberg argues that it is not enough to simply digitize processes, but rather to gamify the economic existence of the citizen. It is in this context that the... PIC Money, a technological countermeasure structured around three disruptive pillars described by the executive:
- Deep Gamification (Treasure Hunting): “We don’t deliver ‘discounts,’ we deliver achievements. Through Augmented Reality and Georeferencing, we transform urban commuting into a playful journey. The sound signal and the 3D chest that opens at the point of sale evoke the dopamine rush of the hunt, converting passersby into players and players into loyal customers. It’s Pokémon Go applied to the real economy.”.
- ESG Real: combating school dropout. “We filled the vacuum left by the State. Our model links the circulation of coupons and benefits to school perimeters and cultural centers. We created a financial and access incentive that makes staying in school advantageous in the 'short term' for young people, combating dropout rates with the only language the system understands: that of real opportunity.‘.
- Financial Inclusion and "Leveraged Allowance": “Here is our biggest differentiator. We created a Positive Registry of Young Investors. Through daily knowledge nuggets and insights into the stock market, young people learn to invest while they consume. We introduced the concept of Leveraged Allowance: an ecosystem where parents and children interact in the same financial game. This not only creates a financial foundation for the young person's future, but also restores family bonds, bringing generations closer together through a common goal of prosperity.”.
“PIC Money is not just a coupon platform; it’s a protocol for urban and educational recovery,” concludes Weissberg. “We are creating the next generation of conscious consumers and empowered investors, while giving back to the retailer their most precious asset: the customer inside the store.”
