‘The world is changing…’. This meaningful expression was once uttered by the elf Galadriel in the Lord of the Rings series, and not a day goes by that we don’t nod gravely in agreement with this idiom. At this point, I don’t want to go into the massive upheavals that affect us as a society in every little corner of our lives; Rather, today I would like to direct my gaze very specifically to retail and use many small spotlights to work out the changes that all those women and men in particular who open the store in the morning and close again in the evening are confronted with.
It’s OK to be a smombie
Have you ever heard the expression ‘smombie’? This word came out when the words ‘zombie’ and ‘smartphone’ crashed into each other at high speed. Although rather fraught with negative connotations, it nevertheless smugly depicts the homo consumens of the 21st century. It should now be taken for granted that the smart phone can therefore have its permanent place in every retail space – both for customers and store staff.
Today, customers sometimes enter the shop better informed than sellers. They know exactly what price they can expect for which goods and where the product may be even cheaper. Customer advice becomes a daily knowledge challenge. It is therefore all the more important to send salespeople into the ring with the same weapons as the customers. No device is better suited for this than the smartphone. What it can, no, has to do for the seller today?
- Up-to-the-second overview of the inventory of all products
- Trigger omnichannel processes with one tap
- Have alternatives or suitable products ready for the customer request via the recommendation engine
- Communication with the warehouse, headquarters, all other important bodies in order to be able to react to questions and problems as quickly as possible
Exchange posters at the push of a button
Probably none of us is immune to one or another type of occupational disease. Strolling through malls and pedestrian zones, this author is struck by the still prevalent flood of paper posters. What is particularly annoying? When gigantic letters refer to promotions that have expired 3 days ago. So why still use technology that is already a few centuries old?
- Posters have to be printed: this requires advance notice, material, …
- Posters have to be sent: more time, more costs and more CO2
- … and attached: working time that could be better invested elsewhere
- … and be taken down/exchanged in good time.
Digital poster alternatives, however, come with a whole cornucopia of advantages:
- The design process is practically the end of the project: entering the digital poster into the digital signage backend shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes.
- Clever systems let the user plan weeks in advance; Actions can be created once and then play out automatically in the specified period of time
- Thanks to artificial intelligence, weather or location data can be included, making messages as personalized and relevant as possible.
- It’s more than just pictures! Videos, social media feeds, news integration, product highlights, …
- One person can control all Digital Posters from one point of view; no matter where, no matter when.
The brownies of tomorrow: Flic Buttons
We love things that are simple. Which are self-explanatory, purely through their existence. We can think of little simpler than: push a button to make something happen. So-called IoT buttons (IoT = Internet of Things; here means that the buttons are connected to a system via Bluetooth) fulfill this desire for simplification. Cherry on top? They can be used in a multitude of ways, not only to make customers happy, but also to help the salespeople on the floor like little modern elves:
For store staff:
- Cash register quick assignment: if the cashier presses an IoT button, the customer is signaled that the next cash register is free
- Toggle promotions: a tap of the button changes the content of a screen
For customers:
- Compare products: an IoT button is assigned to three different pram models; when you press this, details of the cars are displayed side by side on a screen.
- Call for help: Question? Call the seller
These are just 4 examples of how to use the buttons; the possible applications are almost unlimited.
The self-service king and the checkout revolution
‘The customer is king’ – Harry Gordon Selfridge’s credo is as relevant today as it was almost 100 years ago. Only Mr. Selfridges was missing something we have in abundance: data. Data is not evil; Data helps us to understand the needs of our customers. A finding recently published by the Retail Institute (EHI) is that customers love self-checkouts. The ability to scan and pay for goods yourself is no longer reserved for money-blue furniture stores. It is finding its way into more and more retail sectors, giving customers what they love.
But self-service checkouts can do much more than just make responsible customers happy:
- The screen offers space for advertising messages
- Discount codes can be entered directly
- You can choose from various payment options
- The integrated barcode scanner, for example, also captures customer cards with a beep
- The tills take up much less space
- One person can supervise several cash registers
- Services such as ironing, removing goods security and packaging nicely do not have to be omitted, but can still be carried out with a mobile service vehicle, for example
However, if a retailer now wants to look after its customers personally across the finish line, cash registers can now shrink to pocket size. In connection with the smartphone apps mentioned above and a small mobile card terminal, the customer can pay the moment he lifts his new favorite item from the shelf, beaming happily.
Conclusion
The use of modern and, above all, linked technologies on the retail floor should relieve and empower the staff and minimize time-consuming processes. So that everyone who opens the shop tomorrow can fully focus on what is really important: sending customers home with a satisfied smile and the desire to shop here again soon.