Consumers want the same smart technology in their shopping experience that they’re used to having on their phones and even in their cars. An intelligent store solution is exactly that – a vehicle to deliver and present the products, promotions and customer service by leveraging smart technology.
On the business side, an intelligent store solution makes the lives of your associates and managers easier while at the same time bumping up your revenue. Three areas where it greatly affects both sides of the retail experience are:
- Inventory – Think of the exponential benefits you’d get from automating the process of receiving or processing returns and the usefulness of a real-time inventory data. While opening up the ability for customers to click and collect or ship from store, never worrying about the product they want being out of stock. Or consider the smart shelf trend where digitized displays link directly to an inventory management system.
- Check Outs – From eliminating check outs altogether to simply removing cash wraps and making cashiers mobile, employees are freed up to focus on providing excellent customer service and making sales rather than being stuck behind a register.
- Communications – This area has the most to gain from an intelligent store solution, namely with the way you engage with customers. Think interactive mirrors and interactive displays that invite shoppers to linger longer and buy more. Geo location allows you to deliver timely promotions directly to user’s phones based on their proximity to your store or the proximity to products inside your store.
An intelligent store solution is ultimately an investment in your future. Now that the omnichannel model is now the norm with studies showing that shoppers still want and need brick and mortar but also want to shop online, retailers need to leverage that to their advantage. Collect in-store and online data and combine it with a loyalty program and you have a comprehensive, 360-degree view of your shoppers’ habits and buying preferences.
Plus, you have increased ability to control your brand with an intelligent store solution. It gives you unprecedented centralization of your messaging and providing consistently great experiences across all your channels.