How Digital Technology is Transforming the Retail Customer Experience

digital customer experience

 

digital customer experience

The retail landscape is being reshaped by the “accelerated pace of new technology and changing consumer shopping patterns,” as reported by Synchrony Financial in The Future of Retail: Insight and Influences Shaping Retail Innovation. Technology is the driver for the customer experience and retailers should begin planning for the future now.

User-friendly personal tools such as iPads and mobile devices are now capable of being utilized as powerful enterprise solutions that can engage shoppers and meet the upcoming needs of dynamic retailers. Rose Displays, a division of Visual Creations, embraced the shift and expanded our product offerings by partnering with Aila Technologies, a Massachusetts-based retail solutions company. Aila has separated itself from the crowded field of hardware providers through its innovative and proprietary TrueScanTM Technology, which transforms the native camera on an iOS device into a powerful and intuitive image-based scanner with 1D/2D capabilities, native imaging support and software configurability to future-proof barcode scanning and imaging. Together, Aila Technologies and Rose Displays have been changing the way customers interact with retail brands.

Our strategic partnership adds value to our clients by uniting customers and brands in the shopping experience. This Smart Fitting Room case study describes how iPads can be used to scan garment barcodes and give shoppers instant information about color, size and style options; complementary products; and direct connectivity to sales associates. This innovative scanning application helped a top retail brand reduce fitting room abandonment and drive customer loyalty.

Lowe’s Canada’s utilized our interactive technologies to engage shoppers and simplify the selection of 440 lightbulb options, guiding and enhancing the customer experience. The sleek iPad units identified lightbulb features to color code their virtual store, mimicking the in-store inventory and visual redesign. This display improved in-store engagement and resulted in an increase in sales. It also enabled a channel to upsell to energy-efficient solutions.

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National retailer The Container Store transformed its in-store loyalty program by installing our interactive kiosks that connect shoppers with couponing, rewards and incentive programs — right in the aisles, as well as at checkout. These attractive devices are integrated with the store’s point-of-sale system, so every transaction ends with another loyalty program touch point, like additional coupons or special offers.

Clients have been adapting Aila’s versatile Interactive Kiosks and Mobile Imagers in unique and innovative ways. The solutions shared below empower employees through assisted selling and improve shopper personalization and brand engagement in the retail environment.

POS Systems: Streamlining the checkout using digital technology can transform the shopping experience, creating a convenient point-of-sale (POS systems) for customers using the tablet to process payments.

Product Tracking: Interactive Kiosks at entry points and dedicated strike zones throughout retail locations can elevate the customer’s interaction with a brand. With the simple touch of a finger, your shoppers are empowered with product reviews, in-store navigation, and are quickly informed of complementary merchandise.

Calls for Assistance: Have your associates in the right place when a customer calls for assistance direct from a Tablet Kiosk. This added touch point guides shoppers toward product location, back-stock options and ordering assistance — on their terms.

Store Entrance Greeting Kiosks: Welcome customers with coupons and appreciation programs as they enter the store and offer personalized membership incentives. Customers quickly scan a loyalty card or enter a code at point-of-entry kiosks and receive promotions, building customer satisfaction.

Omnichannel Shopping: Using a multichannel sales approach gives customers the ability to shop online from a desktop or mobile device and transfer their shopping cart seamlessly to an in-store kiosk.

Counter Ordering Systems: Supermarkets and convenience stores can enhance store loyalty and reduce wait times by installing counter kiosks for pre-orders on bakery and deli selections. Along with the ease of ordering functionality, you can cross-sell to other promoted items relevant to your customers’ buying preferences.

Augmented Reality Displays: Image recognition scanning enables customers to point at a product with a scanner (or in some cases even their phone) to trigger an experience that can include video and animation, product details and reviews, information about related products, interactive games for products geared to young customers, and much more. The idea is to create an enjoyable, immersive experience that helps customers imagine the possibilities of the product line while interacting with the brand.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this conversation is that we are just scratching the surface in terms of how interactive technology can create exceptional experiences for your customers. At Rose Displays, our signware specialists and strategic partners are skilled at connecting you with the full spectrum of digital capabilities. We hope you will contact us soon to talk about your vision.

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