12 December 2019
The importance of technology in the retail experience.
As we move towards an increasingly digital future, technology is playing a vital role in the retail sector.
Consumers expect streamlined processes, simplified transactions and secure shopping experiences. As a business, one key to maintaining a competitive edge is how retailers respond to these needs and the evolving marketplace.
According to a recent survey, three-in-five New Zealanders are using their smartphone/tablet while in-store to research an item before buying.[1] With a huge spike in consumers moving to online experiences, aligning your in-store services to match the digital is integral.
Mobility
Gone are the days of customers willing to wait in line to make a transaction. They expect retailers to have technology in place that will make the shopping experience as seamless and streamlined as possible[2]. Integrating portable POS and mobile-first systems is a great way to support flexibility across the retail environment, ensuring the transaction can be done anywhere the customer is.
Information Technology experts Lexel Systems, brings to the retail market HP Engage Go , which offers retailers a sleek, modern POS system that empowers consumers to take control of their shopping experience. Customers can use the HP Engage One as a self-serve kiosk, providing them with an alternative transactional option as well as further mobility in-store.
Security
While mobility across in-store transactions is a core expectation of consumers, being able to offer it securely is essential. According to one study, 19% of consumers said they would stop shopping at a retailer after a breach, and 33% said they would take a break from shopping there for an extended period[3].
With experience equipping retailers with modernised IT, Lexel helped retailer Working Style secure their in-store environment. Deploying reliable and stylish HP rp5800 retail POS systems, Working Style could leverage BIOS developed and engineered by HP for better security coupled with the expert knowledge of Lexel’s fully managed service. These factors ensure the on-going protection of customer data and help maintain trust in Working Style’s brand.
Autonomy
As online stores provide customers with greater autonomy to browse, select and buy products, brands must re-design customer experiences to reduce the barriers between the physical and the digital worlds.[4] Introducing engaging IT to a physical shop environment can give consumers better control and autonomy over their buying journey.
Interactive signage is a driving force in providing these experiences. Delivering the capability to explore inventory, customers get an option to ask someone for help in-store or find a product themselves. Lexel Systems provides digital signage through HP Elite POS that can enrich the customer experience through displaying products, menus and various interactive content.
Leveraging IT solutions that put the customer at the centre of the retail experience is how brands and retailers can stay ahead in the digital era.
Read Lexel’s case study about Working Style here to find out how deploying the right infrastructure modernised their retail environment and enhanced the customer experience.
[1] ONLINE SHOPPING SEEING HUGE GROWTH IN NEW ZEALAND, 2018, Tony Boyte, Director, Nielsen Media, https://www.nielsen.com/au/en/insights/article/2018/online-shopping-seeing-huge-growth-in-new-zealand/
[2] Surviving the changing retail landscape, Michael Dyson, 2019, https://www.retailbiz.com.au/latest-news/surviving-the-changing-retail-landscape/
[3] If you bought anything from these 19 companies recently, your data may have been stolen, Dennis Green, 2019, https://www.businessinsider.com.au/data-breaches-retailers-consumer-companies-2019-1?r=US&IR=T
[4] How Retailers Can Adapt To Rising Customer Expectations, Forbes, 2018, https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/07/20/how-retailers-can-adapt-to-rising-customer-expectations/#1b1e9ce41f17