Tech Blossoms: 3 Ways Retailers Can Spring Into Action

As the seasons change, so do customer expectations. Spring brings with it a sense of renewal and growth, a time for rejuvenation in both nature and business. While flowers bloom and temperatures begin to rise, it is time for retailers to give their strategies a spring clean and refresh their approaches to providing customers with high-quality experiences.

In this blog, we explore three fresh and innovative ways retailers can embrace the spirit of spring. With the right approach, retail brands can deliver seamless experiences that delight their customers and help their operations to flourish during the season. 

Refresh Checkout Processes

In the ever-evolving landscape of retail and the constant changing of consumer needs, it is vital that retailers remain on top of their technology adoption, deploying the right solutions to help them remain adaptable, and able to meet increasing expectations.

Statistics show that 82% of consumers avoid going to a business because of long, visible lines that indicate a prolonged wait time, with 40% of those instead heading to a competing retailer or giving up on their shopping experience altogether. If consumers associate a retailer with long wait times, they are less likely to follow through with their purchase or return in future. In fact, they are actively driven to competitors, directly impacting both short and long-term sales opportunities.

This is clearly an area to focus on. In the spirit of spring, retailers should look to refresh their checkout processes by finding ways to streamline transactions and minimize in-store queuing. Technology can play an important role here. With the right technology deployed, retailers can significantly enhance check-out processes and create a speedy, hassle-free shopping experience for customers.

Solutions such as Teamwork Commerce’s RFID-powered self-checkout utilize the instant scanning capabilities of RFID tags to facilitate speedy transactions. As a basket or cart is placed in a designated area, RFID readers automatically scan each product (tagged at item-level). This creates a seamless process for customers and allows transactions to be reliably complete within 30 seconds. Meanwhile, without the need to tie staff to checkout terminals, in-store associates can better spend their time providing high-quality service on the shop floor.

Reducing wait times for customers with advanced technology can significantly improve the in-store experience for visitors, encourage them to return and boost loyalty to a retailer.

Spring Cleaning Operational Processes

RFID technology can provide a versatile solution, and while it can greatly enhance the checkout process, its core use throughout the supply chain offers retailers the opportunity to give their operations a spring clean. Deployed effectively, and utilized alongside wider retail technologies such as Order Management Systems, retailers can boost efficiency and gain full, real-time visibility of stock levels across all channels and operational avenues.

A comprehensive, RFID-enabled inventory management system enables retailers to have full view and control of stock levels and on-hand inventory. It also assists with the management and fulfillment of customer orders. With all products tagged at item-level, retailers can accurately track movement of stock across each stage of the supply chain. Retailers gain a full understanding of their inventory, and can make quicker, better informed stocking decisions.

Suddenly, retailers can optimize their inventory levels – reducing over and understocking. They can understand their shrink challenges and work to minimize them, and importantly, they can streamline transport and storage, significantly reducing operational overheads and maximizing their return on investment (ROI).

Put a Spring in the Customer’s Step with Personalized Recommendations

Accurate data obtained from customers’ previous purchases, shopping behavior and interests is valuable for businesses to provide an unprecedented level of customer insight. This allows retailers to make personalized, informed recommendations and position products of interest directly in front of customers.

Deploying a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool offers retailers the ability to track customer behavior over time and understand their needs. With the means to create unique and bespoke experiences for shoppers, retailers can make their customers feel valued on a personal level with every interaction, which is a central component of delivering high-quality customer experiences. With this in place, they can gain vital insights into the customer journey that allow them to tailor and personalize individual experiences that will see customers returning throughout the seasons.

Whether creating personalized discounts on viewed products, positioning recommended products directly in front of the customer or offering loyalty points on specific products, retailers can use data to enhance sales opportunities..

Breeze through the Season

As the spring season brings with it the essence of growth and rebirth, retailers have the opportunity to revive their operations and thrive as they move forward. By embracing the latest technological advancements and refreshing approaches to customer service and operations, retailers can plant the seed of customer loyalty and streamlined operations across the supply chain.

Want to learn more about how your retail brand can continue evolving through the seasons? Get in touch here.