EPoS, INSTORE & DIGITAL SIGNAGE


13 RETAILERS REVOLUTIONISE STORE IT


Some industry observers have recently observed that consumer technologies are revolutionising instore retail environments


S


ome industry observers have recently observed that consumer technologies are revolutionising


instore retail environments. Since the widespread adoption of


electronic point-of-sale (EPoS) systems, software, operating systems and applications, as well as printers, keyboards and cash drawers, many stores now also include touchscreens, por table and mobile devices, multimedia kiosks and displays. This year’s annual Retail Technology


‘EPoS, instore technology and digital signage’ repor t, has found par ticular emphasis on the integration and interoperability of such systems with the rest of the retailer’s infrastructure and developments around technology-enabled capabilities that provide greater flexibility or enhanced customer service levels up to, at and beyond the point of purchase. To these aims, retail and banking


technology provider, Wincor Nixdorf, recently announced the results of an independent study into consumer attitudes towards High Street and online shopping. Conducted by research house TNS, the survey shed some light on why more and more consumers are moving towards online retail, with 66% saying poor instore service has led them to favour online options. Looking closely at the instore


experience, the survey also highlighted that customers want a choice of service options with manned checkout (60%) and self service (21%) being the most popular. The study also revealed that, while the


majority of consumers prefer manned checkouts, almost a third said they would abandon a purchase if they saw a long queue, and over half would wait no longer than eight minutes.This again highlights the need to combine queue-busting services, such as self-service with traditional points of sale. Over 20% of the consumers questioned believed retailers were getting this balance right and meeting the needs and expectations of shoppers. However, the majority also said more work was needed. Ed Brindley, director of marketing at


Wincor Nixdorf, explained: “While online shopping is a growing force, it’s interesting to see that the majority of shoppers still prefer manned desks. In this sense, the High Street is still very much king. Consumers want that personal service – the interaction between shopper and retailer. But similarly, they want to know that if there is a long queue, there will be options to speed up their experience. “It’s all about finding the right balance


between retail channels – successfully combining the likes of mobile and self-


service with tradition point of sale.This kind of choice is what shoppers are looking for and the challenge for retailers is to achieve this. With the 2012 Olympics taking place in London, there is a huge oppor tunity for a boom in UK retail – finding the right instore strategy will be vital.” Exploring fur ther the issue of


multichannel innovation, the research also revealed that while younger shoppers were more comfor table with mobile payments, 77% of overall respondents admitted that they felt mobile payments put their money at risk. Brindley added: “Technology such


as mobile payments and self-service technology can address many of the service issues consumers are pointing to in this survey. But, as retailers rightly look to embrace new technology, they should ensure they are getting the balance right. As mobile technology becomes more widely used, confidence will grow, but we must consider that self-service has been in place for many years, yet 60% still prefer manned checkout.The ‘death of the High Street’ is quite clearly not a reality. Bricks and mor tar will always be vital.The key is to make such technology advances simply par t of the shopping experience – and par t of the retail boom in 2012.”


Nivea has adopted a digital shelf edge multi-


display system for instore promotion and marketing from Crystal Display Systems. The system has been adopted by Nivea in


Germany to replace standard passive shelf strips in some retail stores and can show still images, video, or animate movement between or across multiple displays. Controlled using 3G connectivity, the system


displays with information, current campaigns and beauty care tips. It can also link the Nivea website and point-of-sale materials via digital promotions with quick response (QR) codes to encourage brand loyalty.


JULY/AUGUST 2012 RETAIL TECHNOLOGY


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