Retail analysis
A Good Connection is not just for Christmas
Nick Sacke, Head of IoT and Products at Comms365, explains how retailers can confidently achieve the resilient connectivity required to underpin every aspect of the customer retail experience.
P
eak season trading this year is set to be more difficult than ever for retailers. Unprecedented supply chain disruption is threatening to decimate stock levels. Post-COVID customer
behaviour is unpredictable – with some customers relying ever more heavily on ecommerce; others heading to the high street to get ahead on Christmas buying in response to fears of shortages. How can retailers attain control over the end-to-end business and meet customers’ ever rising expectations and desire for a high quality and slick experience? Reliable, high capacity Internet connectivity is now an essential
component of successful retail operations. From ensuring an inspiring in-store experience to enabling efficient, intelligence-led logistics, connections need to be continuously available, with the fast bandwidth required to minimise lag and ensure seamless operations. From rapidly deployed portable wireless solutions to support
seasonal pop-up shops or temporary warehouses, to bonded solutions that deliver the fast, resilient connections required for effective retail operations throughout the year, customer experience is imperative. Retailers have been encouraging customers to get ahead this peak
season – and many have responded, opting to shop early and stock pile items, from toys to food, well ahead of the usual spikes at Black Friday, Christmas and Boxing Day sales. Activity is both online and in-store, with changing behaviour driven both by a population desperate for face-to-face interaction and a recognition of the difficulties in getting goods delivered to the home and to the stores. For retailers, this is a perfect moment to enthrall these customers
with an excellent experience; a chance to explore innovative new technologies such as digital signage and intuitive self-service to reinforce customer desire for an in-store interaction. Yet how many retailers feel confident in their ability to deliver that experience during busy periods when every aspect of the retail experience – indeed, every element of the total product offering and the resultant consumer assessment of the experience - is dependent on an Internet connection? Even a small slow-down in connectivity will affect the speed with which payments can be processed – adding to delay at the counter or checkout, leading to longer queues, tying up staff and deterring customers from making a purchase.
10 | December/January 2022
www.pcr-online.biz
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