Today’s world has become overwhelmingly mobile. The vast majority of consumers now use their smartphones or other mobile devices to shop online and to augment their in-store experiences. But customers have come to expect more from their online interactions with retailers than just convenience. There is a growing demand for more personalized shopping experiences, and a retail mobile point of sale (POS) system can help retailers provide that level of personalization.
Making Retail Customer-Centric
Customers like — and will return to — businesses that recognize them as individuals and make them feel valued. Even something as simple as using a customer’s name in an email can help to build that sense of personal relationship. Online businesses have become adept at personalization: for example, Netflix and Amazon make tailored recommendations to customers based on data such as the user’s previous purchases, viewing history, or product ratings. But this level of engagement has been lacking in physical stores. In a survey of Internet users worldwide conducted by Capgemini, 65% of respondents said one of their biggest frustrations with physical stores (besides long lines at checkout and difficulty comparing products) was the lack of personalization in discounts and promotions.
Stores have become increasingly aware of this gap and are working to fix it. A survey of 500 North American retailers conducted by Boston Retail Partners and Manhattan Associates last year revealed that 70% of respondents ranked personalization of customer experience as their top priority for improving customer engagement.
When you combine a retail mobile POS system with other technologies like RFID and geofencing, you can create interactive, personal experiences that deliver messaging and promotions right to the shopper (via their smartphones) at the point of decision. You can link your loyalty program, online browsing histories, and social activity to learn more about your customers and make offers that are relevant to them.
How a Retail Mobile POS System Helps Your Sales Associates
In addition to personalizing shopping experiences, a retail mobile POS system will also put information into your sales associates’ hands so they can do a better job of engaging customers. A sales associate armed with retail mobile POS technology can detect a shopper’s identity through Wi-Fi or by swiping a loyalty card, greet him or her by name, provide selling suggestions based on past history, locate items in the store, and even conduct the checkout transaction and email a receipt.
The insights and tools available to sales associates thanks to mobile POS can help create some of the “online experience” in-store, that makes shopping more convenient with easy access to information, relevant product suggestions and recognition.
What You Need to Compete
The research results are clear: retailers who want to stay competitive in this digitally-driven era need to work on strategies for giving customers a personalized shopping experience. A retail mobile POS system is an important key to delivering what your customers want and expect and helping your business succeed in retail’s rapidly changing environment.
