I’ve already dedicated several posts to Retail 2D, a white paper written by London-based Honeywell Marketing Manager, Enzo Capobianco, in large part because it opened my eyes more fully to the dynamics of the mobile-oriented consumer and the resulting potential of mobile marketing strategies. Capobianco terms them the New Connected Shoppers, and I agree that being so thoroughly connected is a defining characteristic. Mobile technology delivers a real-time, location-centric flood of retail offers even while aiding shoppers in organizing and differentiating those options. Information is power and the New Connected Shoppers are the most fully informed yet.
Capobianco introduces the concept of transforming the Point-of-Sale into a Point-of-Service, and one of the most obvious ways of doing that is to bring the technology necessary to complete and document the sales transaction to the customer rather than making the customer go to that technology.
We’ve all endured the unpleasant experience of queuing up in a checkout line only to see a line next to ours move quicker. Indeed, the odds are 2-to-1 that a line to our right or left is going to move faster. The two neighboring lines represent two chances to win the checkout race to our line’s one chance. It’s simple, predictable math that leaves shoppers feeling like the unluckiest people in the world and decidedly frustrated. The result is a lose-lose scenario for the retailer and the shopper, and one that predictably ends the retail experience of 2/3 of shoppers on a negative note.
Imagine instead store associates equipped with hand-held scanners and mobile computers, together with mobile, wireless printers if paper receipts are required. Honeywell’s new Dophin 70e Black is the perfect solution to both the scanner and mobile computer components. If a bagging area is needed, a small wheeled kiosk can serve that function while keeping the store associates mobile – able to quickly move to those areas of the store where shopping activity is greatest – and while also making their roles as customer service points more visible to shoppers.
Of course, grocery stores, where the shopper typically purchases a buggy full of small items, represent a challenge to this idea of bringing the sales transaction to the customer because of the special equipment needed for sorting, weighing and bagging grocery items. But, that’s not to say that portable checkout points can’t be implemented even in that challenging retail application. Whatever the mobile solution, if the customer is left with the impression that she or he hasn’t been herded through the traditional no-win game of picking the faster checkout line, both the retailer and the customer win.
If you’re interested in learning more about how mobile technology can help your retail store create a better shopping experience for customers, please contact us at info@L-Tron.com or call us at (800) 830-9523.