HP Innovation Journal Issue 10: Fall 2018 | Page 44

REINVENTING THE
BRICK-AND-MORTAR EXPERIENCE
KO B I E LBA Z
Vice Presid e nt a n d G e n e ral M a nag e r,
Am e ric as Pe rso nal Syste ms B usin ess , H P
The emergence of
e-commerce has radically
changed how we shop. Its
speed and convenience
have attracted everyone
from consumers to huge
online retailers and artisan
websites, like Etsy. Last
year U.S. consumers spent
more than $453 billion in
online retail, a 16 percent
increase over 2016. 1
64%
of Americans indicate that, all
things being equal, they prefer
buying from physical stores to
buying online.
Though they appreciate the benefits of in-person shopping,
customers of all ages now expect much more from their retail
experience. In particular, they crave the convenience and
personalization they find in online retail, where virtual stores
remember their name, preferences and measurements.
Successful brick-and-mortar strategies are leveraging
innovative technologies and omnichannel strategies to
combine the experiential benefits of in-person shopping
with the ease of e-commerce.
RETAILERS RESPONDING TO EVOLVING NEEDS
From practical to experiential, retailers are responding.
Starbucks’ Mobile Order & Pay app is an example of off-
and online retail integration. Using the app, customers
can order their drinks, tip the barista and skip the line.
Amazon’s Just Walk Out Technology detects when
consumers enter the store with the Amazon Go app and
place items in a virtual cart. When consumers complete
their shopping, they simply walk out of the store with
the purchases charged on their Amazon account,
avoiding checkout lines altogether.
But even as a sizable majority of Americans has joined the
world of buying online, many still appreciate the benefits of
the brick-and-mortar experience, according to a recent study
by Pew Research. Overall, 64 percent of Americans indicate
that, all things being equal, they prefer buying from physical
stores to buying online—a statistic that only increases among
younger shoppers. REINVENTING RETAIL POINT-OF-SALE (RPOS)
In this evolving in-store experience, new retail point-
of-sale (RPOS) technology from HP is helping retailers
enhance the present and prepare for the future.
The tangible nature of the brick-and-mortar experience, the
ability to touch and feel the product, the instant gratification of
immediately taking purchases home, and the enduring, highly
social nature of in-store shopping are what continue to bring
customers back to physical stores. This is not to say, however,
that all traditional brick-and-mortar tactics will automatically
appeal to younger generations, whose buying power is rapidly
increasing. Comprising the HP ElitePad and Retail Jacket, mPOS
allows sales associates to scan bar codes and swipe
credit cards. The result is a fast and frictionless buying
experience, with employees empowered to complete
purchases and check inventory from the sales floor,
In one example, Nebraska Future Mart, one of the
largest home furnishings retailers in North America,
integrated HP’s mobile POS (mPOS) solution.
allowing customers to skip the checkout line.
RPOS systems also enable retailers to integrate in-store
and online channels by tracking and maintaining
inventory simultaneously.
1 Digital Commerce 360.
Innovation Journal Issue Ten