customer journey
suggestions for upselling or cross-selling,
garnering increased profits and more
satisfied customers for store owners.
customer is coming in to pick up shoes,
the engine could also recommend the
shopper purchase a matching belt or
accessories. The customer is impressed
by the thoughtful recommendation while
the retailer can increase the average
revenue per purchase.
Ease of purchase with self-service
With the growing adoption of BOPIS,
we should also expect to see more
installations of completely self-service
kiosks. Many think self-service kiosks
only offer convenience to shoppers,
but they can also help employees be
better at their jobs and to operate more
efficiently. For customers, orders can be
recorded accurately, which decreases
errors in order completion. They can also
gain access to their purchasing history,
order preferences, and a plethora of
other data that has been captured
and logged from previous exchanges.
At the same time, employees can use
this information to their benefit. When
interacting with customers, they can
be informed to make more strategic
18 KIOSK solutions
The game is experimental
In addition to offering more efficiency
and convenience for shoppers, stores
are turning to more experiential
components to keep foot traffic up. This
year, Eddie Bauer created an ‘icebox’
chilled to 16° so customers could test
cold weather gear in-store, while Saks
Fifth Avenue had a Wellery pop-up, which
was a combined fitness and shopping
experience. While these examples are a
little more out of the ordinary, it points to
a clear shift in the industry and changing
shopper preferences.
Not every retailer can set up an
icebox in their store, so some have
turned to digital solu tions to create a
one-of-a-kind experience. Intelligent
fitting rooms, for example, are becoming
much more popular and we should
expect to see more widespread
adoption in 2018. These rooms combine
interactive screens with changing areas
and allow shoppers to gain direct access
to store inventory information while they
try on their selections. Customers can
check for different sizes and colours,
and even request a salesperson to come
to their changing room for additional
assistance or to bring more clothes.
Needless to say, retailers are going
out of their way to make shopping
more convenient, easy, and fun, and
integrating digital touch solutions is one
way to achieve the ideal experience for
shoppers. Stores that invest in the right
solutions today to increase operational
efficiency and foster loyalty will continue
to remain a competitive force in the
industry tomorrow. n