All About Retailing Blog - This blog tackles the topic of retail technology solutions and key retail trends. One Step Retail Solutions is your one step resource for your retail technology needs.
Looking around at an empty store can put a knot in your
stomach.
Getting people in the door is a growing challenge for
retailers. It’s so much easier for customers to sit on their couch and order
what they need online. I’m guilty of it myself.
Smart retailers know that the key to making that trip
worthwhile is creating a flawless shopping experience that makes every customer
feel unique and appreciated.
In
Personalization, Details Matter
It starts with the little things. Like being greeted when you walk in the door. Getting waited
on within minutes by smart, friendly salespeople who know the merchandise and
can answer your questions. Even a good checkout experience can be memorable.
But it also comes down to money. Don’t you love it when you
get a special offer on a product you buy all the time? Even if you don’t use
the discount, you remember that you received it and were appreciated as a
valued customer.
A recent survey by Infosys [LINK TO: http://www.infosys.com/newsroom/press-releases/Documents/genome-research-report.pdf]
found that 59% of shoppers who have experienced personalization believe it has
a noticeable influence on their purchases. In fact, 78% of consumers are more
likely to be a repeat customer if a retailer provides them with targeted,
personalized offers.
Putting Your Receipt
to Work
flexReceipts gives you the power to give your customers a
consistently great experience throughout their entire in-store experience.
While they’re shopping, your sales associates can retrieve their shopping
history to find similar or complementary products. Once they reach checkout,
the attendant can quickly locate their name and billing information, email,
mobile number and loyalty card info without having to ask for it again.
Here’s where the experience goes from great to memorable:
Each customer’s flexReceipt is personalized based on their current and past
purchases, how often they shop with you, demographics and other data.
When your customers open their digital receipt they’ll
experience an extension of their visit -- offers tailored to their interests,
maybe a video about the brand, links to your social media sites, and the
opportunity to pin or like their product on their own social media pages.
It’s like putting a beautiful bow on a great shopping
experience gift – and one more way to extend the benefits of personalization
and keep customers coming back for more.
Recently, I was out shopping with my children and we saw a pay phone bolted to the wall near the checkout line of a store. It didn’t appear to be operational, but there it stood. “What’s that?” my 11-year-old daughter asked.
Of course, the question made me feel old. But I was also struck by the pay phone’s proximity to the checkout line. Working in the mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) space, I wondered if in 20 years, my grandchildren would see a traditional checkout desk and ask my daughter, “What’s that?” Just as the pay phone concept was disrupted by mobile phones, checkout stations are being affected by mPOS systems.
Merchants are facing unprecedented change. The pace of technological advancement accelerates each year, and sometimes merchants have to make very quick, tough calls on what to adopt and what to skip. In the U.S., the upcoming EMV (Europay, MasterCard, Visa) liability shift has further complicated matters.
Physical stores will no doubt continue to exist for many, many years. In fact, we are seeing a trend toward e-commerce companies opening traditional brick-and-mortar stores — something that was unthinkable in the heady e-commerce days of the early 2000s. However, the form factor for checkout will evolve to enable merchants to secure a sale as soon as consumers have made their purchase decision. Customers will also expect flexibility when it comes to checkout — and that may mean that rather than centralized checkout lines, merchants will need to offer options such as kiosks, roaming employees with mPOS capabilities on tablets, and may even enable customers to self-checkout via their own mobile devices. As retailers navigate the rapidly evolving mPOS landscape there are some important considerations to keep in mind. For example:
Insist on the latest security certifications and regulatory compliance: This includes PCI (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) and EMV, but also less stimulating terminology such as tokenization and layered security. The need for top-notch security should be obvious is in an era rife with security breaches. Yes many mPOS systems don’t incorporate the very latest security features. Beware.
While there is debate in the payments community about the merits of EMV, at this point it’s fait accompli. The U.S. is the only first-world country not currently utilizing EMV. Merchants must get prepared for EMV card transactions, and further they should assume they’ll need to securely process both chip and sign and chip and PIN transactions. Merchants currently in the market for payment processing technology that don’t consider these facts will find themselves with the equivalent of a Betamax system in a year or two.
Look for flexibility: Many merchants are concerned about emerging payments methods such as mobile wallets and Bitcoin. They want to accommodate customers, but not at the expense of security. Most merchants with which we work are taking a slow and cautious approach, but there are early adopter exceptions. We are currently working with one of the world’s largest fast-food chains on an mPOS solution — an overlay to their existing in-store payment infrastructure — that accepts open- and closed-loop mobile wallets, plus different types of card transactions (magnetic stripe, NFC, chip & PIN and chip & signature). We expect more of these types of projects in the coming year.
Look for application program interfaces (APIs) that allow for customization: When the first rudimentary mPOS solutions were introduced in the early 2000s, no customization options were available. Everything was served up out of the box, with little or no integration. Most were really just card readers, with no software except an interface to a secure card processing backend.
Today’s mPOS solutions provide powerful software that allows merchants to choose their own processor, integrate with back-end systems such as inventory and accounting systems, white label the user interface, and add features such as alternative payment type acceptance or loyalty program integration. Much of this is made possible by APIs provided by mPOS vendors. APIs enable merchants or third parties to easily integrate other systems with an mPOS solution, and also to customize features and interfaces as needed. An mPOS system that doesn’t feature APIs may not get along as well with other payments infrastructure and potentially restrict usage of new features in coming year.
Make sure fixed and mPOS solutions a seamlessly integrated for an omnichannel experience: Remember many merchants kept their brick-and-mortar and e-commerce units separate? It became a logistical nightmare, with major inventory and accounting issues. POS technology needs to be look at holistically - not in terms of fixed or mobile — because customers don’t view them separately. All POS checkout options — fixed, mobile or online — need to provide a consistent interface and backend to ensure customer convenience and better manage the omnichannel experience.
While it may not be possible to completely future proof a mPOS system, choosing one that can accommodate updates and new features is essential to allow merchants to keep up with the blistering pace of innovation in the retail technology world.
Apple’s recent unveiling of its new iPhone 6 and Apple Pay platform has sparked a lot of conversation surrounding mobile payments, near field communications (NFC) and the future of mobile commerce. With Apple finally adopting NFC and entering the payments space, you may have some questions regarding how this might affect you and your business.
Merchant Warehouse has followed the announcement and the technology closely all in an effort to help our partners and customers understand the opportunities of Apple Pay and NFC enabled payments present for their businesses.
How will Apple Pay work?
Apple Pay syncs a few of Apple’s existing programs together and when coupled with the new NFC chips in the iPhone 6 can create a seamless payment experience at the point-of-sale. By combining NFC and the account information Apple already has with iTunes, the ability to store other credit, debit, gift and loyalty cards with Passbook, a secure element with their TouchID thumb print imaging, Apple Pay delivers a seamless and secure wallet solution for retail environments and mobile check-out.
What’s the biggest impact Apple Play will have on our industry?
Apple’s introduction into the payments space will have two inherent outcomes: (1) applications that rely on NFC will be developed at a more rapid pace; and (2) consumers should finally start adopting mobile payments. To date, there havent been that many mobile wallets or applications that have taken advantage of NFC. But with NFC being incorporated in the iPhone 6, we can expect more and more applications using the NFC functionality for not only payment apps, but for other practical functions.
It has long been predicted that Apple would be the catalyst for mobile payments. They distribute the most popular mobile devices in the world, have a loyal customer base that integrate different aspects of their lives to their hardware and software and an avid developer community that develops applications to exploit their devices’ functionality.
We already trust Apple (and other mobile devices and platforms) with some of our most important daily functions. It’s only a matter of time before consumers begin to trust and adopt Apple Pay to be their payment method of choice.
Merchant Warehouse is very excited for the opportunities that Apple Pay will bring for businesses. Our Genius Customer Engagement Platform was designed for these types of innovations in mind. The NFC readers in our Genius devices can accept Apple Pay payments today and it will continue to evolve with future innovations.
I’ve been in the retail industry for more than 20 years and I can tell you that today’s modern shopper is tech-savvy and constantly on the go. With the use of technology implemented in society, shoppers expect retailers to be just as up to date, if not more, when it comes to their retail experience. It’s imperative to rapidly and effectively service your customers and maximize their in-store experience so they turn into long-term customers. In order to combat the issue of living in today’s fast-paced society, it’s vital to utilize the technologies available to you, so you can stay relevant and provide a lasting impression with your customers.
Mobile POS
There’s no secret, exceptional customer service is still the key in creating a lasting and positive shopping experience for your customer. However, 50% of shoppers today price check online, and 32% expect a retailer to be able to order an item not in stock and have it shipped to their home. Mobile POS allows sales associates to provide an in-store experience the consumer can’t get online, giving the retailer a better chance to make that sale. By using a mobile POS, sales associates can effectively move through lines faster to create a quick and positive customer service experience. Sales can be rung up at the point of decision with a mobile POS and associates can up sell by suggesting accessories to buy with a purchase. Customers feel valued when an associate can locate an item not in stock and either have it sent to them directly or at a nearby store, offering the item they’re searching for. Long checkout lines are the quickest ways to lose a customer, so having a mobile POS allows an associate to hop in and make that sale. Reduced transaction time equals more sales and happier customers.
E-Receipts
E-Receipts are booming in the retail industry because it gives you an opportunity to strategically market your campaigns with customized emails to your customers, based on what they like. A customer email address provides you powerful information because it is a fast way to learn and connect with your customers. Sending an E-Receipt allows you to send targeted email offers and advertisements based on past purchases. With HTML you can embed videos, provide web site links and consumer analytics so you know what customers are responding to. Additionally, you can assign each line item on a receipt to social media tabs, so customers can instantly post and share with their friends what and where they just made a purchase. E-Receipts are a great opportunity to connect with customers; by sending them relevant information you can position the customer to continuously come back.
Customer service innovation is being highly driven through technology today. It is key to stay up to date on current technology trends, while continuing to provide excellent customer service, which is the foundation of your business. As a retailer, you can offer discounts and specials to tempt customers, but at the end of the day the in-store shopping experience trumps all of that. The modern, tech-savvy consumer is the one driving the paradigm shift, so position yourself to the future and keep your customers coming back.
Scott Kreisberg is the Founder and CEO of One Step Retail Solutions. After graduating from college with a double Bachelors of Science degree in Finance and Marketing, Kreisberg established One Step Data in June of 1985. He consulted businesses, selling them computer hardware and software that made it easier for them to run their businesses more efficiently. In 1987, after some investigation, Kreisberg soon recognized that the retail POS/Inventory Control market was a niche yet to be developed for the small to medium-sized retailers. He came to the realization that with his passion for retail and knowledge of computer technology he could help many retailers.
While many consumers are ready to embrace the new mobile-payments service, most retailers are not. At least, not yet
On Tuesday, Tim Cook took the stage to announce — in addition to a few other things you may have heard about — a brand new mobile payments service called Apple Pay. Instead of swiping a credit card, users of the service will swipe their iPhones (or Apple Watches), which can be preloaded with customer’s debit and credit cards using the Passbook application.
courtesy of Apple
Having one phone to rule all our cards sounds pretty great, and Apple is certainly positioned better than any other company to make mobile payments finally catch on. But there’s one issue the company still has to surmount before it can kill off plastic for good: Right now, the vast majority of retailers lack the technology to accept the company’s new payment service.
As CEO Tim Cook acknowledged during Apple’s announcement, only 220,000 stores will work with Apple Pay out of the gate. That’s about 2.4% of the roughly 7 million to 9 million merchants in the U.S. that accept credit cards. The remaining 97.6% of businesses do not have point-of-sale systems that work with near-field communication (NFC), the technology Apple Pay relies on. Merchants will have to upgrade their checkout process for Apple’s service to catch on, and the expense of such an endeavor has—thus far—left many businesses reluctant to do so.
Michael Archer, a partner leading the Global Financial Services practice at Kurt Salmon, thinks the major indicator of whether an Apple payment service will succeed is the number of locations prepared to accept NFC. According to Archer, who spoke to MONEY just before Apple Pay was announced, the service would need to be usable at about 20% of U.S. retail locations to reach critical mass of acceptance. So far, Apple isn’t close to hitting that number.
However, Archer points out that credit card companies may have an incentive to help stores acquire NFC technology to give their own cards an edge. “This could be a way to lock someone into the card if you can make it extremely convenient to use in the device,” said Archer. Another development he thinks could work in Apple’s favor is that merchants will soon be forced to upgrade their point-of-sale systems to accept EMV, a new card technology meant to reduce fraud. Card companies have given their customers until 2015 to make the transition, with laggards bearing increased liability for credit card fraud, but stores have dragged their feet. With the deadline approaching, more merchants may finally decide to upgrade and choose to add in NFC compatibility while they’re at it.
But not all experts are rosy on Apple’s chances for mobile payment domination—at least in the near term. George Wallner, co-founder and CTO of LoopPay, an Apple Pay competitor that uses existing point-of-sale infrastructure for mobile payments, predicts a slow acceptance of Apple Pay, and other NFC-dependent services like Softcard and Google Wallet. While Wallner was impressed by Apple’s demonstration, he says it will take more than the promise of Apple compatibility to get merchants to change their ways, especially when the status quo works just fine. “It’s not an easy change,” says Wallner. “It is a long, drawn-out, careful, extensive process. It can take six to eight months to even certify a new system. Retailers look at the bottom line, and they see nobody is offering a financial incentive for them to change.” According to the LoopPay founder, even increased fraud liability may not be costly enough to spur a jump in NFC adoption.
That said, Wallner believes that over time, merchants will gradually upgrade their equipment to support Apple Pay. In a decade, he sees NFC having significant market penetration and co-existing with both older and newer payment technology.
One feature that might convince merchants to upgrade ahead of schedule would be a way for businesses to use Apple Pay to reward loyal customers. According to Archer, a slightly more convenient way to pay, by itself, doesn’t provide enough value to customers or merchants to force a change in behavior. Integrating loyalty programs into Apple Pay, on the other hand, would give merchants a reason to upgrade their terminals and consumers a reason to use the service. Passbook, which powers Apple Pay, also integrates with multiple retailers’ loyalty cards.
Apple “is going to be playing on the cool factor on the first round of this,” said Henry Helgeson, CEO of Merchant Warehouse, a company that helps retailers implement mobile payments. “The real value is when merchants can put loyalty in those wallets and get repeat business. It’s something that they know and retailers know is very important to them. We’re going to see version 2.0 with some of those things.”
Overall, Helgeson anticipates Apple Pay being a huge success. His company recently outfitted 3,000 retailers with upgraded point-of-sale systems that included an NFC reader. “I’m pretty happy about that decision right now,” said Helgeson.
A successful in-store event is the perfect way to drive traffic, get to know your customers and have a great time doing it! Follow these tips to host a store event that will be one for the books.
Choose a theme
In the beginning stages of planning for your event, first choose a theme. The possibilities are endless, but could be based off of a holiday or special occasion - like your store's anniversary. To make an even bigger impact with your event, consider pairing up with a charity. Any avenue you choose when selecting a theme will make promoting your event easier and more enticing for your customers.
Choose a time and date
Plan your event far in advance to allow you enough time to promote your event and gather all necessary materials for the big day. If you're planning your event around a holiday or special occasion, choose a date and time that is most convenient, not only for your store, but for those attending as well. You could host events during store hours, but also have the option to stay open late with an "after hours" event. To determine which option is best for your event, take everyone's preferences into consideration.
Develop your marketing plan
Promoting your event is one of the most important parts of the planning process and is a huge reason why choosing a date far enough in advance is important. Rushing a promotion will make it less likely to be successful. Plan out enough time to allow you to draw in and hook your audience.
Tease your audience on social media, email and in-store to generate excitement. Make statements and ask questions that get customers interested. Consider using messages like, "Something big is happening at our store! Want to know more? Stay tuned!" or "Sign up for our email list if you want to be the first to know about our big surprise!"
Invite your customers in every way possible. Tap into social media, email, traditional advertising, print advertising and any other way your creativity takes you, to spread the word. This step in your marketing plan is crucial to make sure your event is well-attended. Inviting your customers and their friends goes hand-in-hand with teasing your audience. You will be adding to the excitement by providing the details they have been waiting for.
Another way to invite customers is to utilize Facebook. Create a Facebook event page to bring everyone invited together before your event. This will serve the purpose of sharing updates and all details in a centralized place for those attending.
Remind your customers of your event. After generating all of the excitement and releasing the details of your event, you need to seal the deal with reminders. You can remind your customers by sending out an email and scheduling posts to your social networks at several different times of the day to reach as many people as possible. Remind your customers on social media five, three and one day(s) prior to your event.
Pull out all of the stops
There is a lot that needs to go into making your event successful. Don't leave any stone unturned when making your store event the best of the year. Add elements that take your efforts above and beyond.
Provide live updates by uploading photos and videos in real time for your social media following who were unable to attend. This is an easy way to encourage them to come to your next event!
Encourage customers who have attended to also upload photos, tag your store and use your hashtag to their own personal social networks. This will allow your awesome event to reach an even broader audience and create (free) buzz.
Document your event
In addition to live updates, document photos and videos that you can upload to social and send in an email at a later date. Documenting your event will serve multiple purposes. You will be able to show off what a wonderful time you had with your customers, and bring more customers to your next event. Additionally, updates serve as a way to reflect on your event and aid in planning/improving your next event.
Give thanks and follow up
After all that has gone into planning this spectacular event of yours, it wouldn't have been possible without your customers who have attended. Once your event has passed, thank your customers who have attended in addition to those who didn't, but have been supporting your brand all along. A little thanks goes a long way and customer appreciation should become a habit.
Despite the planning and effort that goes into hosting a successful event, it will be well worth your while. Events give you the opportunity to get to know and interact with your customers, while giving them a chance to appreciate all that you do. For everything you need to know to make your event the talk of the town, download our Event Marketing Success Bundle!
Peter Pishko VP of Operations at One Step Retail Solutions
Recently
while researching a prospect, I visited their web site and read an interesting
time line on the origins of the company. It was very witty and clearly
demonstrated the lifestyle of the founders and accurately portrayed the
atmosphere of the company, namely fun. It was quite a read, but the timeline
stopped in 2006. Now, I know that the company still exists and is in very
healthy shape (kudos these days) but the company history on their website was
incomplete. I wanted to know more and was interested in the more recent
history. As we all gravitate towards these new marketing tools, that is exactly
what they are on a personal and business level, it is important they are updated regularly. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter are
great methods of keeping in communication with your customers, but they must be
maintained.
Think
of it this way, a customer takes the time to become a fan of your business or
sign up on Facebook because they are interested in what's new and exciting
with your operation. As you are opening boxes and merchandising new product on
your sales floor, send out alerts, let them know. Add photos of your staff
modeling the new assortment, your staff will love it. We used to send out
direct mail to our best customers and it was tough to be timely. We had to
schedule and print postcards and mail them out to ensure that the customer
received the notification with enough notice so they could attend the trunk
show etc. E-mail blasts were a great alternative until the SPAM gods came along
and made it very difficult to stay out of the spam filter especially when
attachments are involved. Now you can give notice of an upcoming event and
remind them multiple times. Just as your customers have shown you a commitment
by signing up for your information updates, show interest in them by maintaining
and continuing the exchange of communication. Customer service is all about
commitment, so assign a dedicated individual to maintain your social networking
site and reap the benefits of this instant and free communication with your
most valuable of assets.
Your store may not have a physical "suggestion box," but there are many new ways to find helpful feedback that may not be so obvious. The more you know your audience, the better you can tailor your messaging to resonate with their interests and needs. Owning and/or operating an independent business is hard work, and sometimes it's easy to be too close to the project to see the bigger picture.
Customer feedback is the key to a successful business. In the age of social media, chances are if a customer has a bad experience, you can say goodbye to that customer AND their friends. That's why embracing customer feedback is the key to keeping your business alive and well. A cardboard box sitting on your retail counter can't always get the job done. Here are some suggestions on getting productive feedback:
Use Email Marketing. Send regular emails to customers about sales, new products and store updates to keep them involved. You can simply send out an email campaign that says, "Tell us what you think!" for an open-ended approach. Depending on your mailing list size, you can prompt your customers to reply back with feedback or an answer to your open-ended question. Another option is to provide a small survey for customers to fill out online using a free tool such as Survey Monkey. Asking for feedback through email gives customers the time to think through their answer rather than putting them on the spot.
Include Incentives. When asking customers to give feedback, try to incorporate an incentive, "Please take the time to fill out this customer survey and automatically be entered to win 50% off of your next purchase." This way people who may not have thought about giving their feedback initially, may reconsider. You can give away prizes such as gift cards or a basket filled with some of your most popular products. These incentives can help boost online engagement and drive more customers into your store. Incentives can be used for more than just feedback. If you're gathering donations for a charity or hosting a contest; be creative!
Ask Your Employees. More often than not, employees have great suggestions but aren't sure if it's their place to speak up. Encourage your employees to submit any ideas they might have to boost sales or improve business. Have a "brainstorming" meeting with your employees and encourage everyone to speak freely about their new ideas.
Use Facebook and Twitter. Facebook and Twitter are the perfect ways to reach a massive audience in one or two simple sentences. Update your social media sites with a status or tweet reading, "We want to hear from you! Comment below (or tweet us) your favorite product that we carry. Those who comment will be entered to win our latest giveaway!" Give a deadline to create a sense of urgency and encourage more people to participate. On a Facebook Page, there is an exclusive tab for customer reviews built into the profile. Customers can give your business a rating based on a five star scale as well as write a brief testimonial. First time visitors to your Facebook Page will see your business's average rating on the left-hand side of the page.
Let customers stock the shelves. There is always a chance that there are great products out there that you have never even heard of. Have a "Stock Our Shelves!" event, where customers come and submit their ideas about products they believe would be a good fit for your store. Take these new products into serious consideration because it's a great way to keep customers coming back if you are the only store in the area that carries their favorite brand.
Build a presence on review platforms. There are websites that serve the purpose of an online suggestion box. Add your business's information to websites such as Yelp, Google Places, Truelocal and more. Refer to our roundup below and update your listings.
Encourage customers to give your business a review. Include links to these sites in your monthly newsletter or in-store signage. The more reviews and traffic you receive, the more likely you are to appear in search results. This is a great way to gain new customers through the feedback and loyalty of existing ones.
Try out a few different ways to get customer feedback to figure out what works best for your store. Whether you host contests, develop email campaigns or build your presence on review platforms, you'll be sure to hear a lot of suggestions to implement into your marketing.
