The digital age has undoubtedly changed our world and for brick-and-mortar retailers, not for the better. Physical retail stores face more challenges than ever to succeed. With other retail stores and digital marketplaces both serving as competition, traditional retailers need to think outside the box and come up with creative ways to stay in business and thrive. It’s still possible for brick-and-mortar retail locations to succeed, but they have to be innovative and on top of cutting-edge technology. From smart weigh technology to interactive experiences, here are some ideas for how retailers can be innovative in ways that will allow them to keep up in the digital age.
Smart Weigh Self-Checkout Options
Retail has gotten to a point where stores are falling behind if they don’t offer smart weigh solutions in the form of self-checkout stations. This doesn’t mean that a store has to be excessively self-checkout. After all, not all customers are going to be comfortable with it. Plus, some transactions require a staff member. However, retailers need to offer smart weigh stations where customers can scan and pay for items on their own. This creates a happy medium between the in-store experience and buying things online. Equally important, smart weigh self-checkout stations help to create a more streamlined shopping experience, which has become essential for brick-and-mortar retailers in the digital age.
Self-Service Items
Stations where customers can checkout on their own aren’t the only option for modern retailers. In fact, there are several smart weigh options for going above and beyond ordinary self-checkout stations. For example, a smart weigh scale can help customers to weigh, price, and pay for items all at once. Obviously, this is most useful for stores that offer items based on weight. There are also smart weigh carts that make it possible for customers to pay for everything without having to unload everything from their shopping cart at the checkout counter.
This type of technology is all about customer convenience while also reducing the strain on employees to be involved in every transaction. The options with self-service tools extend even beyond carts and scales too. Many retailers can also utilize modern smart weigh vending machines and smart weigh coolers that can enhance the shopping experience and expand the items that retailers can offer.
Mobile POS
On top of stationary self-checkout stations, modern retailers are now utilizing mobile POS stations. Rather than relying on customers to walk to the checkout counter and stand in line, a mobile POS allows employees to go to customers, using a phone or tablet to complete the sale. This makes it easier for employees or salespeople to help customers decide what to buy and immediately complete the transaction.
In other words, retailers can complete sales before customers have a chance to change their minds or get scared away by long wait lines, streamlining the entire process and leading to more sales. Retailers don’t necessarily need to rely on mobile POS for every sale. But with this technology available, it’d be a mistake not to equip every employee with a mobile POS device so that they can help customers purchase items from anywhere in the store.
Make Things Interactive
There are plenty of ways that brick-and-mortar retailers can improve the customer experience beyond faster checkout options. The goal of every retailer should be to create a memorable experience for customers that makes them want to keep coming back rather than shopping online. This means going beyond the sales process by giving customers something they can’t get from an online retailer.
New technology like virtual reality or AI can be incorporated in different ways that can make shopping fun. The specifics will vary depending on what a store sells and how much space and capabilities it has. But the bottom line is to offer customers a tech-driven experience that makes shopping an activity rather than a means to an end. With today’s technology, there are plenty of creative ways to make that happen.
Collect and Use Customer Data With Smart Weigh Scales
Online retailers have a lot of experience collecting customer data and using it to their advantage, but this is possible for brick-and-mortar locations as well. As long as there is a POS system set up for collecting and storing customer information for every sale, that data can be used to build profiles of your customers.
By getting to know your customers better, you can contact them using their email address or phone number with information that will be useful to them based on their profile. This can include items that will interest them based on past purchases, upcoming sales that they will want to know about, and any in-store events that need to be promoted. In the digital age, it’s more important than ever for physical retailers to get to know their customers and stay in touch with them. Collecting customer data is one way that becomes easier for brick-and-mortar retailers.
Click and Collect Model
In today’s dynamic retail landscape, brick-and-mortar stores need to at least be willing to explore digital sales. Luckily, they can get the best of both worlds by utilizing a click-and-collect model of completing sales. This means retailers make sales online and then have customers pick up items in the store at their convenience.
In some ways, this is more convenient for both stores and customers than in-person shopping. Consumers get the convenience of online purchases without having to wait for their items to be shipped. At the same time, retailers are completing sales while finding ways to get customers inside their stores, even if it’s just to pick up something. Retailers don’t need to become exclusive to the click-and-collect model. However, adding this to their repertoire can be an innovative way to compete with online retailers.
Make Customer Service a Priority With Smart Weigh Technology
Just because retail has entered a digital age doesn’t mean stores should ignore their roots. More than ever, it’s vital to provide excellent customer service and stay focused on the customer experience at all times. Don’t forget that providing in-store is something that online retailers can’t do. This is still one of the best ways for brick-and-mortar stores to differentiate themselves from digital retailers. It’s all about making sure in-store customers are taken care of and get everything they need. The trick is to use some of the new technologies available to enhance customer service and further stand out from online shopping.
Want to learn more about our innovative smart weigh solutions? Check out our range of retail products today, to ensure your physical store remains in the game in the digital age.