Number of new technologies will help bricks and mortar retailers to offer more flexibility to customers.
Australian technology website CRN has discussed new methods that are expected to benefit the next generation of retailers, with the implementation of a number of new technologies helping stores to compete with the growing popularity of online retailers.
Listed first is Kounta, a point of sale software that can be used by businesses anywhere in a store via mobile devices and at a cash register, allowing retailers to interact more flexibly with their customers. It enables transactions by linking with cloud accounting solutions such as MYOB and Xero, as well as with Epson receipt printers which act as servers in shops.
Nick Cloete, CEO of Kounta said: “In the past, staff behind the register were taking the order and waving goodbye to the customer and hoping they come back […] What we find with the mobile tablet cloud technology is you have an interaction at the point of sale, rather than [just] a transaction so you have a much bigger reach outside the door with mobile payments and transactions and then anywhere within your store, not just at the register.”
The technology also helps to tackle the rising trend of “showrooming”, where customers compare product prices using a handheld device, often whilst in a shop. With Kounta, businesses are able to set up loyalty and rewards programs “and market those straight to the customer”, ensuring that they are not tempted to shop elsewhere for their product.
Another option new to retailers is Square, which can turn smartphones and tablets into payment terminals, taking a small percentage of the transaction in return for a more flexible option for retailers, with the only requirement being a magnetic-stripe reader. Designed by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, it also features analytics and discovery tools, allowing merchants to “break down sales by the hour to see which shifts are most profitable”.
Using data to tailor advertisements to customers listening to internet radio is also anticipated to benefit retailers in Australia and other countries, with radio advertisements playing depending on the location of the listener in relation to the proximity of a business.
The Recycler has also reported on the importance of merging online and offline retail, referred to as “omni-channel” by research group GfK.