Five ways to maximise tech investments and boost shopper spend

With ecommerce more popular than ever and still growing rapidly, retailers are hyper-aware that a fluid and positive in-store customer experience is vital to keep customers returning to stores amid such intense competition from online.

In our experience, the key to making the most of this technology is to maximise its lifespan and uptime. After all, what use is the latest technology to in-store customers if they can’t actually use it?

Here are five tips to get the most out of your technology and extend its lifespan:

1. Choose your technology investments wisely. Focus on the key areas of your stores where new technology can be utilised rather than investing in the latest fads or trends.
2. Make sure you recruit a reliable partner to install the technology from the get-go. A poor installation results in further problems down the line.
3. Ensure that you have a reliable support partner for when your store technology goes down. Payment systems going down results in longer queues and more customers abandoning sales at the checkout. Be aware that the total cost of ownership of any technology varies dramatically depending on the purchase/rental model and the chosen support service provider.
4. Invest in training so that all staff are confident in using the latest in-store tech. As a support partner, one of the most common problems we find is user error due to staff lacking effective IT and systems training.
5. Remotely monitor all systems to identify potential faults early and minimise your downtime.

Technology is a huge investment for any retailer and bringing in any kind of new tech is both time-consuming and costly, so it’s vital that retailers maximise the longevity of in-store tech to reap the benefits and recoup the investment costs.

There are a number of recent projects completed by us at Retail Response that show the variety of technologies that are now being utilised by the high street to boost retailers’ in-store offerings and create a better environment and experience for customers.

For example, we’ve installed visitor analytics devices into one of the UK’s leading mobile phone provider’s high street stores.

“Bringing in any kind of new tech is both time-consuming and costly, so it’s vital that retailers maximise the longevity of in-store tech” 

Described as “Google Analytics for physical stores”, the technology allows retailers to analyse their visitor analytics and helps brands improve their in-store experiences by tracking visitor demographics, movement and engagement.

The devices have a small form factor and use stores’ existing security cameras.

At a footwear retailer, customers are now able to use 3D scanning technology, which helps them understand their foot shape as well as enjoy a bespoke shoe-fitting experience from the staff on-site.

This use of technology minimises returns and also draws customers into their stores away from online-only competitors.

With the careful implementation of new technologies and the use of streamlined, seamless payment systems to enhance the customer experience, there is every reason why shoppers will keep spending their cash in store and help to keep the high street one step ahead of ecommerce.