For many retailers, a mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) system will not
replace the traditional POS counter.
The mPOS model works for a retail store such as Apple because it
is selling only one or two small items and emailing most receipts.
But that process is not always realistic for a clothing retailer
who uses the checkout counter for several functions. It needs a place to scan
multiple items, remove security tags, provide a bag, receipt and possibly a
promotional card.
The checkout counter is also a place where merchants showcase
goods to upsell. If you take that away, you could be missing out on sales.
Retailers should think of mPOS as more than just mobile
checkout.
If your mPOS systems have access to shopper and inventory
information, it can help sales associates engage with customers at the time of
decision.
Single source of data
Many retailers unsuccessfully comb through a hairball of
fragmented integrations where their bricks-and-mortar stores are disconnected
from their Web site and distribution centers.
So before you can start empowering your sales associates with a
mobile device, you need to have a single system for order, customer and
inventory data from all channels. This data can then be supplied to the mPOS
device and other customer facing systems such as ecommerce or customer
care.
This single system will eliminate duplication and fragmentation
while delivering real-time data and creating efficiencies and opportunities to
improve the customer experience.
Make the sales associate the expert
Giving sales associates access to accurate, real-time information
on inventory, product specs and reviews allows them to offer real value to the
customer on the floor.
Today’s consumer has so much information at her fingertips. By the
time she has walked into a store, she has probably researched a product
extensively online.
Sales associates on the floor usually do not have the same access
to content, or if they do, it requires them to leave the customer.
A handy mobile device can level the playing field by giving the
sales associate quick access to the same product information and reviews that
the customer has researched. Now the sales associate is not only seen as the
expert, but also providing real value to the customer.
Insight into your shoppers
Not only does mPOS give sales associates the tools to look up
product information on the spot, but it also gives them access to detailed data
about the customer – one of the most valuable benefits of using mPOS.
The key is to know your customer as soon as she enters the
store.
Imagine a customer walking in and being greeted by an associate
who can pull up her order history, or her wish list from your online
site.
This type of access gives the associate unprecedented insight into
the customer’s favorite brands, colors and sizes. It also makes the customer
feel like the sales associate actually knows her and can be of value– not just
telling her what is on sale.
The alternative is the associate trying to gather all of this
information during a long conversation that many customers do not even want to
start.
Endless aisle
Shoppers want what they want, when they want it – if it is not
available at your store, they will turn to your competitors to buy it.
MPOS solutions can prevent losing a sale by providing
endless-aisle capability.
With real-time, enterprise wide inventory data being provided to
your mPOS, store employees can immediately locate and allocate the products for
the customer without ever leaving her side. They can arrange for the item to be
delivered to their desired location or picked up at a store, ensuring that the
customer has a great shopping experience and the sale is made.
WITH MPOS SOLUTIONS on a unified platform, retailers can
seamlessly connect inventory and customer information to engage customers more
effectively, drive more sales and provide a delightful shopping
experience.
Cutting-edge retailers know that mPOS goes beyond mobile checkout.
It is about offering on the spot service and interacting with the customer
where the customer is shopping.
Josh Goodwin is group product manager for NetSuite Global
Business Unit, a San Mateo, CA-based provider of cloud-based
omnichannel software and a wholly owned subsidiary of Oracle.
#MobileMarketing #MobileApplication
No comments:
Post a Comment