Figuring out the fickle consumer — it's a weighty task felt beyond the walls of a retailer's business. Often, it's the suppliers of in-store retail technology who must decipher consumer demands and turn them into solutions that bring real results to the retailer.
For Frank Mayer and Associates, a company specializing in retail self-service and in-store merchandising, years spent in the trenches has taught them a few lessons as to what works, what doesn't and where to focus.
Throughout its more than 80-year history, FMA has witnessed the ebb and flow of pop culture and commerce. Just walking through its headquarters in Grafton, Wis., is like peeking into a technology time capsule, complete with relics of bygone kiosks and displays. (Click here to view photos from a recent tour of the FMA facility.)
According to David Anzia, the SVP of sales at FMA, the progression of in-store technology and its acceptance has accelerated exponentially — a phenomenon similarly evidenced by society in general.
"As brick-and-mortar stores try to offer a wider variety of services through technology, we have a group of people who have embraced the technology, but there is still this other large group of people who do not want to walk up to a screen," Anzia said. "We are at a very interesting time. The next 15 years will be very different as a larger part of the population will have grown up with technology."
And as the population grows accustomed to technology, suppliers like FMA are positioned at the ready. Here are a few of the areas that Anzia said have gained momentum and others that have slowly sputtered:
Charging kiosks
Some might call mankind's addiction to smartphones the downfall of society, but at FMA, it's regarded as another opportunity to keep shoppers in-store long enough to make a purchase.
"The charging aspect is really there to help the retailer," Anzia said. "They now have the customer shopping in the store longer without feeling need to leave if they have a low battery."
In-store charging stations also provide an opportunity for digital signage and advertising, producing an additional revenue stream for deploying stores that can "rent out" screen time to other businesses.
But charging kiosks are not without challenges. Anzia said that consumers have been unwilling to use the pay-to-charge stations and they are skeptical about leaving their devices unattended — however if done correctly, the potential is still there for solutions that are safe and free.
Expanded in-store inventory
Another area that Anzia said has been successful is the use of self-service kiosks to offer an expanded range of products, a service commonly referred to as endless aisle.
Out-of-stock issues are countered by endless aisle, giving retailers the ability to provide instant access and purchase ability for items that have either sold out or are not carried in-store — positioning the brick-and-mortar retailer on a more level playing field with online rivals.
"If a shopper is in-store and there's a kiosk where they can buy that specific item right there, that will combat showrooming," Anzia said. "We will see a dramatic increase in kiosks and self-service in this space. That's another benefit and something that will continue to grow as the retail sector works harder to keep the customer in the store and balance with online shopping."
Lead generation
All Weather Windows, one of Canada's largest manufacturers of windows and doors, tapped FMA to produce an interactive kiosk that would provide a dual service to both the company and potential clients. Anzia explained that the kiosk was placed in shopping malls and tradeshows, allowing customers to get more information about the products and choose to submit their contact information.
"In shopping malls, sometimes people might want to walk up to the screen, take a look at products and give their information for contact — but they don't feel obligated to buy," Anzia said "So that was a great way for them to create soft leads."
QR codes and RFID?
When the industry receives word of a new technological breakthrough, there's typically talk of how it will revolutionize or revamp the status quo. But as Anzia said, success of the breakthroughs is not always guaranteed.
"We see a lot of projects that come in that are technology related," he said. "At the moment that might be a good idea, but by the time this rolls out, that technology will probably have passed."
Anzia cited RFID tagging at the grocery as another area where a technology came forward and was considered a game-changer, but yet today it's not widely used.
"Two or three years ago we thought this was going to be great," he said.
Quick-response codes are another example of a technology that initially ballooned in popularity, but quickly deflated. Anzia said that customers may become overwhelmed with too much content or, having already researched product specifics before entering the store, found the QR codes less desireableor useful.
"QR codes, as simplistic as they are, we thought consumers would go after those at a much higher rate," Anzia said. "Part of the QR code problem is that the consumer product companies feel the need to give the customers everything. But what value is that giving the customer?"
The takeaway? Omnichannel
Omnichannel is more than an inescapable buzzword being thrown around in the retail industry — it represents an approach that, if not followed, will leave retailers choking on the dust of their competitors.
"We always have to think about what we are doing in-store to bridge the gap from online," Anzia said. "It's not enough to just have an app or to just create content for content sake. There are so many areas to communicate with the customer, we have to continue to find ways to make sure these solutions all work together."
Source: http://goo.gl/Izt36V
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