Digital interactions driving store conversion & sales

In our previous article, we reviewed some of the digital tools used by retailers to drive store footfall and customer engagement with their products and brands.
In the second of this 2-part series, we will now look at examples of digital technologies that can be used in store to drive conversion levels and sales.

Extend assortment availability

In-store virtual walls and digital kiosks can help retailers extend their catalogue reach and provide additional product information for the customer to aid their purchasing decision.

Mark & Spencer and Debenhams kiosks

With ‘browse and order’ kiosks, customers can scan barcodes to retrieve more product information, or browse the entire catalogue.
The terminals are also fitted with card chip-and-pin functionality allowing customers to securely place orders, which they can opt to collect in the store later, or order for home delivery.

Improve conversion levels

Once in the store, retailers want customers to stay for as long as possible and ultimately convert them from browsing to purchasing. Interactive Fitting Rooms and Magic Mirrors aim at doing just that!

Ralph Lauren Interactive Fitting Rooms

In Ralph Lauren’s NYC store, the ‘Oak Fitting Rooms’ encourage customers to interact with them as soon as they enter the changing room.

The mirror will show images of the garments which have been brought into the room, using RFID technology tags which are used to track inventory.

Customers can also see what other sizes and colors are available in the store and interact with sales staff on the shop floor to request other sizes or options to be brought to the fitting room. They can also opt to leave their mobile number and receive a text message with a link to their chosen garment, to purchase before they leave the store or at home afterwards.

Optimize cross-sell and up-selling

From placement at various touchpoints in the store through to point of sale, digital signage creates an immersive in-store experience, maximising cross-sells, up-sells and impulse buys by quickly adapting and deploying content in real time.

Pull&Bear digital signage

Pull & Bear deployed a series of digital signage technologies in their Plaza de Lugo store a few years back with the overall objective of improving the customer experience and driving additional sales through up-selling and cross-selling.

Using their ‘Collective Catalogue’ in-store, customers can browse recommended looks, get additional product information and share their favorite choices via social media. 

Make the sale!

Lengthy queues at the till can give customers time to rethink the purchase they are about to make, or deter them from making the purchase at all. By allowing customers to conveniently pay for their products anywhere in the store, retailers are not only adding value and providing a better customer service, but also benefiting from successfully completed transactions and sales.

Nordstrom mobile POS

Nordstrom have rolled out Mobile POS across all of their stores, effectively allowing sales staff to checkout customers from anywhere in the store itself.

Conclusion

In an ever evolving digital market, there doesn’t seem to be a ‘one-size-fits-all’ in-store technique emerging. Retailers are instead experimenting to see what is worth investing in over the long term.

What is important, is what will give the best return in terms of connecting the in-store and online experiences, whilst optimizing customer interactions with their products and brands, and less about the technology itself.