One of the emerging technological innovations is audience measurement, which allows the ability to know everything that happens on the sales floor, everyone wants to know what customers do inside their stores.
German Robles*
The point of sale (retail in English) is experiencing a technological transformation that goes hand in hand with the digital revolution and the adoption of new technologies that accompany our lives at all times and practically everywhere. Inevitable for the development of our daily activities, whether work, playful or at the time of deciding to buy products and / or services.
"Showrooming" is the definition for a new form of purchase, where the consumer prefers to go to the store to touch, examine and / or try on the product, and then look for the best offer online and make the purchase, sometimes at a better price than in the traditional store.
With this new way of buying, the point of sale has become a fundamental site to inform the consumer, generate positive differentiation and give value to the marketing strategies implemented, communicate more efficiently, special offers (not available online), different payment options, loyalty points, everything that creates value for each customer, as competition is increasing.
Therefore, we can say that the basic premises faced by the point of sale are no longer only the basic questions, how do I increase my average ticket?, replacement volume and consequently, how to improve the efficiency of the square meter of exhibition?, currently the point of sale must also focus on even more personal values, which requires knowing, attract and retain more and more customers.
The answer is not so simple, since to achieve some or all of these objectives it is necessary to have a techno-system that allows to identify the client, know their preferences, analyze the patterns of behavior and integrate the inventories available in the warehouse and on the sales floor, this is possible through the convergence of different technologies. Integrating, among other things, in-store screens, the products displayed, inventory, the management of product and user databases, as well as the measurement, analysis and interpretation of said behavior using Big Data as a fundamental tool.
Brands today sell experiences and emotions more than products. Today's consumers expect memorable moments with brands. That is why it is essential to identify the sales floor, turning spaces full of furniture and merchandise, into intelligent and innovative facilities where people want to enter and explore, turning their purchase into a memorable experience.
If we mention some examples of innovation at the point of sale, we have the integration of mirror-type screens in dressing rooms, screens in columns, interactive video walls and digital spaces in boxes and shelves with messages that drive the sale at the moment, that facilitate the purchase and provide useful and timely information, all of them with a very similar approach, increase brand loyalty and make exhibition space more profitable.
Audience measurement
One of the emerging technological innovations is audience measurement, which allows the ability to know everything that happens on the sales floor, everyone wants to know what customers do inside their stores.
It shows us how customers react to product offerings, launches, seasonal sales, marketing programs, digital experiences, and more. More and more people are using this type of in-store data analytics to gather large volumes of information about buying behavior at the point of sale.
Cross-selling and self-generative content, is based, for example, on the readings obtained with this technology from the customer's profile or simply on what the user has selected during his visit to the store, to trigger suggestions for purchases of products or services that are according to the uses and customs, based on algorithms and making the crossing of stock information.
Applicable technologies
- Videowalls
- Mirror Screens
- Touch Screens
- Projection
- RFID
- Beacons
- Touch Screens
- Kinects
The digital intervention at the point of sale is becoming every time a new way of approaching the customer of the traditional channel, people no longer want to hear those typical words "I can help you in something", currently they seek to decide the purchase in a more autonomous, fast and simple way. The options are endless, there are millions of points of sale, that is why differentiation and efficiency are mainly based on making the sales experience unique.
The Association of Digital Signage Latin America is made up of experts in the sector, and contributes to the correct application and regulation of these solutions and their technology.
*German Robles is COO and Managing Partner of the Mexican company Kolo DS.
