retail touchscreens
Keyboard to
cash register
How independent retailers can integrate
touchscreens without breaking the bank
By Maarten Bais, VP and general manager, EMEA and India at Elo – www.elotouch.co.uk
The life of an independent retailer is not
an easy one. Competition from big box
retailers continues to increase, setting
up David and Goliath showdowns across
the country. On top of that, online
retailers are increasingly taking a bigger
piece of the pie, so the story seems
never-ending with no glaring light at the
end of the tunnel. But there’s a silver
lining: customers now expect a more
personalised and engaging shopping
experience, both online and in-store,
and advancements in touchscreen
technology are uniquely positioned to
deliver just that in a more cost-effective
way than before.
Despite the popularity of some
online retailers, bricks and mortar stores
are still the preferred go-to shopping
spots for most consumers. According
to PwC’s most recent annual consumer
survey, nearly 40% of consumers made a
purchase inside a physical store at least
once a week, compared with only 27%
doing so online. Survey responses also
suggest that more consumers are using
store websites as virtual showrooms
to decide which items they want to
40 KIOSK solutions
compare for later in-store purchases
– a trend we’re seeing more of due to
the flexibility of having a wide online
‘catalogue’ for customers to browse. One
major benefit physical stores will always
have over online retailers is the ability
for the consumer to see, touch, taste
and try things before making a purchase.
This fact alone means it’s important
for independent retailers to create a
consistent experience from the keyboard
to the cash register.
All the content in one touch
Merging the online and in-store
experiences is what will take consumers
into stores. The in-store touchscreen
can bring all the benefits of online
shopping into the physical store
while also preventing customers from
heading for the doors. Integrating digital
components into physical stores creates
an improved customer experience that
gives shoppers the advantages of both
online and in-store.
By bringing the website and other
digital content in-store, retailers are
creating an instant omnichannel
experience while extending the value of
its current marketing investment with
little adjustment to existing content, but
with an increase in dedicated time for
the process. By doing this, instantly, the
retailer’s entire inventory is now available
to consumers with ‘endless aisle’ product
selections, and a consistent experience
is felt both online and in-store. For
sales assistants, the retailer’s website
– once considered competition for
sales commissions – is now a key asset
to maximise in-store sales. What all
retailers need to do, not just the smaller
independent ones, is begin to transform
the bricks and mortar store into a fully
functioning and interactive destination
rather than a static, transactional
location. By using carefully placed digital
signage retailers can create a destination
for consumers giving them the
opportunity to become fully immersed in
a rich, interactive shopping experience
that, using technology, blends the best of
online with in-store.
A comfortable shopping experience
Large format digital signage
touchscreens are being used to blend
the online and in-store shopping
experience through side by side
interaction. Consumers typically research
products online before making a
purchase, but sales assistants are often