Making the Most of In-Store Mobile Technology

Nearly every retailer is heavily investing in improving their online and in-store channels. However, not every retailer is considering the scenarios in which online channels are being used in a retail store.

In fact, nearly half (46 percent) of global in-store shoppers reported using a smartphone to enhance their most recent shopping journey. Despite this proliferation of smartphone use, many retailers aren’t taking full advantage of in-store mobile opportunities. Mobile touchpoints can provide a new way of connecting with shoppers, particularly those that are now accustomed to e-commerce experiences. Retailers that leverage mobile will strengthen customer lifetime value and improve the efficiency of in-store shopping trips.

Let’s examine how mobile touchpoints like loyalty apps, self-scanning technology, and mobile checkout can enrich the in-store experience for shoppers.

Elevating Loyalty Apps With AI

When prompted with the right discount, consumers will readily sign up for loyalty programs with their email address or phone number. Despite this, many retailers struggle with how to offer a great loyalty experience via mobile once those connections are made. The trick is to create a loyalty-focused app that encourages shoppers to engage and make a purchase with the brand online, in-store and on their phones.

To make the most of these mobile loyalty programs, retailers should rely on artificial intelligence-driven personalization that delivers customized promotions, recommendations and outreach based on the shopper’s recent purchase history. This can establish stronger connections between a retailer and its local community.

Leveraging Self-Scanning Technology

Shoppers hate waiting in lines, but with self-scanning technology offered through their mobile phones they don’t have to wait to scan their products and check out. Retailers can enable shoppers to scan their chosen products with their phones as they shop, creating a digital basket within the retailer’s branded app in real time. This digital basket provides a touchpoint for product information.

For example, retailers can use the mobile scanning platform to share allergy information, ingredients, items that pair well together, coupons, loyalty offers and more. The platform can also be used to provide relevant product recommendations for out-of-stock items based on the customer's usual purchasing cadence and patterns.

Finally, if a shopper has a question about a product, they can request support from a store associate through the scanning platform. This encourages meaningful associate-customer interactions and helps shoppers make their way through the store with ease.

Not only does self-scanning improve the shopping experience, but it also enables seamless mobile checkout.

Enabling Mobile Checkout and Order-Ahead Options

Every retailer is different, but they all want to create a strong customer experience that keeps loyal shoppers coming back. To offer consumers a seamless shopping journey that's tailored to their preferences, retailers can rely on mobile ordering and payment options.

By giving shoppers the option to order ahead for curbside pickup, pre-order hot meals, or pay for their morning coffee in advance, retailers are giving the gift of time back to their customers. In these scenarios, the mobile app unlocks the utmost convenience by saving customers’ payment options, favorite orders and more on the device most easily accessible to them from anywhere.

Whichever convenience-focused journey the shopper picks, they're likely to return to the retailer and devote more loyalty, as well as share the experience with their friends and family.

Creating Touchpoints That Inspire Increased Conversions

To exceed the expectations of shoppers who are growing to appreciate the conveniences of e-commerce, brick-and-mortar retailers must offer a seamless and innovative experience. By better implementing these mobile touchpoints, retailers can create a more competitive shopping journey without losing the heart of the physical store and the connections it provides.

Michael Jaszczyk is CEO of GK Americas and chief digital transformation officer of GK Software SE.