Automating Your Retail Store
When speaking to representatives of retail chains, it’s interesting to see how many businesses automate many different areas of the store. Some have a fully automated warehouse system while others have the most modern point of sale system. However, the most successful retail stores have the ability to track an item end-to-end from the moment it hits the dock door to the point of purchase and it leaving the store exit. Below we will walk you through a list of automated retail functions that will improve inventory, shelf replenishment, customer experience and point of sale through an easily automated barcode technology that incorporates mobile computers, barcode scanners, point of sale systems or other barcode equipment, along with our software solutions.
- Warehouse – The ability to receive, put away, pick, pack, display and ship as needed. Each retail location is unique. Some have the ability to pack items and provide delivery to the customers’ doorstep, while other simply want to manage proper inventory levels. Regardless of the multitude of capabilities, receiving an item and prepping it for display in the storefront is common for every warehouse.
- Shelf Replenishment – Every year, retailers lose hundreds of millions of dollars due to lack of products on the shelf. Knowing what is on the shelf and in the warehouse for each item is critical to the success of a retail store. Tracking an item as it enters the warehouse and leaves the store via purchase allows for proper inventory levels to be maintained. Additionally, RFID technology is capable of providing real-time updates of item tracking on the actual shelf itself so when a customer picks up an item the inventory shows as depleted. This allows store managers to ensure the hottest items are always on display.
- Mobile In-Store Assistance – Every day customers enter a store and find items on racks that they absolutely must have. However, much to their disappointment, they find that they cannot find the right size so they move on and forget about that blouse or pants. Meanwhile, that particular item might be in the warehouse or at a store only a couple of miles away. With mobile in-store assistance, a store representative has the ability to check real-time inventory levels on a mobile computer and notify the customer of where that particular item might be, whether in the back warehouse or at the store down the road. This results in a much better customer experience and increased sales.
- Line Busting – Nobody enjoys going to a store, finding the items they need and then having to wait 30 minutes to check-out. With line busting, sales associates can utilize a mobile computer that comes equipped with a credit card reader and point of sale software, and allow customers with a few items to quickly check-out rather than wait for the customers that have a cart-full of products. Once again, this improves the customer experience and prevents customers from abandoning the items they came to buy near the cash register.
- Point of Sale – The last experience for a customer prior to leaving the store is the checkout or point of sale. An ideal situation is a retail store sales associate scanning all of the items, accepting payment and providing a receipt as quickly as possible for a customer. With today’s emerging mobile couponing, it is integral to have a 2D barcode scanner to scan barcodes from a smartphone. Additionally, with EMV compliance shifting the liability of charges resulting from counterfeit cards, it is now crucial for retailers to have an EMV-compliant payment terminal.
For more information on how Barcodes, Inc. can automate and integrate all of your retail functions give one of our experts a call to get a free consultation for your retail solution.
