Retail Industry reaps benefits of Mobile Technology for higher Customer Engagement

Customer experience and satisfaction are of utmost importance in the retail sector. All retail chains and outlets compete to boost foot-traffic and store-visits. To improve the overall shopping experience, a sizable portion of the funds are spent on marketing, advertising, and redesigning in-store layouts. These days, many retailers use mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones, to interact with their customers. Not only does this improve customers' shopping experiences, but also better prepares them to compete with online merchants. 

Installing eye-catching digital displays, product information displays, interactive kiosks for customer feedback, and follow-ups has become a standard practice in retail stores today. Let’s explore in detail how mobile devices help enhance the customer experience.

How mobile devices help retailers increase customer engagement

• Digital displays

Small retailers are unable to display the full range of products that they carry due to a lack of spacious display areas. This restriction can be partially overcome by using a mobile device, such as a tablet. Retailers with limited space can use tablets as digital displays to showcase their wide range of products. Tablets are also used to provide information about products, such as the type of fabric, the manufacturing process, the various designs, and the size or color options available.

• Self-service kiosks  

Self-service kiosks help shoppers get intuitive options to explore, compare, and purchase products. Retail chains have developed tablet-friendly floor stations that allow for self-service. They no longer require assistance to navigate a large store or locate a certain item. 

• Tablets as Mobile Point of Sale devices

Mobile POS helps in streamlining operations, which improves decision-making and ultimately leads to enhanced customer service. With the introduction of tablets as mobile POS devices, the in-store payment process has become dynamic. Tablets provide retailers with additional functionalities, such as easy-to-upgrade software and data collection capabilities, that conventional POS devices do not possess.

• Connected digital and physical experience

With the help of near-field communication technology, retailers are allowing in-store patrons to generate digital collections of all the things that they interact with by making use of location-based devices. By engaging digitally and increasing identification before check out, these retailers are able to create omni-channel customers. After customers leave the store, innovative predictive models use the data to drive sales and customer engagement. CloudTags provides such a service to its retail customers.

• Quick in-store service

Mobile devices, when used with retail solutions, can optimize the overall flow of the retail process, from inventory control to staff coordination. This has reduced inter-staff miscommunication and delays, improving the overall customer experience and engagement.

Issues and challenges

Mobile devices are being deployed in large numbers across retail stores. These devices can be for in-store visitors, staff, or back office employees. Unlike laptops and in-house computers, which can be secured through servers, it is very difficult for retailers to keep business data and classified information safe on mobile devices.

Another unique problem that retailers face is data usage for non-work purposes. It is difficult for retailers to monitor and control how their employees use the deployed mobile devices. This contributes to increased service costs.

In scenarios where there are multiple devices deployed across a retail store or chain, updating content and settings on the devices is another challenge.

There are numerous mobile device management tools available; however, most of them are not robust enough for structures found in retail chains where there are multiple mobile devices to monitor and control.

Solutions

With a mobile lockdown solution, such as SureLock, which locks down users to only specific applications and restricts access to device settings, it is possible to overcome challenges including device tampering, device misuse, and unauthorized use of unintended functions or applications.In order to update content remotely and manage multiple devices, device management solutions such as SureMDM, which is a web-based application, are needed. SureMDM also offers functionalities to locate, track, and monitor deployed mobile devices, as well as wipe out all classified data from a device in case of theft or loss.