Technology is the answer if you want to improve the customer experience and build security and management in your retail stores.
Innovation is reviving the retail industry following the eCommerce boom – want to find out more?
Keep reading about the main innovations in the retail industry, allowing for stringent security, smooth management processes, and improved customer experiences.
Cloud-Based Security Cameras
Cloud-based security cameras have quickly become a preferred technology in retail, allowing security teams more mobility and agility. In retail environments, surveillance is essential to spot theft, crime, and loitering – loitering can drive away customers and make your store a no-go zone.
However, security teams have duties like rounds that leave them unable to sit in the security control room and observe surveillance footage. It could even be the case that your security team cannot view all security camera feeds simultaneously due to the sheer number of cameras.
With cloud-based 360 surveillance cameras, your security team can check 360 security footage from anywhere. Since the security data is stored in the cloud, your security team can access it using mobile devices while performing rounds or attending to other on-site duties.
In the coming year, retail stores can expect to see an increase in theft – there is a strong likelihood of a recession in 2023, and this will come with spikes in retail shrinkage. Improving your security strategy will help you stay ahead of the curve and ensure your retail business does not suffer.
One of the main advantages of cloud-based surveillance is the open API integrations. You can leverage integrations to improve your stores’ security and customer experience. Below are some of the direct integrations for cloud-based security cameras.
Video Analytics
Since your security teams cannot monitor surveillance feed consistently and are likely to miss things, you should consider automating this task. Video analytics software integrates with your cloud-based surveillance system to provide alerts for potential security threats. The tool can identify the following security breaches and hazards in your retail store:
- Object disappearance – if an object is removed from your glass cabinets or protected areas, then video analytics software will trigger an alert for your security teams.
- Weapons – the software uses object recognition to identify weapons and dangerous items in your store, allowing your security team to act quickly in an emergency.
- Loitering – your video analytics can detect how long customers spend in one area of your store. If customers loiter in an area within your store, your video analytics system will generate an alert.
By implementing this technology, you can ensure that the security response in your store is highly agile, increasing the likelihood of successful threat and incident prevention.
Customer Journey AI
When optimizing your retail store, you need to know how successful your store layout is. You can adopt customer journey AI to detect behavioral patterns in your customers, seeing which areas in your store generate the most traffic.
Once you have identified these patterns, you can start adapting your store layout to ensure that your sales tactics are more successful. You can make the customer journey less linear to encourage browsing, or you can ensure that your most popular products are situated at the back of the store – providing that the customer must pass by all of your products before reaching the checkout.
Automated Payroll
An essential part of retail store management is ensuring employees receive their pay on time. To do this, you can establish automated processes. Cloud-based payroll platforms allow you to easily store commissions, tips, and hourly pay information in one place. When payday arrives, there will be no need for lengthy manual processes – your employees will receive the correct pay on time.
Staff Scheduling Software
You can implement staff scheduling software, such as Agendrix retail scheduling software, that allows for more streamlined project management. Your retail staff can enter the available days, and the software automatically generates schedules and rotas for your teams. Since staff scheduling is a stressful and time-consuming task for most retail store managers, automating the process can help to improve job satisfaction for your managerial staff and reduce their workload.
Contactless Shopping
To compete with the booming eCommerce sector, retail stores must offer a more convenient in-store shopping experience. Businesses are taking a hybrid approach to online and in-store shopping using the following strategies:
- Buy online pick up in-store – the customer purchases the product online to collect it from the store, either the same or the next day. This way, they do not risk their favored item being out of stock.
- Buy online and pick up curbside – the customer can park outside the store, and a retail store employee will bring the items to them while in their vehicle. This eliminates the cost of delivery and the cost of parking.
- Buy online, return in-store – if the customer is unhappy with items they ordered online, they can return in-store to replace the item or receive store credit.
By implementing these strategies, retail stores can encourage more foot traffic and sales for in-person shopping.
Summary
Retail stores face many challenges in the modern climate. Firstly, the coming recession may cause an increase in theft. Secondly, the rise of online shopping has decreased foot traffic in retail stores. By implementing technologies to improve the customer experience, mitigate theft, and improve management, retail stores can revive and thrive in the coming years.
