For many retailers, the traditional point-of-sale (POS) system still plays a key role in how they record purchases, process payments and returns, manage promotions, and drive loyalty. However, today’s consumer expects more than just an efficient sales process, they expect a great experience.
So, what does the in-store experience need to include to deliver a great consumer experience? A successful in-store experience requires retailers introduce new technologies, new touchpoints, and streamlined processes, which makes shopping faster and easier for consumers and thereby makes the experience simpler, less stressful, and in turn, more enjoyable.
The demand for touchpoints beyond the traditional POS has increased with the COVID-19 pandemic. Many shoppers prefer to limit their interaction with sales associates or wait in long lines to make their purchases due to the need for social distancing. The self-checkout and mobile POS solutions enable a retailer to meet these demands while still providing a quick, intuitive, and efficient experience to consumers.
The self-checkout POS solution offers the same processes available as a traditional POS with the added benefit of shorter lines. With the demand for a quick and efficient experience, consumers are setting aside their fear of self-checkout terminals and are met with a system which guides them through the entire scanning and payment process, all while being monitored by a sales associate who is available to intervene and assist whenever necessary — such as when a shopper is attempting to purchase an age-restricted item.
The mobile POS solution provides retailers with the ability to deploy mobile retail concepts to an iOS or Android device, enabling merchants to provide a great customer service experience from anywhere in the store. What began as a form of line-busting at a single location in the store — where a sales associate would come up to the line and offer those with only a few items a faster checkout — has expanded to roving sales associates, meeting consumers throughout the store to check them out and eliminate lines. Mobile POS allows consumers to enjoy the same quality, speed, and security of the traditional POS with the convenience of customer service where and when it is most convenient for them.
How to support multiple POS touchpoints
Implementation of a successful solution requires coordination and integration of all solution components, allowing each touchpoint to access all the information it needs — prices, promotions, inventory, and more.
SAP Solutions by GK offers the underlying technology that can allow retailers to provide that multiple touchpoint experience for their customers. The GK Cloud POS system provides the ability to deploy POS capabilities on standard devices, while the Omnichannel Point of Sale can help manage all POS devices in-store, with native integration back to SAP S/4HANA® and SAP Customer Activity Repository (CAR).
Bringing better customer experience through multiple touchpoints
Through the addition of new technologies, multiple touchpoints like self-checkout and mobile POS, along with improved processes, shopping is faster and easier, and the consumer’s experience simpler, less stressful, and in turn, more enjoyable. Deploying employees with hand-held devices or providing a space where customers can do the POS work themselves, leads to more choice and customizable experiences.
To accomplish a multiple-POS touchpoint strategy, you will need the right technology. Contact Rizing to find out how you can get the right system in place to deploy customer-friendly POS touchpoints.