Appy to help: the increasing use of mobile and tablet devices within retail, B2B and service locations

Appy to help: the increasing use of mobile and tablet devices within retail, B2B and service locations

For many of us, a day is unlikely to pass when we’re not interacting with a smart phone or tablet device. In fact, today’s digitally savvy consumers will spend a large proportion of their time experiencing the world through a screen.

Capitalising on this familiarity with, and even dependency on portable technology, it’s no surprise that tablets are finding their way into work environments and retail spaces, as well as in our homes. Using smart devices in a professional capacity and to enhance the customer experience is changing the way consumers shop and do business; here are some of the ways you can generate big results by using small screens:

Raising engagement

Tablets are being seen more and more as an in-store tool for engaging customers with branded content and messages, promoting loyalty, capturing marketing data and increasing dwell time. Shoppers may be invited to enter competitions, post reviews or read blog posts, while brands such as Nike are inviting customers to use touchscreens to create, submit and share their own footwear designs.

Improving productivity on the shop floor

B2B employees are increasing productivity on the shop floor by using tablet devices for warehouse and inventory management, managing manufacturing processes and for ordering consumables online.

Encouraging social sharing

Fashion retailers have been particularly quick to harness the power of social media with highly developed accounts and professional branded content. Taking this to the next level, various retailers are encouraging customers to promote their wares by sharing their outfit snaps or selfies across their personal platforms. Concepts have included providing iPads in dressing rooms for taking mirror photographs, photo booths which automatically publish your pictures to Instagram, and filming shoppers walking a catwalk to generate a video for uploading on smart phones.

Cohesion between in-store and e-commerce

Modern consumers are well versed in shopping online, and when they do visit a bricks and mortar store, they’re likely to have already used the internet to browse for the item they’re looking for and to compare prices; they may even check competitor sites or look up offers while they’re in your shop itself. Because customers are already organically combining their digital and physical shopping experiences, it makes sense for retailers to follow suit; using tablets in-store provides a cohesive journey from sofa to shopping trip and caters to growing demand.

Practical applications

Digital screens can be used to replace paper signage, allowing the most up to date product information to be displayed. Customers can also make use of tablets to check stock inventory, order items for home delivery or locate out of stock pieces, while staff can use the screens for product demonstrations, training colleagues, capturing marketing data and contact details, or processing documentation.

Tablets don’t have to be a difficult pill to swallow

If you’re struggling with integrating the use of mobile and tablet devices into your retail business, or to provide a cohesive omni-channel experience, we can help. Visit BlueBridge One online to see how Enterprise Resource Planning software can help you to increase customer engagement, manage your business processes and back office activities, integrate systems and improve working efficiencies.