Revolutionising retail: how you can transform your in-store experience with technology

There’s no doubt about it: the physical retail store is here to stay. Just four years after the pandemic-era online boom, in-store spending has returned with a vengeance, making up more than 80% of non-food retail sales in 2023.^[1]

However, the quick pivot to online selling throughout 2020 has opened the door to a ‘blurred’ online/offline experience — one where ambitious retailers transform their spaces with cutting-edge technology to increase profit margins, boost customer loyalty and spending and take advantage of key sales opportunities.

At Truis, we’ve been supporting our retail customers to meet this challenge by seamlessly incorporating next-level tech into their in-store experience. Here are our recommendations on transforming your retail space.

1.  Understand and optimise your customer’s product discovery experience

Most retailers stock thousands of SKUs, making it difficult for customers to navigate through your store and find all the required information about a specific product. Not only that, but it’s incredibly difficult for staff members to remember every detail about each product. 

Your store can completely transform this experience by creating a virtual ‘Help Desks’ or self-service kiosks and placing them in strategic locations throughout your environment. The HP Engage Express offers the perfect solution for customers to find a specific product, gain specialised advice and even make purchases when they’re ready to check out — all without needing to flag down a staff member or try and find the information on their phone. With a small footprint and near-endless customisation options, you’ll be able to configure the desk to blend seamlessly with the surrounding environment.

2.  Take away all the barriers that separate your staff and customers

Right now, customers who need support will likely have to visit a counter or a desk so that your team can check inventory, assist them with purchase decisions and complete transactions. ‘Stores of Tomorrow’ are removing these traditional barriers and instead equipping their staff with mobile point-of-sale systems, like the HP Engage Go. These systems quickly and easily convert into a powerful tablet so that your team can assist customers shoulder to shoulder.

Not only does this create a more productive and friendlier environment, it also empowers your staff to help customers, no matter where they find themselves in your store. The HP Engage Go is the perfect solution for creating a mobile workforce, as it resists dust and liquid (and can withstand frequent disinfecting). It also has a long-lasting battery, so your team will be able to keep helping customers on the go, all day long.

3.  Use the power of AI to keep your shelves stocked

If you’ve been in operation for even a short period, you’re likely sitting on a wealth of information that you can use to make your in-store experience even better. The missing piece? The power of AI.

Any retailer knows that a store rises or falls on its ability to predict stock levels. Order too much stock, and you’re going to need to discount to clear it out. Order too little, and you’ll be disappointing customers when they’re unable to pick up desired products in-store. AI can mitigate this by integrating your historical Point of Sale solutions (POS) data with retail trends that can help you predict consumer spending patterns. You’ll be able to plan for busy periods and seasonal spending, as well as having a general understanding of how your customers shop. Not only that, you’ll be able to optimise your ordering process by predicting the best times to repurchase and restock your inventory.

4.  Protect your productivity — even during busy periods

The more devices you connect to your system, the more vulnerable you are to slow performance and security threats. If you’re equipping a team, or working across multiple locations, your POS is often one of the biggest drivers of lost productivity.

This is especially true during busy periods, where even a few minutes of downtime can result in significant sales losses. Our solution? To ensure your productivity is protected by investing in a powerful POS. The HP Engage is powered to perform essential business functions — all in a single device. We like it because it’s incredibly configurable, so you can make it work to suit your business and meet your unique needs. You’ll be able to install your preferred operating system, and rest easy knowing that it’s protected using the most advanced, integrated and proactive security features.

5.  Blend your online and offline experience with personalisation

eCommerce has come a long way in providing customers with an incredibly personalised shopping experience. There are dozens of benefits to providing customers with a tailored experience, including:

• A more enjoyable experience where customers feel valued and understood
• Increased sales and conversion rates, as well as higher order values thanks to personalised and complementary recommendations
• Increased customer retention, engagement and loyalty
• A wealth of customer insights that your store can use to refine your marketing, product offering and business decisions.

Thanks to some clever tech implementation, you’ll be able to bring this hyper-personalised experience into your retail environment, offering your physical stores the same benefits. By adding HP touchscreen monitors throughout your environment, you’ll be able to serve customers with hyper-relevant messaging and promotions as they navigate your store. Combine these touchscreens with the power of machine learning and data analysis to recognise repeat customers and provide them with personalised service and recommendations, while also allowing them to interact and engage throughout their in-store experience.

6.  Find an implementation partner who understands what you need

When you’re ready to transform your retail space, it’s essential you find the right partner who’ll get you where you need to go. After all, knowing which technology to implement, and how to configure it? That takes a deep understanding of your business, your team and your goals.

At Truis, we have 45 years of experience supporting Australian businesses to seamlessly integrate technology into their day-to-day operations. With specialised expertise in retail transformations, we’ve helped our clients, including Best & Less, to take advantage of the latest tech to boost their profits, increase customer loyalty and reduce missed sales opportunities.

Not only that, we partner with leading vendors, including HP to bring you the best solutions for your specific industry needs. We love incorporating HP hardware into our retail customers’ environments as they work seamlessly with your chosen operating system, and are proven to be reliable — with an industry-leading 10-year warranty and exceptional support for all hardware faults.

Are you looking to incorporate tech into your environment? We’d love to hear from you. Contact the friendly team at Truis to find out more!