The shopping experience has fundamentally changed in recent years. Traditional brick-and-mortar stores are still king, with eCommerce accounting for just 16% of all retail sales in 2020, but more purchases than ever are taking place online.
In order to stay competitive, retailers are increasingly looking to integrate the physical and online shopping into a streamlined omnichannel customer experience. Doing so depends on establishing seamless communications and processes, both in-store and in the warehouse environment.
“Retailers increasingly need to improve their margins and profitability in order to stay relevant and competitive against both eCommerce and other retail stores,” says Julien Bertheuil, EMEA Managing Director at Spectralink. This means ensuring that in-store staff have the tools they need to coordinate seamlessly when providing an exceptional service to customers that are increasingly used to the speed of search, selection and check out offered in the digital space.
“Shoppers today will typically use their phones while in-store, comparing prices, sizes and colours online, and even asking friends and family for recommendations,” says Bertheuil. “Unified communications can provide mobile workers with key information on the shop floor, improving staff productivity and the customer experience.”
Spectralink’s suite of retail mobile devices include a range of features to support omnichannel sales. Integration with leading collaboration apps such as Microsoft Teams facilitates greater coordination between staff and desk-based colleagues that are responsible for purchasing, supply chain management or finance, boosting coordination and productivity.
At the same time, incorporated RFID scanners allow assistants to check out customers from anywhere in-store. If an item isn’t on display, assistants can check whether it is in stock - or available in another store - while accessing critical supply chain information to better manage customer expectations.
Spectralink’s rugged devices are also resistant to the wear and tear that can occur when standard mobile devices are used in bustling front of house environments. “Bring your own device (BYOD) isn’t a good policy in retail environments,” says Bertheuil.“Not only are standard devices fragile, but they could also appeal to thieves. Spectralink devices are robust, look professional and can be managed via central updates or remote locking if lost or stolen.” This type of handset design is critical within the retail environment, where workers are handling sensitive personal and transactional information on a day-to-day basis.
Rugged design means that devices can support multiple shifts, while communication tools allow warehouse workers to access and provide the information they need to support cross-channel operations, including Buy Online, Pick Up In Store (BOPIS) or curb-side pick up services that became mainstream during the pandemic. At the same time, man-down and
