Products will wait endlessly on the shelf until they are picked. Consumers are not as patient. According to a recent survey by IDC Retail Insights, 45 percent of respondents regard time wasted, plus the non-availability or sold-out status of products, as the major hurdles to shopping at a bricks-and-mortar store. But there is an answer: findbox – a tool that can be combined effectively with other digital components to create a better, more profitable customer journey.
Support for restocking shelves
findbox’s core functionality helps retailers and customers recognize, look for and, above all, locate the right item. It also offers more: in the shape of useful, actionable product information. It can also be incorporated into an overarching shelf stock replenishment system. By supporting restocking tasks, it not only indicates to the shopper where the desired item is – it also informs in-store pickers of what product goes where, saving valuable time, and keeping the shop fully stocked. The deployment of near field communications (NFC) helps even unskilled staff to quickly and accurately restock shelves. And customers can leverage their smartphones to discover additional facts and figures on available products.
Electronic shelf labels
The electronic shelf labels (ESLs), the key to findbox’s operation, are linked to a central server, allowing them to be updated with ease and speed, and simultaneously. And where required, labels can be directly printed out on a sales assistant’s handheld printer.
Integration into your back-end ERP system
Thanks to a large range of predefined interfaces, findbox can be combined with all the leading enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems – in-store employees can simply scan the label of any goods missing from shelves, and the back-end will automatically generate a replenishment order for the supplier. Moreover, the solution can be configured to not only indicate the in-store location of the required product – but to draw attention to (cross-sell) accessories, and to additional information.
The basis for lucrative industry partnerships
findbox can also give preference to predefined products – opening up attractive promotional opportunities for retail industry partners. The retailer can highlight particular items or brands, and secure additional advertising income from manufacturers and distributors.
A Google search that points to a physical store
findbox is designed to strengthen the position of bricks-and-mortar stores by boosting consumer satisfaction and enhancing the customer journey. findbox includes a Google search function that indicates to potential purchasers which local store stocks the product they want. Once the customer has arrived at the actual physical outlet, they are guided to the right shelf and item by the flashing LED. What‘s more, the findbox analysis tool enables retailers to monitor user numbers and behavior online. In the physical store, findbox reduces the workload on shop assistants by performing routine tasks – leaving them with more time for value-added face-to-face guidance.
Head of Center of Excellence Retail