Retail Technology
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Rapid technological developments in retail means that retailers must ensure that their technology is adequately maintained and managed, according to Richard Cottrell, sales and marketing director at Vista Retail Support

Rapid technological developments in retail means that retailers must ensure that their technology is adequately maintained and managed, according to Richard Cottrell, sales and marketing director at Vista Retail Support

 

The relentless development of software, hardware and other in store technology continues apace as we move into the second decade of the 3rd millennium. While the pace of change seems to show no signs of declining the pace of integration has accelerated enormously and looks like continue to do so.

 

From his position at Vista Retail Support, the retail IT support specialist, Cottrell said retailers’ traditional in-store technology, mostly at the point of sale, is still fundamentally the same. “Electronic point-of-sale (EPoS), consisting of processor, screen, keyboard, scanner and cash drawer is still there, but more and more the checkouts are being turned around so that the customer is using it for self service. This causes a few headaches – customers don’t have the benefit of a two-day training course to use the technology so the software has to become very intuitive.

 

Intuitive technology pays dividends

 

“For example, take TomTom, as a device for which few ever read the instruction book. The icons indicate what’s likely to happen when pressed and self-service checkout needs to be the same. One of the concerns for self-service is that the opportunity for shrinkage is huge. Surprisingly, most customers are stunningly honest, however there is a need to place checks upon consumers. Bagging areas that incorporate weight scales are the norm to make sure that what is scanned is what you pack. But there are rumours that one of the ‘Big Four’ [supermarkerts] is looking to incorporate these into their standard checkout lanes to look for fraudulent ‘sweetheart’ transactions as well.

 

“Other EPoS integrations include cash drawers that count the cash for you; note readers that check the opacity of notes as they’re presented and change machines that dispense coins and notes. These are all now in checkout lanes, both self service and standard. None of this technology is new, change dispensers were around 30 years ago, note dispensers have been in ATMs since the banks started opening all-day Wednesday and counting machines have been the norm in building society back offices forever. The big change is in the cost of production and the accepted levels of risk of inaccuracy. If a coin dispenser gives out 10 pence more in a day than it should do, it’s still more accurate than a checkout operator. However, correct maintenance of this technology should go some way to reduce error rates.

 

“The biggest integration development is in handheld and mobile products. From stock check to checkout and from the back door to the front door, handheld devices are now standard for most shop staff. Once a shopper has decided on that £400 frock, the last thing you want to do is queue to pay for it. Apple stores are a great example where the store staff carry full checkout capability with them and can even email you your receipt, making for a far more pleasant purchasing experience.

 

Consumers driving faster pace of change

 

Operating systems that started life on mobile phones are now landing on handheld terminals and developers are using this technology to create application that are accessible not only by retail employees, but by Joe Public. Tesco now gives you the option of scanning the barcode on products as you throw them into the recycling, automatically adding the item to your next shopping list. You can then check the price, availability and actual location of the product in any Tesco in the UK. The app is just an extension of their internal shopping system for their home delivery system. The next step will be one touch order and the nice man in the van will bring it all to your door.

 

“Consumers are increasingly hungry for new technology, which continues to make their shopping experiences, not only more interestin,g but also simpler. With consumers becoming increasingly reliant on technology, it’s vital that retailers ensure that they are up and running at all times, as any downtime could result in lost sales,” he stressed. “Businesses must always ensure that their technology is adequately supported, as consumer appetite will not subside and demand will become only greater as time goes on.”