Largest electronic shelf-edge (ESL) deal strengthens baby specialistÂ’s multichannel strategy as it expands stores and via mobile

Largest electronic shelf-edge (ESL) deal strengthens baby specialist’s multichannel strategy as it expands stores and via mobile

UK online baby equipment retailer Kiddicare has chosen to roll out ZBD’s e-paper system across its entire store estate.

Kiddicare initially trialled the ESL displays at its flagship store at its Peterborough headquarters, giving it the ability to synchronise pricing and information online and instore.

Pricing consistency and management efficiencies

Scott Weavers-Wright, Kiddicare chief executive, commented: “As a multichannel retailer, keeping store pricing in line with the web is our biggest challenge. ZBD’s technology removes the limitations of paper from the equation, allowing us to deliver a seamless, consistent experience to our customers, however they engage with us.”

He added that it would also support mobile channel integration: “With ZBD’s fully graphic displays, we can now add QR [quick response] codes to the shelf to provide additional information on customers’ mobile phones, or store assistants’ iPads. This information could include product demonstrations, nutritional information or anything else that will enhance the shopping experience and is available via our free instore Wi-Fi network.”

Part of wider IT-enabled multichannel strategy

Kiddicare was acquired by supermarket giant Morrisons in 2011 and has since taken over the leases of 10 former Best Buy stores to expand its physical store network over the next year. It recently also signed up logistics company Wincanton to provide multiple, new multichannel distribution and fulfilment services.

The first Kiddicare superstore opened in Nottingham in September 2012 with a variety of technologies to enhance the customer experience, including touchscreen kiosk technology with barcode scanning allowing shoppers to check product availability and delivery options, free Wi-Fi, and even an SMS queuing system.

Check out the current September/October issue of Retail Technology magazine, which features an exclusive interview with Weavers-Wright and Kiddicare head of e-commerce, Paul Allen. Click here to register to receive the magazine as an e-version or hard copy here.