Article

Commentary: Breaking down silos with in-store mobility

Innovative retailers are creating a richer customer experience with mobile devices.

June 11, 2013

By Marty Whitmore, Vice President, Product Solutions, Starmount

Recently, a retailer shared a conversation with a large consulting firm who informed the retailer that in-store mobility was not yet a workable reality for full register replacement — and that integrating a CRM system into the in-store selling experience was even further out in the future.

Nothing could be further from the truth. In-store mobility is neither hype nor an insurmountable technology challenge, and in fact, it brings together teams that have traditionally been siloed to help them achieve more together.

One size does not fit all in this quickly evolving space, but innovative retailers are using their in-store and online assets in a more integrated way to create a richer customer experience with mobile devices. And as the pace of in-store mobile deployments accelerates, we're seeing how retailers are not only tailoring their mobile experience to their individual needs, but integrating POS and e-commerce channels to provide a seamless omni-channel experience inside brick-and-mortar stores.

For example, when a customer walks into Urban Outfitters and asks for a product that is not available in the right size or color, the Urban sales associate has the ability, via a mobile device, to determine the best place to fulfill that item for the customer — whether at another store nearby or online. Further, when the associate wants to perform a single transaction that includes an in-store item and an out-of-stock item for delivery, they can do it because of a very well thought out SOA-based architecture with integration into POS and order management. You can visit an Urban Outfitters store today and experience this level of service for yourself.

Similarly, at a leading outdoor specialty retailer, mobile devices are enabling sales associates to enroll customers into their loyalty program via mobile device, and when they process an in-aisle transaction. They can also look up the customer’s membership rewards balance and apply it in the same transaction. This is an example of CRM, POS, and loyalty all coming together to deliver a seamless experience for the customer. And again, it’s not vaporware or a pie-in-the-sky vision — it’s the way the retailer is doing business right now.

As for the practicality of register replacement, Urban Outfitters recently announced that the retailer was no longer purchasing traditional cash registers. Moving forward, the retailer stated that it would deploy only mobile devices in its stores, noting that the same rich data that used to exist only in e-commerce is now on a mobile device and doesn’t require a Web browser, which is far too slow for efficient in-store transactions.

The CEO of a men's specialty retailer recently made a public statement about merging the company’s online capabilities with their in-store capabilities through mobility. Again, this is an example of the consumer’s in-store experience being integrated with the online experience, and it’s in the retailer's stores right now. 

The speed of innovation is faster now than when e-commerce first debuted in the 90s. In a matter of three short years since Apple released the iPod Touch and iPad, retailers are deploying enterprise systems and putting those capabilities in thousands of sales associates’ hands.

While an occasional naysayer may mention that in-store mobility is impractical and unproven, the evidence strongly suggests otherwise. Retailers are harnessing the power of mobile to break down silos today, and the most successful implementations are using in-store mobile to deliver a vastly improved customer experience.

(Photo by Jeremy Keith.)