A mobile point-of-sale system, including software application and portable hardware, is one technology-based choice that can minimize pressure.
Jan 01, 2023Ed. Keep in mind: This post was formerly posted at Retail TouchPoints.
As the world recovers from the pandemic and consumers go back to the high street, merchants are eager to capitalize on the increased footfall by supplying an extraordinary in-store experience. Even though COVID-19 has been in effect for more than two years, one barrier that the retail sector is still attempting to conquer is the resulting labor lack.
Amber Hovious
To stay afloat during the lockdown, some merchants needed to release their in-store associates. The pandemic produced further interruption in America’s manpower, which many have actually dubbed “The Terrific Resignation.” More than 47 million individuals had actually left their tasks by 2021, with a lot of them looking for better work-life balance and flexibility, higher pay and strong company culture. However, even though the world has actually returned to regular– and has been that method for some time– merchants are still discovering it difficult to rehire the same number of workers as in the past.
With retailers grappling with the labor scarcity, alternative options must be sought to alleviate any unfavorable impact on in-store sales. Merchants can depend on innovation to fill the spaces left by a lack of staff by deploying the ideal retail technologies. A mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) system, which includes software and portable hardware that processes retail transactions, is one option that has actually helped reduce the pressure triggered by labor lacks. It computes sales totals, handles payments, keeps an eye on inventory, collects business data and much more. An mPOS system converts any tablet or smartphone into a checkout point. This performance makes it possible for retailers to serve customers from anywhere in the store, in pop-up stores and even on the go.
Simplify Checkout and Boost Efficiency
According to queue management research study, 75% of customers would not wait in a line for more than five minutes, indicating that sluggish service indicates lower sales. With card and mobile payments, mPOS is meant to increase service efficiency, leading to increased success, much shorter checkout and return lines. Long queues frequently cause disappointment and this makes more sense considering the increased digital options that consumers have at their fingertips for completing transactions.
Sellers can use a mobile-first and responsive POS to keep their checkout mobile, or utilize the exact same service to station their device on a counter or offer a self-checkout option. A mix of all 3 is the ideal queue-busting strategy, as it keeps fast-moving consumers happy while also increasing typical order value.
Mobility is important for assisted selling success. Everybody mores than happy when assisted selling is made simple with mPOS. It’s the ideal method for retailers to distinguish themselves from the competitors, develop client loyalty to create long-term sales, and ensure clients feel their time in-store was well invested. Enabling staff members to finish multiple sales anywhere in the store, rather than simply at the sales counter, can have a favorable influence on sales and client experience.
Improve Workflow to Enhance Service
mPOS solutions supply real-time analytics and client data. When retailers combine their mPOS with an online order management system (OMS), they can monitor when their customers are most active, which items are offering and how they choose to pay. Sellers can acquire a much better understanding of their operations at any point in time by connecting all in-store and ecommerce channels.
In addition, mPOS services can also assist merchants in stocktaking, stock receiving, and moving stock to and from a main warehouse. Partial cycle counts and automated storage facility transfers triggered by specific reason codes improve accuracy while lessening errors. Stocktaking is generally performed twice a year, providing lots of time for stock inconsistencies to develop. The capability to use mPOS gadgets for stocktaking and cycle counts simplifies stock confirmation and allows businesses to get rid of mistakes, as well as maintain accurate stock levels. All this can be accomplished by implementation of the innovation, which gets rid of the requirement for manual data entry– a time-consuming practice at the very best of times, let alone in the middle of a labor scarcity crisis.
Ease of Usage
Utilizing mPOS options is easy and uncomplicated. Merchants can select an mPOS system that supports integration if they currently have a fixed-point POS terminal. Furthermore, mPOS systems are extremely helpful when it comes to training new personnel. Advanced mPOS systems allow merchants to provide training in a portion of time compared to standard POS systems, which are complex and can take even a month to get used to.
The role of the technology ends up being extremely crucial during the peak times when sellers tend to hire short-lived staff; associates can learn to use mPOS systems in a brief period of time thanks to their user-friendly user interface. When it pertains to supplying an exceptional customer experience, store partners are critical. An industry-leading and cloud-native mPOS technology offers in-store associates with all the pertinent details, such as client purchase history, personalized deals and stock accessibility.
In addition, with the help of mPOS systems, sales partners can offer individualized discounts and alternative options to their customers. Carrying out multi-tasking from a single source of info can be substantial in filling the spaces left by the ongoing labor scarcity. Merchants should comprehend that whilst attempting to handle the personnel shortage, the smooth client experience should not be jeopardized. mPOS innovation is a great choice for sellers to lean on and take optimum benefit of.
Amber Hovious is VP of marketing and collaborations at Teamwork Commerce. She has been part of the Teamwork Commerce family for 7 years, building out the marketing technique, company development and approach as well as cultivating a broad array of collaboration relationships to drive long term success.