Coast, Oasis and Warehouse roll out in-store iPads
Fashion retailers Coast, Oasis and Warehouse have introduced in-store WiFi as they roll out the use of Ipads across their store networks.
Delivered in partnership with retail IT solutions provider Retail Assist with WiFi provided by Vodat International, the iPads will complement the retailers’ multi-channel offering by delivering multi-point mobile services in their UK and European stores.
Owner Aurora Fashions began the project implementation in October 2011 and has since installed the technology in around 60 stores, with 22 stores fitted within a 3 week period. The roll-out is continuing into 2013 with a further 50 stores across all of the retailers’ brands in the UK and Europe
Richard Glanville, Aurora Fashions chief financial officer explained: “The use of mobile technology in a retail environment has become a critical part of the multi-channel journey. Being one of the first few fashion retailers to not just adopt iPad technology, but push the boundaries in terms of service delivered, demonstrates our innovation and ability to deploy solutions quickly – adding value for our customers in a competitive market.”
Never Miss a Retail Update!Aurora said the iPads are being used as transactional mPOS for speed of service and queue busting, as well as for improving customer access to information. In addition, wall mounted iPads are being displayed in changing rooms for interactive marketing purposes, displaying image and video content on seasonal ranges, specific products and special offers.
Customers in-store can also use the WiFi to access the internet on their own personal devices, although the Coast, Oasis and Warehouse networks are restricted to the retailer’s iPads for security purposes.
Paul Leybourne, head of sales at Vodat International, said: “We are delighted that Coast, Oasis and Warehouse have chosen our Wi-Fi solution. We had been trialling the services with the brands, after which they decided on a full-scale roll out once the benefits – from quick deployment across multiple stores, to ease of use and accessible information from the portal, to the ability to be able to push updates out to devices – became apparent.
“Within the stores, a better customer experience and service is provided by giving store staff access to critical business information in real time on portable devices, enabling them to quickly deal with client queries and fulfill demand without delay.”
Robert Scott, technical services manager, at Retail Assist, added: “The Vodat network is user friendly and cost effective. Our partnership with them has allowed us to combine our expertise to deliver a truly innovative in-store experience. Retailers have been using mPOS in-store for some time now, but connecting the in-store and online experience and using iPads for interactive marketing purposes is a new initiative. Along with Vodat International, we are now in a position to be able to roll out this system to any of the retail brands.”
