Eye on innovation: Cegid unveils third edition of innovation and experience store
The latest technologies to help retailers win over customers are now showcased at Cegid’s latest version of its popular innovation and experience store concept, which has just opened its doors in Lyon, France.
The latest technologies to help retailers win over customers are now showcased at Cegid’s latest version of its popular innovation and experience store concept, which has just opened its doors in Lyon, France. These include new generation mobile for sales associates, intelligent anti-theft devices, self-checkouts and internet of things (IoT) powered interactive fitting rooms, virtual reality (VR), wearable technologies and artificial intelligence (AI), all designed to offer enhanced customer experience and an optimum buying journey.
Consumers are continually looking for more personalised and enriched experiences. To meet their expectations and stay ahead, retailers have had to transform the point of sale (POS) and become more digitally integrated. This fundamentally changes the role of the store associate, who needs to be digital equipped to assist shoppers on their buying journeys in-store – and this requires them to access insights into a customer’s purchase history, comments on social media etc to improve the overall shopping experience.
This connected showroom with the outward appearance of a boutique features over 25 partners (such as Aures, Adyen, Epson, Frequency, HP, Microsoft, Nedap, stacker, Valtech and Zebra) and showcases the practical applications of Cegid’s Shopping, Cataloging and Clienteling solutions. It also includes mobile payments, self-checkouts and intelligent anti-thefts devices using RFID, social media analysis (for instance, showing comments from dissatisfied or very dissatisfied clients who have expressed themselves on Twitter), or a ‘social mirror’ that can provide online advice after a customer posts a selfie about a product on social media. There’s also a range of new products that bring virtual reality and retail a step closer to real life, not to mention digitally-connected fitting rooms that can recommend other products and sizes; or a smartwatch that allows staff to receive requests for products while on the move.
Looking ahead, increasingly retailers will have to rely on digital solutions to arm store staff with the relevant tools to keep pace with changing shopping habits and win over their customers to drive conversions and improve customer lifetime value. Investments by many retailers in mobile POS means devices for processing transactions anywhere on the shop floor can reduce friction at the checkout and cut queues. And, thanks to displaying stock levels on their ecommerce sites, retailers have managed to increase their conversion rates by encouraging online reservations and directing more shoppers to stores using click & collect, adding convenience to shopper experiences.
Visit the Cegid Innovation Store at https://innovationstore.cegid.com/fr
