Digital signage in Grocery Stores
We’ve all seen that digital signage has been benefiting lots of businesses from corporate to retail. In the past we have discussed all the great benefits they provide in the beauty and fashion retail industry but digital signage has been making its way to grocery stores.
The rapid growth of ecommerce in the last few years has resulted in a significant increase in customer expectations for convenience and service in the offline world.
Many retailers have been strategically using technology by bringing the online experience into their stores. To make sure you’re using technology to your benefit you need to be selective with the equipment you want to use as you don’t want to invest in something that won’t bring your business any benefits or profits.
So firstly let’s discuss why digital signage is important for the modern consumer and the retail experience overall.
Digital Signage and modern society
As we discussed on our previous blog, digital signage has been replacing traditional signage as the world evolves into a more digitally driven path and experience as well as convenience in today’s society and busy lifestyles are very important to be considered by businesses and big companies if they want to reach new potential and returning customers.
From real time updates and social media updates to dynamic visual content that has been shown to capture more views. As research has shown digital signage captures 400% more views than static displays!
Digital Signage in Retail stores
Big retailers are constantly evolving by always looking for new ways to promote their brand either with social media and unique digital marketing or with in store experiences as they know well how to bring attention to their brand and keep customers always by their side.
Great example is Sports Direct. Sports Direct have been always on the lookout for new ideas and how to achieve customer satisfaction and loyalty! Nowonder they are leaders in sports retail.
By integrating our bespoke technology into their store they provide immersive experiences to their audience by creating excitement and hype around their brand. Using the latest technology such as selfie mirrors to jump booths they are able to promote their brand on social media through their customer’s experiences.
Digital Signage in Grocery stores
We’ve seen technology in general and digital signage particularly doing their magic in beauty and fashion retail. But what about supermarkets and grocery stores?
Food shopping is something that everyone has to do. Grocery shopping has been shifting to a more digital direction as online shopping has become the new normal and has changed the game, offering ultimate convenience to their shoppers.
In-store experiences have become a priority as it is a perfect way to guarantee returning customers in person as well as online.
But what tools are important in order to achieve this and how can you use this technology to your advantage?
In-store experiences like we mentioned above are very important to help with customer satisfaction and long term profit. We’re starting to see integrated technology solutions and secure touchpoints like tablet enclosures, which help with offering personalized deals and guiding shoppers around the store and increase sales.
Benefits of digital signage in supermarkets
The supermarket chains have already begun to transform how their customers buy, helped by digital signage.
Communication strategy contributes to the achievement of corporate goals, improves the brand image, allows to differentiate from competitors, creates a community around the company and commits customers.
Here are some examples of the many benefits digital signage can provide in supermarkets.
1. Boost Purchase
It helps boost purchase and interact with customers in real life. By bringing interactivity into your store, customers can now learn more about the products in a more fun way. For example our lift and learn technology is an innovative way where customers can physically interact with the product and learn more about it. In that way customers can feel a lot more confident in their purchase decisions and feel happier to make a purchase in your store.
2. Promotion
It is a direct information channel in the point of sale, allowing to show offers, promotions, new products and any information of interest for the clients. Digital signage has been shown to be very effective with grabbing people’s attention.
3. Locate and Services
By incorporating our bespoke digital wayfinding solutions will make your store easier to navigate and will keep your customers a lot happier as they will be able to enjoy their shopping experience and even make more purchases as they won’t be busy trying to find the product they are looking for.
Now that we discussed some of the tools and methods you could use digital signage to your advantage, let’s see a few more trendy and innovative ideas that could potentially help your business differentiate from the competitors.
Technology in Grocery stores
1. WIFI
It might sound basic but how many times have you been in a store only to find out the WIFI isn’t working and you are not able to research a question or a product you had in mind. Despite fears that this will enable price comparison in-store, customers will use their mobile phones in store anyway, often to do much more than compare prices. Retailers can harness this trend and use it to their advantage. Through QR codes and barcodes, and integration with the retailer’s mobile app, Wi-Fi can enhance the in-store experience for mobile users. For instance, brands could enable customers to visit pages within their apps containing reviews of the products they are browsing in store by scanning a QR code on a hangtag, which could be a powerful sales-driver. Offering in-store Wi-Fi would also give brands the added benefit of capturing customer details in order to target them with relevant offers.
2. Mobile POS Systems
Queuing is always something that most people wish they could avoid. This could be something that deters shoppers from coming into stores. Shoppers in today’s society expect an immediate service and sometimes due to long queuing purchases can be abandoned. Some brands have adopted different methods in order to avoid this from happening such as bringing sales staff out from behind the tills and enabling them to guide customers through check out through mobile points of sale.
Our bespoke POS touch screens can not only improve the customer experience overall but also can act as an advertising method when they aren’t used. Customers can also sign up for updates and loyalty programs to receive additional future information.
3. In-store touch screen totem
A great way of integrating technology in store is by adding a touch screen totem that we installed for Dr Martens. Customers can browse all products that are in store and they can additionally order any products that aren’t available in the store. This is also perfect as it works as an advertising tool when not used by customers. Perfect for any business as they can work in smaller stores as it takes less floor space.
4. In-store App
Perhaps the most effective way to connect the on and offline shopping experience is by offering special features and personalisation within your app for customers in store.
Kylie Skin, being ahead of the game, have created their own app where only customers can log in and learn more about the products by scrolling through the App and looking at reviews and tutorials. By connecting the tablet through bespoke headphones, our team ensured a personal and private interaction between the customer and the brand.
5. Electronic Price Tag
With the rise in shoppers comparing prices on their phones while in store, some retailers are turning to an electronic solution to update their pricing instantly. Electronic price tags can also save time, enabling retailers to immediately update pricing to reflect sales and offers with the touch of a button.
Mentionable Investments that are here to stay and grow
Interesting initiatives are popping up in supermarkets worldwide. Here’s what we can expect to see more of in the future.
1. Just Walk Out
The last few years we have seen an increase in mobile payment options and self checkout facilities in many popular supermarkets. Online-retailer Amazon recently opened its first bricks and mortar store which featured the innovative Just Walk Out check-out system. The good news is no more queuing! Customers can just walk into the store by scanning the QR code, pick up the items they are looking for and walk out the store.
The number of people who use voice-ordering technology to order grocery items has already reached 20%.
2. Voice Ordering
According to the global firm OC&C Strategy Consultants, voice shopping is expected to soar from $2 billion today to $40 billion in 2022. Their research also revealed that groceries are the most commonly shopped category via voice. In fact, the number of people who use voice-ordering technology to order grocery items has already reached 20%.
We know that convenience is king and more and more grocery stores are answering this consumer demand. Coles supermarket, for instance, has already been experimenting with a device called ‘Hiku’ which allows shoppers to simply say what they want and have it delivered to them directly.
3. Smart Grocery Cart
The smart shopping cart is equipped with cameras and a touch screen and uses artificial intelligence to independently recognise and register the products added to the cart. On the touch screen, customers can keep track of the total amount of the groceries and receive notifications of which products are on offer. In the future it should also be possible to allow customers to pay via the screen.
4. Interactive Recipe Trolley
We all know that Hellmann’s mayonnaise is mainly used for sandwiches. But there are a lot more ways that you can use mayonnaise in different recipes. So to create awareness of what people can make with this ingredient, Hellmann’s mayonnaise installed touchscreen tablet computers on the grocery carts at the largest supermarket chain in Sao Paulo. The tablet computers detect radio frequency identification or RFID tags on the grocery products inside the carts and suggested recipes that use mayonnaise. Shoppers can also interact with the tablet and use it to find the ingredients needed for a recipe. For the first month, the sales for Hellman’s increased by almost 70 percent!
Conclusion
Trolleys that can read what’s placed inside it, supermarkets without cashiers and check-outs, and voice ordering. The evolution of bricks and mortar stores has arrived and technology will continuously shape the way people shop. With the plethora of options available it can certainly become challenging for any retailer who wishes to integrate digital signage to improve the in store experience. Many new retailers make the mistake of implementing technology just because it is trendy when the experience that you offer in your store needs to fit the customer journey and be true to the brand image you are trying to project. That’s where we can help. As an end to end provider we are proud to have a great team of experts that can guide you through your journey and help you take the right decision from start to finish.
