New solutions are constantly arriving that change the way we work and the way consumers interact with our brands. But there is one feature that is becoming more and more important in the tech solutions we implement in-store, and that’s connectivity. 

 

We are not talking about basic web connectivity here, which has become pretty much ubiquitous across every business. We are talking about solutions that speak to each other – sharing, centralising and analysing the data they collect. This centralisation is changing the game in terms of efficiency, decision-making, and the customer journey itself. 

 

Retail margins are under pressure from many sources. In fact, Foundry’s Digital Business Study found that 55% of businesses said that the top objective of their organisation’s digital business strategy is reducing costs/inefficiencies. Rising labour costs and fluctuating inflation are impacting the bottom line; customer expectations continue to soar as they adapt to the convenience of shopping online; and competition in the retail space is fiercer than ever. 

 

Amid these challenges, connected solutions are helping retailers stay ahead. McKinsey & Co noted that companies that use data analytics are reporting 115% higher ROI and 93% higher profits. The time for retail businesses to embrace connectivity is now, so let’s look at three ways GLORY’s connected solutions can help transform your business.

 

CONNECTING YOUR COMMERCE

 

Ultimately, everything leads back to the customer experience.  You can have all of the efficiency in the world behind the scenes, but if you are not making your customers happy, your business will fail. And customers today expect a frictionless, personalised experience, whether they are in-store or online.

This is where Unified Commerce really shines, integrating all of your front-end systems – from websites and apps to SCOs, kiosks and tills. Convenience is a huge factor for retail customers, and these platforms allow shoppers to keep a common basket across every touchpoint, moving seamlessly between digital and physical channels.

 

But Unified Commerce also goes one step further, tying in back-end inventory systems to allow customers to access accurate product information and fulfilment options, either online or using kiosks in-store to implement an “Endless Aisle” service. Meanwhile employees enjoy a complete view of customer preferences, enabling them to deliver personalised service. 

 

Our Unified Commerce solution from Flooid, a Glory company, allows you to create the shopping experiences your customers demand with one powerful and resilient cloud-based platform. A powerful transaction backbone and central repository of data allows for complete consistency and accuracy across any customer touchpoint – POS, mobile, website, self-scan, self-checkout, kiosks and any other customer or associate touch point you can imagine. It also delivers a treasure trove of insights for your business through its powerful analytical toolkit.

 

CONNECTING YOUR CASH PROCESSES 

 

Manual cash processing can be a significant hidden cost for retail businesses. But centralising and automating cash management can save hours of labour every day, in every store, and reduce your need for CIT.

 

Glory’s CASHINFINITY™ solutions can connect all your cash processes, from each till, SCO and kiosk to the back office — doing everything at the touch of a button and saving hours of manual counting and processing. The system also recycles more cash in-store, which means less CIT visits and lower costs.

 

Meanwhile our enterprise software, UBIQULAR™, gives a bird’s eye view of your cash estate across your entire enterprise and delivers valuable insights to drive efficiency in your cash processes

 

CONNECTING YOUR IN-STORE MARKETING

 

In-store marketing can be an incredible tool for engaging your customers, promoting deals and driving sales for high-margin items.

 

With Acrelec Creative Studio, you can conveniently manage all digital signage across your entire enterprise on one connected system, allowing you to react swiftly and proactively to your market using minimal resources. With this tool you can create marketing campaigns and live streams on one or thousands of outdoor and indoor screens – in any location or language – with just one platform.

 

To learn more about Glory’s full spectrum of retail solutions, and how connectivity can drive efficiency in your processes, generate powerful insights for decision-making, and deliver a compelling customer journey, have a chat with one of our retail experts.