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Americans abide by a “three strikes and you’re out” policy when it comes to shopping, according to new research...

Real-time service management platform drives 146 per cent productivity improvement with four extra jobs completed, per engineer, per day on average.

Retail in the UK is changing rapidly and it is placing ever greater importance on same-day-fix requirements of solution providers writes Claudine Mosseri, General Manager, Field Services, ByBox explains...

As card payments and online banking continue to rise, Britain’s high street banks are facing closure. Research suggests that two local branches have shut shop every day for the past three years. And, with RBS recently announcing the closure of 162 physical branches, it doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. For local towns and high streets, this poses a problem, as it becomes increasingly difficult for consumers and merchants to access and manage cash.

Traditionally, many small businesses would only deal exclusively in cash, a whopping three million* in the UK alone. Owing to rental prices on payment terminals, facilitating card payments can often be too expensive to maintain when operating on small margins. Yet not having access to a local bank, means these retailers are not only missing out on possible revenues streams but they now need to also travel to a different town during business hours to pay in takings. Leading to additional expenses, missed interest and other threats such as theft if cash is left on the premises.

As large retailers lead the charge, offering more payment options and increased technology within stores, it’s not just bank closures putting pressures on local, high street stores. Today’s consumer is used to a seamless, integrated shopping experience, whether in-store or online.

Working with a provider that offers same-day fixes and ensures device uptime can help stores adapt to an increasingly cashless societyIn July this year, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reported that with cash no-longer being the most popular payment method, card payments accounted for 54% of retail transactions and almost 75% of total sales in the UK. In addition, demonstrating our desire for fast convenience, contactless payments were up 121.9% in April 2018, compared to the same period the previous year.

Now a more connected and contactless nation, reliance on payment terminal uptime is paramount. It’s not enough to simply accept card payments onsite anymore, with research suggesting that non-functioning payment devices leave one-in-three customers unable to complete a purchase. Even with more payment options in place, retailers must ensure they are working in order to enhance the customer experience.

Bank closures and changing customer expectations will undoubtedly result in a shake-up of the payment industry and retail environments, but how can independent merchants be supported during the transition?

For starters, as facilitating card payments becomes the only convenient option, technology providers will need to ensure that devices, and the supporting software, is affordable, dependable and user-friendly. Two-thirds of consumers report experiencing failing card machines on at least one occasion. For small organisations, this could easily result in lost customers and business. And if card is the only option, it’s even more important that devices are functioning.

With any new installation, device maintenance must be considered to minimise faulty technology, negative shopper experiences and lost sales. For small businesses, the support of the payment industry in increasing uptime isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a necessity. ByBox’s Switch service aims to mitigate the knock-on effects of retail device downtime, on the consumer, merchants and the payments industry. The service, which uses a network of App and Bluetooth controlled lockers in strategic locations, ensures same-day fixes via pre-positioned parts.

Britain’s high streets are changing. Stores, whether large or small, are under increased pressure to modernise in-store offerings. Customer demand and closing banks are resulting in independent retailers needing to keep pace with large, big-name chains.

In order for any store to succeed in this competitive, connected environment, they must adopt new technology with confidence in the reliability of such devices. Working with a provider that offers same-day fixes and ensures device uptime can help stores adapt to an increasingly cashless society while offering an enhanced customer experience.

Resources Used

• https://brc.org.uk/news/2017/debit-cards-overtake-cash-to-become-number-one-payment-method-in-the-uk
• https://www.theukdomain.uk/smaller-businesses-offer-cashless-payments/
• https://squareup.com/gb/news/one-in-six-brits-is-now-a-card-only-shopper
• http://www.theukcardsassociation.org.uk/contactless_contactless_statistics/

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Claudine Mosseri outlines how in an age of increasing consumer power it is critical field service engineers are able meet SLAs and explains how technology in service logistics is making that happen...

News headlines would suggest that the high street is fast heading to a retail graveyard, with longstanding titans like Debenhams and House of Fraser the latest to face tough times.

Yet only after a period of turmoil, only one in 10 shops is vacant.

Factors such as the need to try before you buy, instant gratification and the convenience of returns are just a few of the factors that keep consumers returning to the high street.

The most successful stores are not only driving e-commerce, but also optimising the in-store experience by implementing new technologies and interactive features for customers.

We are starting to see the emergence of brand leaders such as Amazon Go, whose model is being mimicked by Tesco in its cashless store trial.

Whistl also discovered that over half of shoppers prefer unmanned tills to deal with cashiers, as it’s faster. As retailers become ever bolder in their use of tech, they rely more heavily on those integrated devices working flawlessly.

But as the old adage says, the best-laid plans often go awry. At some point, technology will fail, whether it’s a shopper-facing device or the datacentres serving them. When this happens, problems result for both consumer and retailer.

 

"ByBox recently surveyed 1,000 shoppers, two-thirds reported they had experienced problems and breakdowns in-store. For one-third of these dissatisfied consumers, this meant they were unable to complete their purchase at all..."

 

ByBox recently surveyed 1,000 shoppers, two thirds reported they had experienced problems and breakdowns in-store. For one third of these dissatisfied consumers, this meant they were unable to complete their purchase at all.

What was designed to be a positive customer experience can quickly turn into a negative with long term consequences when the technology fails.

Over a third (38%) of shoppers told us they felt angry or irritated because of these breakdowns.

Over a fifth complained to store staff about nonfunctional devices. And for a very angry one in 10, their opinions of the store were damaged in the long term.

With revenue and reputation at risk, it is vital that retailers implement strategies to limit risk and ensure rapid response times when the inevitable does happen and their tech lets them down.

It starts with making sure service providers are equipped to manage speedy same-day fixes.

Ensuring this needs to be the norm when it comes to setting service-level agreements.

There are new technologies that can support this requirement. For example, creating micro-FSLs (forward stock locations) by combining sophisticated software and smart locker technology, means repair items can be prepositioned using overnight or through the day deliveries. Shortening the mean time to repair (MTTR) can also limit the risk to retailers.

The world of retail is moving at a swift technological pace – but this isn’t the only sector where the support services for connected devices must move with the times.

If networks and other background tech systems fail the entire customer experience is interrupted, and it’s often the front-end business which bears the brunt of customer dissatisfaction and lost revenue.

Modern retail is all about convenience and ease for the consumer, delivering the fastest way to shop in the most seamless and engaging way.

As we see one ‘rush’ to improve the shopping experience by implementing new technologies, retailers should prepare for another – maintaining these innovations.

This will keep the high street alive and kicking.

 

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Claudine Mosseri, is General Manager, ByBox 

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International retailer Tesco, which has more than 6,900 stores globally and employs nearly half a million people, is deploying Journey Management and Trailer Tracking from transport management solutions provider Microlise on 940 trailers in Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Journey Management is a telematics product that provides the insight and visibility to debrief drivers by exception against route and schedule adherence to reduce mileage run.

It will also help the Tesco team to monitor the status of trips against schedule in real-time, as they unfold, and enable improvements through "planned vs actual" route comparison. Ultimately it will help Tesco to minimise mileage, increase efficiency and reduce environmental impact and costs.

The Microlise Trailer Tracking module allows trailers to be monitored without the need for them to be connected to a tractor unit and ensures that the location and identity of each trailer unit is accounted for at all times.

With location and activity reports, as well as unauthorised movement notification, Microlise Trailer Tracking will help the team with their proactive management of the trailer fleet. Round the clock visibility will enable the transport team to take action to keep assets safe and utilisation high.

The news marks an expansion of Tesco’s Microlise deployment following its initial adoption of the technology in 2015 in the UK and Ireland when it went live across 19 depots.

 

“Being able to track journeys and identify how the routes we have scheduled are unfolding, compared with how we planned them, is fundamental to our adoption of Microlise in central Europe,” said John Steventon, Primary Operations Manager Europe, Tesco. “The technology will enable us to understand how to improve our logistics efficiency and ultimately provide the best service for our customers, whilst keeping our assets safe.”

The new project in Central Europe is part of a reorganisation programme within Tesco to centralise the way journeys are planned. Microlise Journey Management and Trailer Tracking fully integrates with the Ortec planning optimisation software in place.

“Working with a true industry-leader on this project reaffirms that we have a world-beating product. It’s great to see our transport and logistics solution being used effectively and providing value on a large-scale to optimise the Tesco fleet operation,” said Nadeem Raza, Chief Executive Officer, Microlise.

Alongside the Journey Management and Trailer Tracking deployment, Tesco’s sub-contractors in Central Europe will also be using the pay-as-you-go Microlise SmartPOD Proof of Delivery solution, downloadable free from the Google Play Store.

 

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Software company Kirona and its client Carpetright have been selected as finalists in  Retail Week's Customer Experience Initiative of the Year award.  

Kirona is committed to providing retailers with the technology to enable optimised customer service through software applications that span the complete field-service lifecycle from planning & scheduling through to mobilising the field worker and monitoring the service performance in real-time.

The company's software has enabled Carpetright to optimise their Home Consultant service for their employees and to provide a better service to their customers.

Steve Johnson, Head of Central Operations at Carpetright commented, “Being selected as a finalist for the Retail Week Customer Experience Initiative of the Year award is a testament to the hard work of both the Carpetright and Kirona teams to get this project implemented, meeting both deadlines and with minimal disruption to our workforce. Just as importantly it also highlights that by picking the right partner both technology and retail can merge to create systems and functionality which supports the in store sales process and most of all benefit our customer.”

Neil Harvey, CTO, Kirona said “We are delighted Carpetright and Kirona have been selected as finalists for the Retail Week award and being selected acknowledges Carpetright’s innovative approach to delivering improved customer service whilst also increasing profitability.”

The Retail Week Awards, are celebrating their 21st Anniversary have experience the highest number of entries on record, making it an even greater achievement to be shortlisted this year. The winners will be determined by an independent judging panel and announced at the Retail Week Awards Dinner on 17th March 2016 at the prestigious Grosvenor House Hotel, London.

 

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