There is no doubt that the retail store is suffering a crisis. Even if store owners turn a blind eye, their sales and revenue would speak volumes about how glaring the impact this crisis has on their staying power. Big names such as Aeropostale, Nordstrom, Sears and Macy’s are all facing challenges brought about by online competition and the shift in the shopping habits of consumers; imagine how much greater the effect these factors have on smaller retailers.
Technology: The Crisis Cause
The consumers of today lead fast-paced and busy lives. Therefore, they do whatever they can to make things easier and use whatever tool they can find to help them do things more efficiently and quickly. One such tool is technology – an instrument which has made many things possible, like shopping online. While physically visiting a store to shop used to be a fun and de-stressing activity, it is now being overshadowed by the convenience and overall positive experience brought about by shopping on the go.
The consumers of this day and age are smarter and more informed. They do not buy just out of impulse anymore. Today, even when they enter the store, they are on their mobile gadgets: comparing prices, reading reviews and learning more about the product’s specifications. Nowadays, a considerable number of customers do not really head to brick and mortar stores to make a purchase; rather, they are there to check the product before buying it online, or to picking up an item they bought from the store’s online partner.
Digital Signage Solutions: An Answer to the Crisis
Fortunately for retailers, technology is a two-edged sword: it can address and help solve whatever problems it has created. Therefore, more informed store owners must keep themselves abreast with the trends and developments that can help them overcome the challenges they face, like digital signage solutions.
No matter how prevalent online shopping is, customers still get reassurance from brick and mortar stores, where they can see and touch the products for themselves. This capability helps customers make the final decision about buying the product or not, whether in-store or online. Retailers who understand this phenomenon take advantage of this knowledge to create the store of the future and take the experience of being physically in-store to a whole different level.
Creating the store of the future entails using digital signage solutions as a tool to achieve the following benefits:
1. Better brand building. Digital signage helps in building up brand by allowing you to flash and showcase content that is focused on your company and your brand.
2. Increased visibility. Used properly with creative and dynamic content and displayed in strategic locations, your digital signage can entice walk-in customers, allowing you to deliver your message about your products and services loud and clear.
3. Greater impact. With well-planned and well-executed content and visuals, your electronic signage can lure your shoppers into checking out the product personally and maybe buying on the spot.
4. Quicker and better communications with your target audience. Create customized messages that will attract your intended audience even in varied locations with just a single mouse click. The speed by which you deliver your message can also speed up feedback, which you can act on and respond to, in turn.
5. Reduced printing costs. The use of digital signage eliminates the need for printed posters. The fewer posters you have to print, the less cost you will incur in the long run.
Electronic signage is a very powerful tool. Planned and deployed properly, you will be able to enjoy its various benefits while improving and enhancing the shopping experience of your customers. Do not let your retail store fall behind other retailers and online shops. By using digital signage solutions by DeskAlerts, you not only increase your brand visibility; you will also improve your communications, increase traffic in your store, and raise your chances for success.
