Pandemic has transformed the way retail businesses used to operate. Now, store automation, electronic shelf labels, and customer engagement has become a priority for retailers to grow their stores. That’s not all! There are several other ways the retail industry is developing and for the good of customers.
Are you curious to know how? If yes, you are at the right place. Although it is not feasible to predict the future perfectly, we’ve listed below a few trends retailers are expected to witness in 2022. So, let’s get started!
- Adoption Of IoT
IoT, or the internet of things, is a network of physical devices (things) embedded with software, sensors, and other technologies to facilitate connection and data exchange with other systems over the internet. It assists the stores in streamlining the overall work and providing efficient customer service. Not to mention, the adoption of IoT cloud platforms allows the stores to manage and market their service at the same time. It will surely provide a lead over the competitors.
- Automation In Pricing
The price of a product is generally based on numerous factors, especially market trends; thus, the price changes frequently. Such circumstances make it challenging for the employees to change the pricing of each product “on time” manually. Fortunately, the use of Electronic Shelf Labels is helping the employees to manage the store more efficiently. According to the experts at SES-imagotag.com, electronic shelf labels minimize the chances of pricing errors and assist with inventory management. Effective pricing automation further helps in improving sales and reducing personnel costs.
- Personal Shopping Services
Many retail stores have begun to offer “personal shopping services” to the customer. This service allows the store staff to shop on behalf of the customer. It could be done by sending the store a list of items that customers want to purchase or taking assistance from staff during the purchase. Local or small retailers are availing the most benefit from this trend as compared to the e-commerce retailers, as it is more convenient for them to provide a personalized service to the foot traffic. Retailers can also make use of the POS (point-of-sale) system to improve their customer service further.
- Social media and influencer marketing
Social media is one of the crucial platforms for business marketing and promotions. It helps the businesses to connect with the target customers and provide quality service. Using social media posts, marketing through influencers, creating reels, etc., facilitates customer engagement.
Several retailers are now connecting with bloggers or influencers to promote their business. Once an influencer recommends certain products or services, their followers are most likely to purchase them. It elevates the chances of high foot traffic in the store, thus higher sales or revenue. Not to forget, infusing entertainment with promotions helps with brand awareness and improves retention rate.
To Sum It All Up
These are some trends that are changing the dynamics of the retail industry. Customer convenience and safety are becoming the priority of retail stores; thus, driving the use of automation and IoT. It also enables them to get a lead over the competition and establish their authority in the market.
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