Today, technology is proliferating in nearly every industry — including the retail industry.
Many recently developed apps and devices have revolutionized both the way people shop, and the way businesses market their products — including smart shelves. Smart shelves are electronic, connected shelves designed to automatically keep track of inventory in a retail establishment. Smart shelves can be hugely beneficial both for the consumers’ shopping experience and the business owners’ selling experience.
Real-Time Engagement
With smart shelves, business owners can collect real-time data about what products have been taken from the shelves and what products remain. The shelves are able to update with information about products as soon as they are removed which helps business owners make more informed decisions about what products they should offer their customers and how they should supply their stores.
More Employee Free Time
Smart shelves can do things automatically that employees used to do manually, like keep track of inventory. In this way, smart shelves free up time for sales people and reps on the floor, so personnel can pay better attention to customers’ needs and other in-store tasks. This helps make field team management easier, because teams have more freedom and time to complete necessary tasks.
Customer Comfort
Smart shelves can enhance customer comfort by ensuring privacy and security. This is because smart shelves use sensors to transmit information, rather than cameras that capture pictures of people shopping. This guarantees that customers feel more comfortable, with their privacy protected, while they are shopping in-store.
In-Store Employee Benefits
In addition to freeing up more time for employees, smart shelves can optimize in-store operations. Sensors can alert employees about things like low inventory, allowing them to restock shelves right away.
Customer Benefits
One benefit of smart shelves, as already mentioned, is added customer comfort. Smart shelves benefit the overall in-store shopping experience for consumers. Smart shelves free up employees so that they are able to answer customers’ questions quickly and efficiently, even if that entails some outside research. They also give employees the freedom to help customers find items in the store, ultimately providing the highest-quality customer service possible. An increase in employee free time benefits both employees and customers.
Smart shelves improve the service that customers receive in multiple ways. Smart shelves can offer customers added personalized benefits like coupons, discounts, and more. They can also offer customers coupons, which encourages them to browse for certain objects and take advantage of real-time discounts.
Internet of Things
One of the most exciting developments in today’s high-tech age is the Internet of Things. The Internet of Things is the concept that nearly all objects can or will be connected to the Internet, which allows them to be both controlled remotely and offer helpful data. Installing smart shelves in a store can help store owners stay up-to-date with the Internet of Things and the latest technological movements. Smart shelves can be connected to the Internet and, in turn, offer helpful data about customer practices and relevant information about how to optimize the in-store experience.
The retail experience is better than ever these days, thanks to many exciting technological improvements. Smart shelves are definitely one of the most exciting: a high-tech device that improves both retail execution of employees and managers, and the shopping experience of customers in-store.
