Your Merchant IT Client Is Facing A Challenge. Be Ready With The Solution

By Christine Kern, contributing writer

Your merchant IT clients may find during busy times — like the holiday shopping season — inefficiencies or deficits in their infrastructure become more apparent. This could present an opportunity for you to start a conversation about how technology solutions can help them win business and customer loyalty and reach their business goals.

Cisco created a list based on its Win the Digital Consumer report of top technologies for merchants. These solutions can enhance the customer experience and increase revenue opportunities — not only for your merchant client but also for you:

• In-Store Navigation. Cisco research revealed 63 percent of consumers surveyed would use in-store guidance to find the products they were looking for, if it were available.
• Digital Signage. 78 percent of shoppers surveyed reported that they would use general offers via digital signage. Using real-time analytics, your merchant clients can promote excess inventory, and “top ten deals” rankings would be a help to 45 percent of consumers in Cisco’s survey.
• Loyalty Program. Opt-ins to loyalty programs provide merchants with valuable data and consumers with offers of products recommended for them based on their shopping history; 48 percent of shoppers responded they would use this service. Further, 54 percent of shoppers reported they would use targeted mobile offers.
• QR Code Scanning. Quick response codes can provide customers with detailed product information. According to Cisco, 60 percent of consumers would scan bar codes while shopping.
• Mobile Checkout. The survey reveals 49 percent of shoppers would use mobile payments, and this requires reliable Wi-Fi connectivity and enhanced security. The Cisco report states mobile solutions can also be used to deploy store associates to high traffic areas when needed to decrease customer wait time.
• Same Day Delivery. Analytics can help merchants offer same day delivery and alert their suppliers when an item is out of stock. Of shoppers surveyed, 53 percent replied they would use same day delivery.

For more information, click here to request a copy of Win the Digital Consumer.