Retail Pro International is pleased to announce the support for Apple’s iOS 9 with the Retail Pro Prism app. Along with the support for iOS 9, several improvements have been made to Retail Pro Prism’s iOS app. Details on these are noted below:

• The Retail Pro Prism workstation name is now based on the iOS device name for easy identification within the administration console.
• Retail Pro Prism help files will now appear in a separate Safari window giving the user easy access to help while still maintaining access to Retail Pro Prism.
• This new Retail Pro Prism iOS update is only available to iOS devices running iOS 9. If you have not upgraded your iOS device to iOS 9, you will need to do so prior to downloading this update.

With Retail Pro Prism on an Apple device like an iPod Touch or iPad, you can reinforce your brand essence and engage your customers right on the sales floor with a highly interactive tool. It’s a resource for your sales associates, with inventory and customer details available right at their finger tips, for quick, effective clienteling.

This entry was posted by Ulyana Avetisov on Tuesday, October 6th, 2015 at 11:34 am .

It looks like Burberry’s has been on-trend in more than just high-end fashion; the iconic brand was among the relative few that opted to keep online operations close to its vest, and, as a result, e-commerce accounts for roughly 10% of the retailer’s revenue. Now, competitors are taking notice.

Luxury brands LV MH and Hugo boss are looking to replicate Burberry’s success. According to Bloomberg Business:

In September, LVMH Chairman Bernard Arnault hired a senior executive from Apple Inc. to spearhead his company’s digital push, and earlier this year acquired a minority stake in Lyst, an aggregator of luxury e-commerce sites. Hugo Boss, meanwhile, is investing in technology to let clients order online and pick up their suits, ties and shoes from its outlets.

It’s a huge opportunity, populated with shoppers who are well appointed with smartphone, tablets and other mobile devices. Particular growth is expected, unsurprisingly, in the United States and China. And sales are increasingly being influenced by what customers are hearing and seeing online.

“Luxury shoppers are very digital, they are much more mobile digital than the rest of the population,” Nathalie Remy, partner at McKinsey & Company, Paris, told Luxury Dailey.

Highlighting that point, McKinsey said earlier this year that by 2018, global digital sales for women’s luxury fashion are expected to grow from a current 3 percent of the total market to 17 percent, for a total market size of $12 billion. With that amount of money in play, it makes sense for retailers to sell directly to customers rather than use the tradition route of selling through third-party sites. That’s partly why Fendi, a LVMH nameplate, built its own e-commerce site this year.

Still, many high end brands will still sell through third-party websites, just as they sell through department stores. It is easier to reach the (more wealthy) masses that way. Many will continue to offer their wares on multi brand sites, to satisfy shoppers who aren’t near urban boutiques. But the trend toward “build your own” is picking up speed and gaining traction.

That’s because there is a risk of over exposure for luxury brands when they are readily

High-end luxury items are seeing strong sales.

available via multi-brand e-tailers. Brand cachet is extremely important to the identity of the luxury item and part of that is fed by a reputation for exclusivity. Understand what high-end customers want in their digital experiences, and recognizing how that’s different from mainstream consumers, it paramount. And they are different. According to McKinsey:

In contrast to other categories of online shopping, the price of online luxury apparel and accessories is not a big reason for consumers to go digital. Only 39 percent of luxury shoppers say they find less expensive products online and about half say they find better deals and sales online than in stores – both figures that deviate significantly from behavior in other categories like consumer electronics.

What these VIP customers are primarily looking for in their online experiences are excellent return policies and free shipping. And, McKinsey found, 60 percent of U.S. luxury consumers reported they would be more likely to buy at an online shop if it offered luxury brands that no one else sold online.

Which points back to the importance of the aforementioned in-house site: owned, operated and populated by the luxury brand solely. That is something that competitors know Burberry has in the bag.

This entry was posted by Jennifer Bosavage on Tuesday, October 6th, 2015 at 11:12 am .

On September 14 – 15, retail’s finest in the Middle East came together to see the industry’s top technologies at the 5th annual InRetail Summit in Dubai. Summit organizers report that over 250 decision makers from industries like luxury, apparel, beauty, and electronics, 34 speakers, and 9 leading industry sponsors gathered to discuss retail best practices and case studies, discover and test new products, and network.

Among them, Retail Pro International’s Bevin Manian and one of our expert Business Partners, Inditech, demonstrated the advanced technology of the Retail Pro® platform. In the context of customer-centric retailing in the omnichannel world, the Retail Pro retail management software stood out as the mission-critical tool for delivering a unified experience across channels. It converges all of a retailer’s organizational and transactional data, as well as data from every integrated tool, in one platform, which enables retailers to make smarter, data-driven operational and customer engagement decisions across channels. With Retail Pro, retailers are fully equipped to take on every challenge that comes their way as retail practices and expectations evolve.

This retail evolution was the focus of the InRetail Summit. Sessions topics included 7 challenges every retailer faces in the every-changing marketplace:

1. Expanding opportunities  – understanding future trends and how to make the most of new opportunities
2. Digital transformation – integrating new IoT technologies to improve business strategy and operations
3. Connecting with customers – how to make lasting connections with shoppers
4. Marketing strategies – personalizing experiences and using social media to attract customers
5. Big Data – turning data into actionable insights and personalized promotions
6. Smart operations – using innovative technologies for improved merchandising and inventory management
7. E-Commerce – identifying and capitalizing on new online opportunities

For a full review of the event, speaker biographies, and sponsor details, visit www.inretailsummit.com.

This entry was posted by Ulyana Avetisov on Tuesday, October 6th, 2015 at 11:04 am .

Digital technology clearly has, and continues to, transform retail. Digital devices are changing how customers find, evaluate, buy, receive, use and return products. But, while an increasing number of customer interactions take place entirely online — during the past 20 years, e-commerce sales have grown to roughly 6% of total retail sales (excluding gasoline and food services) — the retail store is still very relevant to omnichannel strategies.

According to a recent A.T. Kearney survey, 90% of shoppers still prefer to purchase

Online retailers and brick-and-mortar shops alike depend on technology to run an efficient business.

in a brick-and-mortar store. That has provided retailers with incentive to invest in technologies — such as iBeacons — that will help to enhance customer service and streamline in-store processes.  Making sure those technologies enhance existing business, and not detract from it due to performance issues, is critical.

“The adoption of omnichannel strategy in retail stores necessitates the implementation of new technologies such as the Internet of Things and Cloud, which has created a tipping point for the demands on retailer networks and, in particular, their connectivity,” Sacha Kakad, Managing Director of Westbase Technology recently said. “This demand means that a flexible connectivity solution is now paramount to networking success – as the reliance on connectivity increases, the cost of downtime escalates also.”

So the popularity of technology such as iBeacons, sensors, cameras and in-store GPS has resulted in a demand for back-end, supporting networking technology that is reliable. PoS downtime is estimated to cost retailers an average of $4,700 per minute. Figures from Avaya maintain that downtime can cost businesses between $140,000 to $540,000 per hour. Yet, many retailers still do not have an easy-to-use failover solution for their stores, so downtime — which can be caused by something as serious as natural disasters or as mundane as human error — continues to plague retailers.

Secondary fixed line options such as MPLS, while offering some benefits, cannot always meet the requirements of today’s shifting retail networks. LTE mobile networking solutions seem to offer a more flexible, scalable and rapid deployment option for failover. 4G failover can now support the connectivity demands of even the most advanced applications, allowing the store to remain online when the primary connection fails.

Connectivity is just one IT area that is paramount to success of both online and traditional retailers. But it is one that the success of many others — storage, security, among others — hinge upon. Omnichannel retailers, those that seamlessly integrate the best of both digital and physical worlds at each step of the customer experience, are likely to enjoy significant advantages over retailers that try to pursue either one alone or both independently. But retailers must also be prepared on both fronts to keep their doors open regardless of thats via an app, or on foot.

This entry was posted by Jennifer Bosavage on Tuesday, October 6th, 2015 at 5:30 am .

It’s 80 days until Christmas — and those holiday displays are starting to edge out Halloween merchandise on the shelves.

Wait, Halloween hasn’t even happened yet, right?

Be that as it may — yes, we are still more than three weeks away from Halloween —

Many customers will wait until the last minute to complete their holiday shopping.

the smart money is on the 2015 Christmas shopping season being brighter than last year’s. According to the 2015 Holiday Purchase Intentions Survey from The NPD Group, consumers have a more positive outlook, and are looking to open up their wallets to family, friends and the needy. The mean spend for holiday shopping this year, according to NPD, is $619 — a 5 percent increase compared with what consumers said in 2014.

“Consumers are ready to spend for the holidays, more so than in recent years,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst, The NPD Group, in a statement. “However, manufacturers and retailers need to pay close attention to what is driving the consumer mindset, and deliver product that anticipates inevitable shifts in their thinking over the course of the season. Positive consumer perceptions combined with holiday promotions, could drive early impulse purchases, but the market has to deliver enticing product that consumers want and need in order to build on that momentum and keep them spending.”

Cohen makes a salient point: Retailers must be careful to offer promotions at the start of the season while not cannibalizing sales that might have come later. Many people browse early in the season and then wait until the last hours before the holiday to complete their shopping. Marketers face pulling off a tough balancing act of luring customers into the store in early November with bargains, and maintaining that enthusiasm profitably through the end of the year. Coupled that with the popular notion that there will be even better buys closer to Dec. 25 and the marketing department is in a quagmire: Damned if you discount too early, but double damned if they don’t and miss out on the increase in shopper traffic.

And don’t kid yourself, multi-channel competition is up. Brick and mortars are not only facing challenges from other traditional storefronts, but also from e-commerce retailers. And vice versa. That was true in the past but the pace is quickening. Don’t have a mobile app? You’re missing a sizable shopper segment. Have an app that offers little value and that’s possibly worse than not having one at all.

The mobile connection is important more than ever because a majority of consumers — almost two-thirds — said they will do pre-purchase research. Online research and consumer reviews are critical links for customers looking to stretch that $619 as far as possible. Don’t neglect cultivating honest reviews and including them on your site and make it easy to review a product or purchase through a mobile app. Consumers want quick, easy-to-access information, as well as real-life feedback on products from honest-to-goodness users rather than the stores selling them.

In the end, all the preparation will result in a solid brand presence log after the holidays. As Cohen noted:

“Just as the consumer mindset is one component to holiday success, the holiday season is one leg of the larger retail marathon – it’s not the finish line…Consumers are more complex, and marketers have more opportunities to reach them than ever before. Truly connecting with consumers requires interaction and omnipresence, emphasizing a complete experience that extends beyond channels, beyond traditional methods, and beyond the holiday season.”

This entry was posted by Jennifer Bosavage on Monday, October 5th, 2015 at 12:00 pm .

One of the nightmares any retail store manager endures is keeping tabs on inventory.

Knowing instantly whether a particular item is in stock can mean the difference between a happy customer who at the very least will have the item shipped to her doorstep in a few days, and a shopper who will find it at a competitor — and may never visit again.

Many manufacturers are using Internet of Things technology to keep tabs on products in the supply chain, and IoT technology can work similarly inside retail stores to streamline the inventory process.

With RFID, products, or pallets of products, are tagged at the warehouse.

Upon distribution to the retailer, and the stock is “checked in,”  and in-store inventory issues can be tackled via a combination of IoT connectivity, including sensors, beacons and in-store GPS.

Sensors

Hardware and software can make the store shelf “smarter.”

A solution made up of  store shelf sensors, smart displays, digital price tags and high resolution cameras allows retailers to know what is on store shelves as well as in stock rooms.

Those sets of data are linked, providing visibility from the product’s arrival to ultimate sale.

Further, should a customer buy the last of a particular item, a notification can be transmitted to the stockroom.

The items are either restocked on the showroom, or the supplier is notified the next shipment is needed.

That is particularly helpful for retailers with a history of being out of stock, perhaps due to carrying on-trend items that can suddenly move rapidly or to seasonal sales swings.

The greater visibility IoT provides can greatly assist in managing the inventory process, which can lead to greater inventory turns and more sales.

Beacons

Beacon technology is another B2C application that can help drive shoppers to those “smart” shelves.

One advantage online stores have is the tremendous amount of customer information they can mine and analyze to provide more tailored and streamlined shopping experiences.

Brick and mortars, through the use of beacons and other devices, are starting to leverage such data as well.

Beacons can, for example, offer more targeted content onto smart displays within the stores (even at the shelf) or onto customers’ mobile devices.

Coupons and exclusive events can be pushed to the consumers, and via such targeted content, retailers hope to increase retail sales.

Inside a smartphone app, shoppers can define personal shopping preferences—for example, food preferences and allergies.

Next time they enter a store, their phones will connect via Bluetooth to smart displays located underneath products on store shelves.

In addition, cameras that upload digital content to a data center or to the “cloud” for later viewing, combined with beacons, offer a potent weapon to prevent internal theft (“shrinkage”) as well as shoplifting.

But that one-two combo of cameras and beacons can also help retailers plan the flow of their stores in order to accommodate their guests and help move goods that otherwise could linger, resulting in lost revenue.

In-store GPS

This type of functionality typically is part of a smartphone app for a large retailer or a mall.

Using a combination of Wi-Fi and GPS, the retailer knows shoppers’ locations, and can offer deals and promotions based on that data.

By offering real-time product suggestions through a shopper’s personal mobile device, the technology lets brick and mortar retailers compete effectively against online merchants.

The Macy’s flagship store in New York City has in-store GPS, as does American Eagle Outfitter.

In-store GPS is able to target consumers and glean insights about how they choose to shop, providing answers to a tricky puzzle for retailers.

Other technologies can also be used to establish direct communication with customers, such as QR codes and gamification.

For example, a customer walks into a high-end boutique and sees a QR code that’s offering a 10% discount for participating in a game about fashion.

She answers the questions and then receives a discount on her next purchase, or an invite to an exclusive event.

Not only is it a way to incentivize sales, but it also fosters customer loyalty.

IoT technology may sometimes seem like the fodder for science fiction novels.

In reality, machine to machine learning is here and can provide valuable assistance to retailers in maintaining efficient business processes.

In addition, the data gathered can help retailers provide more customized experiences for shoppers, encouraging them to return.

And creating a happy, loyal customer base is a dream come true for retail store managers.

This entry was posted by Jennifer Bosavage on Monday, October 5th, 2015 at 8:00 am .

The typical retailer’s app is not all that compelling; lacking features and a discernable value proposition, such apps are typically downloaded and then deleted from a potential customer’s smartphone in relative nanoseconds.

At brick and mortar stores, the amount of time customer spends in the shop is called

There are a number of apps smartphone owners can download, but few meet shoppers’ needs.

dwell time. For e-commerce operations, dwell time becoming a term that refers to the amount of time customer lingers within his or her phones application. Much to the chagrin of many retailers, many apps are deleted after being used only once — if at all. At that point, the retailer just has to face the fact that the customer is, “just not that into you.”

But, like forlorn teenaged friends from high school, the retailer wants to know, “But why? What have I done?” And, in fact, this time it is something you’ve done. Here’s what to know about such a picky par amour.

Remember, customers are extremely fussy about which retailer apps will be granted real estate space on their smartphones. A recent Forester survey shows that 60% of consumers who use a smartphone to shop online have fewer than two retailer-specific apps on their phone, and 21% don’t have any at all. The survey noted that, “apps that do not meet expectations are quickly removed or replaced.”

So, once you’ve gotten the picky “sweetheart” to download the app, it’s going to take work to make the relationship work. Apps need to offer a value proposition, much like text-based marketing does. Users are not going to be regular customers based on having an app only. Successful apps offer great content, are relevant and motivate the user to interact.

One way to achieve that is to send a rich pop up after the user has been on a page for a specific period of time directing them to an exclusive, personalized offer. Another is to send a thank you message to the rich inbox after registration, including an offer for an upcoming purchase.

As the holiday shopping season fast approaches, retailers should shore up their mobile app offerings. Apps that neglect the mobile economy are doomed to fail. Retail brands born in the Web era may need to rearchitect their digital strategy and launch an app that is optimized for the mobile experience.

And that app needs to not only speak to the needs of the customer, but also work reliably. If a shopper wants to check the inventory of a local store via the app and then discovers the product is sold out upon arrival, not only will their irritation be know throughout the social networking universe, but also through the app itself. Providing the ability to review a store or product through the app is necessary, but is a double-edged sword. In addition, the app store itself has become  a channel through which users share all types of brand experiences.

The best retail apps showcase dynamic experiences such as one tap to see the best deals, seamless switching across devices. In addition, content and alerts are pushed at the perfect moment. Such retail experiences are customer-centric, and come from customer-obsessed teams who understand what mobile users value.

Case in point: Taco Bell introduced iPhone ordering almost one year ago. Today, app-using customers are rewarded with the ability to skip lines, and Taco Bell has increased in-store revenue and received stronger app store star ratings.

Brands such as Taco Bell have used mobile apps to become technology forward. Some have boosted dwell time, others stressing time-saving conveniences — which may not increase dwell time, but may appeal to a larger number of customers. For those intent on delighting their customers, sales increase, user sentiment improves, more users are gained and greater loyalty is won.

And in the end, after a little introspection, you might find the customer is into you after all.

This entry was posted by Jennifer Bosavage on Monday, October 5th, 2015 at 6:15 am .

You may be familiar with the Price Manager tool in Retail Pro. The Price Manager allows you to change prices for every item in your inventory quickly and easily. Increase all of your prices by 5% or mark down your inventory for the big weekend sale – all it takes is a couple of keystrokes to adjust your entire inventory.

Did you know you can also create multiple price levels for your inventory? Use can set unlimited price levels to create:

• A pricing structure for different parts of your business
• Various prices for stores in different geographic locations or for different customers
• VIP or employee pricing structures
• A wholesale price level to sell direct to other businesses.

With so many price levels, you may be worried that updating your prices will create a monumental amount of new work for you. As easy as it is to change prices for one price level, won’t it take time to change prices for all of your price levels?Not when you are using default discount percentages. This tools in Retail Pro lets you update all your price levels instantly.

How to do it in 3 easy steps

1. Set up default discount percentages in the pricing area of your Retail Pro settings (System Preference → Local Preferences → Merchandise → Pricing → General).

2. Set the Default Discount % amount to the discount below your active (base) level. There’s just one rule that you must follow when using default discount percentages: Each of your discount price levels must be less than your base level.

3. Check the Use Default Discount box for all price levels you want to automatically change.

The next time you use the Price Manager to change your base prices, all the price levels using default discount percentage will be changed automatically.

Let’s practice

Let’s say you offer your VIP customers a 20% discount on anything you sell. How would you do that in Retail Pro?

Set up a new price level for VIP customers and set the prices to 20% less than your basic inventory cost. Then set your default discount percentage to 20%.

When you use the Price Manager tool to update your basic inventory cost, your VIP prices are automatically adjusted without having to do anything else.

This entry was posted by Ulyana Avetisov on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015 at 2:53 pm .

There’s a saying in retail that the “customer is always right”. While this motto is often relevant for retailers and other business owners alike, letting customers call all the shouts won’t make a retailer successful. And while every merchant is different and every store has it’s own demands and goals, the following habits are repeatedly observed among many successful retailers.

Habit One: Prioritizing is Key. 

Retailers are busy folks, with those not in the industry often misjudging just how much is on their to-do-lists. From ordering inventory to researching market trends to merchandising displays to training staff and planning in-store events to scheduling online marketing and more, running a retail business means constantly having something to do. With this in mind, successful retailers recognize the value in scheduling what is necessary to do and eliminating what is not. This also means recognizing that while some responsibilities are more enjoyable than others, allresponsibilities must be prioritized to effectively run a successful retail business. Scheduling time limits and deadlines – even as your own boss – can help make retailers stay focused and on schedule, eliminating extra time spent where it shouldn’t be.

Habit Two: Letting Go Is a Must. 

With a lot on a retailer’s to-do-list, who has time to dwell on the past? Sure, it’s easy to fall into this habit when mistakes are made or opportunities are missed. But more importantly, it’s better to learn from these scenarios. Retailers are bound to make poor inventory investments or have a slow month; however successful retailers analyze these situations as opportunities to learn from versus beat themselves up over. It’s important for retailers to move forward since after all, their customers already have. One of the best ways to do this is lean on data, which successful merchants implement into their store operations through a variety ways. This often includes incorporating a point of sale (POS) system, using social media monitoring software and tracking customer loyalty. The more retailers know through hard data, the better they are in supporting their customers.

Habit Three: Training Staff is Vital.

Stores spend a lot of money to open their doors and keep them open, which is why it always surprises  me when a sales associate has no idea how to support the customers in their store. The people of any business are the faces of that brand… whether they want to accept that role or not. As employers, it’s key to understand this reality and train associates to best represent their stores. Retailers who successfully run their businesses recognize the value in their associates and not only train them, but train them often. New hire trainings are very important, but don’t stop there. Opportunities to train staff can range from store operational procedures to customer service updates to product training to seasonal staff meetings and more. The key is to invest time and dollars into your employees to reap the rewards of strong associates and as a result, strong sales.

Habit Four: Knowing the Competition is a Priority. 

Whether it’s your big box competitors or your local Main Street stores, successful merchants know who their competition is. And while it would be easy to simply read about their competition, savvy retailers take the time to actually visit the stores that compete with their business. Analyzing their product assortment, customer service experiences, in-store displays, online shopping opportunities, special events, dress code, store packaging, visual displays and overall consumer impressions are just a few of the things smart retailers look for when it comes to checking out their competition. Often, this type of routine analysis allows retailers to recognize new industry trends, missed opportunities, new strategies to compete for sales and other ways to stay afloat in the competitive retail marketplace. Note – what they don’t do is ignore their competition. Consistently analyzing the constantly changing retail environment is key.

Habit Five: Shifting Store Inventory is “Okay”. 

Often, retailers open a store because they love a particular product category and as a result, they enjoy buying inventory to sell in their stores. Unfortunately, this isn’t always a recipe for retail success. Merchants who have become successful and more importantly, stayed successful, are willing to shift their inventory plans to accommodate their customers versus themselves. This may mean eliminating a product line or an entire category of inventory, as well as introducing a new product category that even the retailer is surprised by. When merchants listen to their customers, react to consumer trends, work with their vendors and respond to what their customers want, they are able to more effectively buy inventory for their stores. Using data will once again help monitor this, as well. And as a result, retailers are able to sell more.

Finally, successful retailers typically have one more thing in common… and that is the acceptance that they can’t run their stores alone. For some, this means hiring great people to effectively manage all the necessary operations of their stores. For others, this means investing in outside consultants, service providers or companies that can aid their retail stores in a variety of ways that the store owner alone cannot. For all, however, it means willingly investing in people and companies to help their stores achieve success. And on a final note, each of these habits wouldn’t exist without the willingness to accept change. Recognizing that retail is always evolving and that consumers are, as well, can help retailers stay competitive and relevant in today’s modern marketplace.

See the original post on Forbes

This entry was posted by Ulyana Avetisov on Tuesday, September 22nd, 2015 at 1:03 pm .

With advances in retail technology, omnichannel is now more than just talk, and retailers everywhere are building their strategy to capitalize on higher spending and lifetime values of consumers who shop across multiple channels. While the terms of omnichannel offerings will vary between companies, successful omnichannel strategies all include 5 fundamental pieces – the fail-proof omnichannel formula.

1. Platform retail management technology

Platform retail management technology like Retail Pro® is mission-critical to your omnichannel strategy. It acts as the hub for all your vendor applications and integrations and organizational data. Retail Pro removes barriers between channels and gives you a unified view of all aspects of your business. Make sure the software you have is:

• Designed specifically for your industry – specialization ensures a good fit and means your tech partners have expertise in your particular industry’s issues and requirements.
• Configurable and scalable – your IT team should have rights to tailor it to your store’s exact needs as they change over the years.
• Hardware-agnostic – Your operations fluctuate across seasons so you should have flexibility to use both fixed and mobile devices as needed.

Your retail management platform lays the foundation for the second piece in the omnichannel formula.

2. Data convergence

Data convergence means the data from every customer, every application, every integration, every channel, and every store, comes together in a single repository. It is visible holistically, as if it’s data from just one store rather than hundreds. Cross-platform retail software like Retail Pro does just that: it converges the data from all your channels and devices – mobile, fixed POS, apps, and e-commerce – because it is the single solution running your whole operation.

3. Omnichannel selling

Seeing the data as one whole helps you think of your business as a whole, so you can structure sales attribution in the same way. Omnichannel selling is critical: consumers shopping online only will spend 92% less than your average omnichannel shopper, and in-store-only shoppers spend 208% less!

Because omnichannel customers engage through multiple channels before finally purchasing, you’ll need a way to account for orders that, for example, originated in one of your physical stores but were finally placed online because the item wasn’t in stock. You can split commissions between online and physical channels to make sure each associate gets credit for their part in the sale.

 4. Flexible fulfillment

Once you’re able to see all the data as one singular picture, take action to enable smarter order fulfillment from every channel. With Retail Pro, all your inventory data in one place and talks to your fulfillment tools so you can:

• Create upstream supply chain partnerships for integrated vendor dropship
• Convert your stores into fulfillment centers and offer flexible options like Click and Collect
• Increase inventory turn by shipping from the nearest store location

 5. Personalized customer experience

Converging your data helps track shopper behavior at every touchpoint so you can better target those omnichannel shoppers. They have a 30% higher lifetime value than one-channel shoppers, according to a 2015 study quoted by Google, so use your data to personalize engagement with that shopper in every interaction – whether it’s tailored e-marketing campaigns or clienteling on the sales floor via customer details on your mobile POS.

With these five pieces in place, you’re well on your way to optimizing how you sell across channels.

This entry was posted by Ulyana Avetisov on Monday, September 21st, 2015 at 2:40 pm .