Retails shift towards self-service

The retail industry has seen a surge of self-service solutions coming in recent years, with the most notable one being the self-checkout that speeds up the checkout process for customers. This solution has also reduced the queues at grocery stores while also reducing the number of employees needed to manage the checkout process. 

Other new innovations in retail are personal shopping solutions, such as the handheld scanner solution developed by Zebra Technologies, which allows shoppers to scan items into their baskets as they move along the store. But the self-service movement is only getting started, as other types of solutions are getting introduced into the retail space. In this blog, we are going through solutions that increase growth and improve customer retention in retail stores. 

Endless Aisle

Have you ever felt lost in a clothing store, trying to find something specific and all the employees are unavailable at that moment? Endless Aisle is here to fix that issue. This concept allows customers to access a broader range of products in-store, even if the products are not physically present. 

This is achieved through the use of technology such as self-service kiosks, tablets, or in-store mobile apps that customers can use to browse and purchase products. Endless Aisle allows retailers to offer customers a more comprehensive range of products without having to stock them all in the store. This can help reduce inventory costs and increase the variety of products available to customers.

Endless aisle works by connecting in-store customers to the retailer’s e-commerce website or inventory management system linked to a self-service kiosk. Customers can place orders for products that are not in stock and have them delivered to the store for pickup or delivered directly to their homes.

The endless aisle can have a number of benefits for retailers, including increased sales, higher customer satisfaction, and increased footfall, and also encourage customers to visit the store more frequently. However, it also requires retailers to have good integration between their e-commerce and in-store systems and to provide a good and easy-to-use customer experience while browsing the products.

Product Configurator

A product configurator is a tool that allows customers to customize and personalize products before purchasing. This is done with the self-service kiosk and customers can use the configurator to choose different options such as size, color, and design. Customers can for example configure their mountain bike to their liking or customers can customize their game shirts with their initials, name, and number before it goes to the printers. The configurator can also be used to provide customers with detailed information about the product, including pricing, availability, and features. This can help customers make more informed purchasing decisions and increase satisfaction with their purchases.

The product configurator comes with many benefits for retailers. The solution increases cross- and up-sales reduce the queues, improves the customer experience, and helps stores combat staff shortages, as the solution reduces the need for human assistance. 

If you’d like to get your own Endless Aisle or Product Configurator solution to your retail store, contact Seldio and we will create a customized solution that fits your brand and brings you all the benefits of self-service.