Interactive
kiosks and point-of-sale (POS) systems are forever changing the way we as
consumers shop. I remember as a child, if I needed something, I would
physically have to go to the high street, pick what I wanted, take it myself to
the till, pay and then carry it home myself.
Then
in the early 2000’s internet shopping was introduced. A form of shopping which
allowed people to look through all of their favourite retail, food and
electronic shops from the comfort of their home. Although this style of
shopping saved people from joining the hustle and bustle of busy shopping malls
at peak times, the physical element was lost, and novelties such as trying out
goods, using changing rooms and getting to touch and feel a particular product
were lost.
This
is where retail systems come in. Bridging the gap between the old style of
shopping and doing it online. Retail systems are bringing online shopping into
physical stores in exciting and innovative ways. Shoppers are now almost all
familiar with some form of interactive service, for example self-service
checkouts in local supermarkets. With the implementation of new systems and
technologies, businesses are continuing to meet and exceed customer
expectations.
There
are a wide range of interactive retail solutions available including digital
catalogue systems, customer information points which include web access to the
retailer’s website as well as in store advertising. Interactive POS systems
allow shoppers to spend less time finding the right product, opening up the
opportunity to search for other similar items that aren’t at that moment
available in the store and to order other pieces from a range or select a
different size/colour etc.
However,
POS systems are not only advantageous for the customer, but also the shop
owner. They have been proven to open up new revenue streams and gain potential
cost savings. These systems can reduce the number of lost sales during peak
periods due to less queuing time. They can also automate up-selling, provide
in-store supplier advertising and gain customers contact details even when a
sale is not made. All these advances add up to an increase in revenue flow.
Over
the past few years I have been involved with some really interesting bespoke
kiosks, offering users an experience that 50 years ago people couldn’t have
even imagined. Some retail shops are
beginning to introduce interactive systems that not only enable users to search
ranges of clothes and order them in store they actually act as an interactive
mirror, allowing people to ‘virtually’ try on clothes using a gesture based
interface.
Another
example of this type of extreme innovation is in a children’s toy store.
Consumers can take a box from the shelf, hold it in front of a camera, and see
real-time 3d graphics showing what can be constructed from the pieces within.
High
quality kit is key when it comes to bespoke interactive systems. Multi-touch
technology and panels that can display full HD images and videos are important.
Zero bezel touch monitors are becoming more popular, often incorporating an
Infrared (IR) or Protected Capacitive (PCAP) touch screen overlay, due the
ability these technologies have to detect almost any input even from a gloved
hand. These systems also need to be able to withstand rugged environments in
terms of weather elements, from desert temperatures in Dubai, to outside a
train station on a winter day in Scotland, as well cope with dirt, dust and
even vandalism.
We at
Display Solutions are seeing an increasing demand for these types of
applications, and are lucky to have our own in house range of digital signage
solutions, DisplayTouch, to be able to follow this trend. Our most recent
project was to provide multiple panels with an IR multi-touch overlay for a
number of applications to be placed in a sports retail shop. This project was
really exciting for us, and we were pleased to receive such positive results,
which has already been followed with a larger order to extend the project
across Europe.
Being
ahead of the trend with new technologies is a must for digital signage experts
and system integrators. Companies are continuing to request more and more
innovative ideas, and we have the technology capable of fulfilling these needs.
Personally, I find this new idea of the future of retail really interesting,
and I’m excited to see the solutions and limits pushed even further over the
next few years.
Brendan O'Reilly, Commercial Manager, Display Solutions
For more information on the range of products we have available or to find out more about the projects we've worked on, call us on +44 (0) 1480 411600 or visit www.displaysolutions.co.uk
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