9 out of 10 Transactions still happen in store!
Despite what most people think, the traditional shopping or retail outlet still accounts for the vast majority of all sales, accounting for around 90% of all transactions. It would seem that physically going to the shop to buy something is a lot more favourable than browsing online at home for goods. With all the benefits including ease of use of online shopping why is this number still so high?
Internet shopping, especially if one uses the same website for most of their shopping (Amazon, eBay, Tesco etc..) it can get dull, boring or repetitive – however, many enjoy the change of scenery. It also provides people with the opportunity to interact with people, get a better customer service and all in all feel more engaged in their shopping experience.
That being said however the grips of modern technology are too hard to shake off, as such these physical stores often times are overflowing with the latest technology – an example of this is include self checkout, product viewing machines and personal RFID scanners. Though the major one would seem to be Wi-Fi, at the moment the number of stores with free Wi-Fi is well under half but is growing rapidly, restaurants, coffee shops and many other food and drink outlets have started the trend which is now spilling over into all aspects of retail and other businesses.
Even when so many traditional businesses see the internet as damaging to their business, properly adapting it can make all the difference. Allowing a customer to connect via free Wi-Fi allows the store to present the customer with custom apps or pages that cater to their shopping experience whilst there, boosting sales and drawing more customers in that wouldn’t otherwise be there.
Many of the big supermarkets have already adapted this, or turned the internet purchasing and in-store purchasing into one, merging accounts through their Loyalty schemes it allows users to get personalised shopping lists, based of trends and history as well as discounts or promotions on their frequently bought items.
This combination of technology and tradition provides an excellent opportunity for the shopper to improve their own experience using their technology, and at the same time allows the shops and businesses’ themselves to increase turn over. These changes are the key to a new, promising interactive shopping experience and is sure to bridge the gap between those who can’t get away from their technology and those who want to get away from it.
About Opus Retail Solutions
Opus Retail Solutions specialise in providing Retail, Wholesale, & Integrated e-Commerce Solutions through its Software suite Opus Retail Manager. The entire EPOS operation is managed from Opus’s Headquarters in Belfast, Northern Ireland, along with regional development and support offices in the UK. Opus has been developing software for over 30 years and was one of the first Windows based EPOS systems in 1997. Opus Retail Manager is hardware independent and we offer hardware depending on client requirements, policy or budget.
The key to Opus’s success lies with its ongoing investment in Research and Development and Training to keep our Software products and services and staff world class. Services range from specifying client requirements to providing custom modifications, system implementation, training with a special emphasis on after-sales support so our customers can get the most from their system. The Company invests c £100k pa in R&D to ensure it’s software remains world-class.
The entire Opus operation is managed from Opus’s Headquarters in Belfast, Northern Ireland, along with regional development and support offices in the UK and Russia. Opus has partners all over the world and currently ships the software in five languages. Please contact us if you would like to discuss a partnership.
Although our Retail Manager Software and services procedures have evolved over the years from DOS through Windows enabling us to stay ahead of the curve, our core objective is still to provide innovative, best in breed, easy to use and robust EPoS solutions, no matter what the industry, the size or the individual need.