A convergence of physical and digital commerce

Status Quo

Ever-increasing customer expectations, retail transparency, and the fact that people can now shop anywhere as well as anytime have led to a focus on the customer experience for most retailers. "Only buying brick-and-mortar" or "only buying online" no longer exists. Shopping is now the convergence of the digital experience with the physical environment and requires a new customer engagement model to support this.

Brick-and-mortar retail is still an important part of the customer journey. A study by Windstream Enterprise shows that 79% of consumers frequently buy from a brick-and-mortar store. With the increasing focus on customer engagement and the convergence of physical and digital environments, the point of sale and a platform solution plays a critical role in shaping the customer shopping experience. The right technology foundation is essential to support and evolve the best in-store customer experience.

A Platform Solution

Instead of stationary checkouts, a platform solution is a link between customer information, the purchase history and the analysis of purchasing behavior. Various retailers use outdated hardware and software that no longer meets today's requirements. This causes frustration among employees and customers because transactions are slow, information is inaccessible, and theft and fraud can increase (source). A platform solution solves and prevents such problems.

The advantages of a digital platform solution are manifold. In a dynamic environment such as stationary retail, scalability plays a major role. A platform can be scaled to the retailer's needs within a very short time. In addition, platform solutions offer increased organizational flexibility. Thanks to a cloud-based architecture, software elements can be used independently of end devices. In addition, the provider's service reduces the retailer's own IT administration effort.

Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash