Boosting sales, streamlining pre-sales processes, getting accurate inventories, protecting their brand… retailers can get many benefits from using RFID technology.
We don’t often mention, however, what’s in it for customers. Such and such is using RFID, so what? Does it help us as customers? Does it improve our overall experience?
The answer to both these questions is an emphatic YES!
1. Stock visibility
Imagine you are in a shop. You ask the sales assistant for a specific size or colour but unfortunately, it seems there isn’t any in stock (or that can be found anyway…) What do you do? You leave the store empty handed – probably not in the best of moods – with a feeling you have had a poor customer experience.
Now, even worse, imagine that before going to the shop in question you went on their website, and got the confirmation that they have your sought-after item in stock. You go to the shop only to find out that there must have been an error, because there isn’t any in stock. So not only do you leave without your item, but you are also very angry that you made the trip for nothing. As is the norm these days you will more than likely share your bad experience with your friends on social media.
With RFID, the story is completely different! The sales assistant can check the stock quickly and easily. They can also locate the items within the shop. If there’s only one left and it’s not in stock, then maybe it’s been left in the changing room, on the wrong railing or perhaps it’s still being modelled by a mannequin.
If there is definitely none in the shop, the sales assistant can order it online for you while you’re there or direct you to a different branch.
Now that’s a much improved customer experience for you and the shop has not only made a sales but most probably retained you as a customer and saved their reputation.
2 . Smart fitting rooms
Although new to most of us, smart fitting rooms have been available for a few years now, with for example, Ralph Lauren launching theirs back in 2015 in their New York city flagship store. What’s all the fuss about?
Fitting rooms equipped with RFID technology via a smart mirror and/or virtual assistant can dramatically improve customers’ shopping experience.
How often do we try on a piece of clothing that we love, but have no idea what we are going to wear it with? Thanks to the smart technology in fitting rooms, you can get information on matching items, accessories, colour and sizes availability, watch a video, call an assistant and even share on social media or leave feedback.
Very rarely can a shop assistant dedicate you that much time… like a VIP experience for none-VIPs…
3 . Easy check-out
You have found the item you loved thanks to the shop’s RFID inventory system. Your virtual assistant has even found matching accessories for you and you’re entitled to a discount with your loyalty card…
Your customer experience has been faultless until now so it would be a shame to fall at the last hurdle and end-up in long check-out queue!
Thanks to RFID, items are labelled correctly so mistakes are less likely and the sales assistant can also scan multiple items at once, dramatically reducing the waiting time at check-out.
And guess what, in the near future, you will be able to skip the check-out altogether. The concept is already being trialled by Amazon.
Contact us to discuss how RFID can help your brand.