4 Tech Upgrades Every Store Needs to Have

[This article was written by Meghan Belnap.]

Traditional bricks and mortar stores have had to adapt to modern times. This means that the experience the customer expects will inevitably involve some kind of technological upgrade. It also means that employees also expect to be able to leverage technology to make their job easier as well. The following are four tech upgrades that help to accommodate these kinds of goals for any store.

A New POS System

One of the ways to better streamline operations in a store is to introduce a new point of sale (POS) system. Not only do modern POS systems handle electronic payments and utilize near field communication (NFC) technology for smartphone interactions, but these POS systems also have elaborate software for inventory control and logistics management services as well. In many ways, these upgraded systems make it easier to operate a large store with fewer employees.

Full-Service Customer App

Another technological wonder of the modern age, making shopping more efficient, is customer apps. Not only can an app be programmed to help customers search items in stock at specific store locations, but a full-service customer app can also become a critical avenue for helping to establish communications with customers. Customers can fill out surveys, and they can also receive moment by moment incentives, such as coupons, while they are shopping in a retail outlet. This ongoing communication can both keep customers product engaged and help to build customer loyalty at the same time.

Electronic Shelf Labels

Another exciting tech upgrade that helps employees update product information, while helping customers get up to the minute pricing information, is made possible by electronic shelf labels (ELS). Easy to attach to shelves around your store, components like Digital Price Tag technology takes the guess work out of needing to search for stick on price tags on products being offered for sale. Additionally, pricing and UPC information can be acquired through an LED display on the ESL itself.

Employee Management System

If a business has one or more locations, it is still important to be able to easily manage all its employees. Doing this by hand can get very tedious, and storing paper files on employees is clumsy and dated too. Upgrading to an employee management system (EMS) helps with scheduling employees for their shifts, payroll processing and even keeping on top of employee performance evaluations. Plus, any time information is needed on a specific employee, it is always available to anyone who should have access to their file.

By adding tech upgrades to a store, this helps a business operate far more smoothly than attempting to do this without such an advanced level of automation. In most areas of operation, it becomes possible to work smarter, not harder. This not only saves loads of time, but it helps to streamline the business end of any bricks and mortar store.

Author Bio:

Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure. You can connect with her on Facebook right here and Twitter right here.