The era of digitisation of physical shops

Digitising your physical shop can seem like a complicated process. In addition to thinking about the scope and scale of the digital transformation you want to undertake, there is often a lot of uncertainty about which tools and technologies to use at the different touch points with customers and suppliers.

But making your shop a smart physical space does not necessarily require significant technical know-how, nor an inordinate investment of time and money. Nor does digitisation have to be led exclusively by your team. Choosing the right partner is the crux of the matter: find the one with the right strategy, resources and expertise at an affordable price. Because the era of digitisation is now.

The cost-benefit of digitisation

You may still have doubts about the benefits of digitising for your business if traditional strategies have been working for decades, but there has never been so much competition in retail as there is today. Today's sales are omni-channel and you have the ability to maximise your profits like neverbefore. What's more, not relying on today's technology, and continuing to rely on traditional signage alone, can be one of the biggest risks to your business in the near future.

Let's do the exercise of listing some of the costs and benefits of digitising a physical shop. Of course these will vary, or be slightly different, depending on the specifics of each business.

Costs:

• Technology and infrastructure

Digitisation involves the implementation of technological advances that require equipment and software.

• Staff training

So that they can get the most out of the tools, and be aligned with the messages issued.

• Data security and privacy

Use resources to ensure anonymity and privacy of customer and user information.

• Integration issues

It is essential that new technology is properly integrated with your existing technology and vice versa.

Benefits:

• Increase your sales

Increase profits with new sales channels and streamlined processes.

• Improve the shopping experience

Use data to display the right content at the right time to the right customers.

• Delivers greater operational efficiency

Automate processes, save your team time.

• Enables data-driven decision making

Gather accurate visitor and business information.

• Gives a real competitive advantage

Customers won't hesitate to come back if they've had a different level of experience. Nor will they go to a competitor looking for a better option if they haven't.

How can a customer perceive the digitisation of your shop?

Digitisation of a physical shop involves the use of digital tools to increase visitor engagement, improve the shopping experience and make transactions more efficient.

The following are the main technologies that are already revolutionizing retail: the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, artificial intelligence, Big Data, recommendation software, chatbots, robotisation and geolocation, among others.

There are many uses that can be made of technology to optimise the shopping experience.

Shoppers prefer:

• Being able to place orders and make payments from anywhere in the shop. Reducing unnecessary queuing and waiting times.

• (by replacing traditional signage with digital displays) Seeing offers and information in a much more versatile and relevant way.

• Virtual reality and augmented reality that allow them to interact with products in a more immersive way through simulations or virtual testing.

• Touch screens or kiosks that let them watch product demonstrations or explore other related content.

• Keeping them entertained through games or gamification while they shop. Also play games to discover products in a fun and interactive way.

• Get instant assistance from chatbots, or help to choose or find a product, or translate instructions into other languages.

All these examples and uses are not intended to replace human contact, far from it, but to facilitate the customer journey, increase visitor satisfaction, optimise your team's time and increase your business revenue.

Ladorian's recommendation engine

We are the partner you need to drive digitalisation in your shop, as Ladorian's technology transforms the point of sale with the essential support of data from a variety of sources.

Our software can be used to increase your sales by 30% by analysing visitor interactions anonymously, identifying problems and providing personalised solutions in real time.

What's more, the recommendation engine can be easily integrated into your hardware and various electronic devices. Prime-Time algorithms select the right product, at the right time, for the right customer. At the same time they can recommend similar products and increase cross-selling.

It sounds easy, and it is. Ladorian accompanies you through the entire digitisation process and even offers to apply for the Digital Kit grant for you.

Consult with our sales advisors without obligation. We will be happy to work with you.