5 Ways Digital POS is Benefitting Retail Right Now
The retail industry has a problem.
To keep business thriving, retailers are increasingly having to compete with e-commerce sites, and with the convenience of shopping at home tempting consumers now more than ever, the everyday brick and mortar shopper is becoming rare.
The solution? Fighting digital fire with digital fire.
“Inevitably, the right balance of online-offline channels will make for the best branded retail experience.” - Sylvia Long-Tolbert, assistant professor at John Hopkins’ Carey Business School; consumer research, marketing trends and brand management specialist.
Particularly for food service, point of sale (POS) systems augmented with digital innovations can benefit businesses in more ways than one - number one being that the intersection of offline and online requirements can greatly improve customer experience, further encouraging individuals to come in and fill up.
Here are four examples of how digital POS is benefiting hospitality and food service right now:
Harris + Hoole - Remote POS App
In 2013, a coffee shop named Harris + Hoole launched an iPhone POS app for customers.
On this app, customers are able to create a profile and input their
Though Harris + Hoole may not sound familiar, the process they’ve employed likely is.
Similar apps and remote-ordering processes are used by big names like Starbucks. Coffee shops are now able to earn customer loyalty, deliver a convenient experience and improve company deliverables through a digital POS app.
Customers no longer have to wait in line to get their morning fix - all they have to do is order before their drive to work.
PayPal Pay-by-Face
First fingerprint passcodes, now face payment.
The Bingham Hotel in London, England is just one business that rolled out PayPal’s “pay with your face” POS app. The app works much like its description sounds; customers are able to verify their identity through the app by snapping a picture of their face, and this acts as verification for payment for any store that accepts the cutting-edge technology.
Richard Garcia,
The perfect answer for millennial travelers? We think so.
Toronto Pearson Airport iPad Ordering
What’s better than being able to key in your order as soon as you sit to eat?
Not much, if you ask the average hungry consumer.
At the Toronto Pearson Airport, that dream is a reality. iPads are conveniently set up facing every seat at the airport’s terminal eatery, allowing hungry customers to scroll through menu items, place their order and pay instantly.
Here, an effective and innovative POS system not only enhances the customer dining experience but also increases the efficiency and reduces the
Line-free Supermarket with NFC
On the
Shoppers at the French supermarket branch Les Belles Feuilles are able to scan shelf labels equipped with NFC tags with their phones to instantly receive information about products. The products can then be scanned into their virtual baskets while being placed in their physical
Shopping and checkout are now combined into one seamless process that gives customers the ease they are searching for and the ability to check out on their own time, rather than waiting in a long and tiring line.
As these examples show, digital POS systems have the ability to balance the online desires of a consumer with the offline requirements of a hotel or food service provider, resulting in truly innovative business solutions.
The possibilities are endless.
If you’re excited about the potential of using digital POS for your business or aren’t quite sure exactly how it fits yet, don’t hesitate to book an online demo to learn more about how digital POS can benefit your business, today. IQ Interactive specializes in POS systems for restaurants, bars, hotels and food & beverage.
Some content repurposed from 10 New Digital POS Innovations to Save the Retail Store.