Self-Serve Checkouts are Taken a Step Further
Jeremy Gutsche — January 21, 2007 — Business
References: springboardnetworks & blog.scifi
The Shopping Cart Concierge is a touch screen computer that brings your ordinary shopping cart into the digital age. It can assist with self-serve checkouts and provide shoppers with a wealth of information. The company notes, "Integrated into the shopping cart handle, Concierge is an interactive touch-screen computer that uses a wireless in-store network. Our shopping cart tracking system and customer web interface improves your customers' shopping experience. This will boost store loyalty, facilitate up-sell and gather invaluable data on customer behavior."
Here are the some of the features, directly from Springboard:
Personalized Account Recognition
Customers can activate Concierge with a personalized access key, or by scanning a store loyalty card via the embedded barcode scanner. Personalized features instantly appear onscreen, revealing new products, how-to tips, savings opportunities and complementary product choices. With immediate recognition every time, shoppers get a custom experience that will keep them coming back for more.
Product Scanning
Concierge scans items as they are placed in the cart, checking them off the customer's shopping list while keeping a running total of cart contents - and total savings. If customers have a few extra dollars left in their grocery budget, they can easily take advantage of relevant specials advertised on the Concierge screen.
Self Check-Out
In addition to product scanning, concierge has the capability to feature customer self check-out. Since products are scanned as they are placed in the cart, there's no need for customers to wait in line for an available cashier. Payment is made wirelessly by swiping a credit, debit or store card.
In-Store Cart Tracking
Concierge's in-store tracking system continuously monitors the location of each cart within your store, gaining valuable insights into shopping behavior. Examples of the data that Concierge can collect include time spent in specific store locations, products selected, the number of visits, and much more. Using this information, you can identify warm and cold zones and modify your store environment to maximize sales.
Dynamic Advertising
As an advertiser, it is often difficult to distinguish your brand from a competitor's. In fact, 70 per cent of all product decisions are made by shoppers in-store. With Concierge, you have the means to influence customers' purchase decisions as they occur. Based on each customer's current store location and saved buying patterns, Concierge delivers personalized messages that are best suited to their needs.
Product Finder
Gone are the days of customers searching fruitlessly for an elusive item on their shopping list, their frustration growing with every wrong turn. With the help of Concierge's comprehensive store directory and built-in compass, customers are guided directly to the exact location of any product in your store. This timesaving feature ensures that opportunities for sales are not lost - and frees up extra time for unplanned purchases.
Interactive Shopping List
Shoppers can now create their own personal shopping list once, and build on their current list of items. Concierge utilizes a built-in web component that automatically downloads web grocery lists, recipes, sale items and product updates. The shopping list also assesses customer buying patterns and suggests relevant product offers. For example, customers shopping for coffee might receive ads for premium coffee and flavored cream. Private label brands can be suggested instead of name-brand items on the list. Concierge can even issue coupons for related purchases.
Recipes
With Concierge, your customers have access to a wide-ranging database of recipes and meal-planning suggestions. Using the touch-screen, customers can search the recipe database; once they find a recipe that interests them, required ingredients are added to their shopping list and the recipe itself is emailed to them at home. Recipes can also be dynamically displayed based on the customer's location in the store or products they have already placed in their cart.
Here are the some of the features, directly from Springboard:
Personalized Account Recognition
Customers can activate Concierge with a personalized access key, or by scanning a store loyalty card via the embedded barcode scanner. Personalized features instantly appear onscreen, revealing new products, how-to tips, savings opportunities and complementary product choices. With immediate recognition every time, shoppers get a custom experience that will keep them coming back for more.
Product Scanning
Concierge scans items as they are placed in the cart, checking them off the customer's shopping list while keeping a running total of cart contents - and total savings. If customers have a few extra dollars left in their grocery budget, they can easily take advantage of relevant specials advertised on the Concierge screen.
Self Check-Out
In addition to product scanning, concierge has the capability to feature customer self check-out. Since products are scanned as they are placed in the cart, there's no need for customers to wait in line for an available cashier. Payment is made wirelessly by swiping a credit, debit or store card.
In-Store Cart Tracking
Concierge's in-store tracking system continuously monitors the location of each cart within your store, gaining valuable insights into shopping behavior. Examples of the data that Concierge can collect include time spent in specific store locations, products selected, the number of visits, and much more. Using this information, you can identify warm and cold zones and modify your store environment to maximize sales.
Dynamic Advertising
As an advertiser, it is often difficult to distinguish your brand from a competitor's. In fact, 70 per cent of all product decisions are made by shoppers in-store. With Concierge, you have the means to influence customers' purchase decisions as they occur. Based on each customer's current store location and saved buying patterns, Concierge delivers personalized messages that are best suited to their needs.
Product Finder
Gone are the days of customers searching fruitlessly for an elusive item on their shopping list, their frustration growing with every wrong turn. With the help of Concierge's comprehensive store directory and built-in compass, customers are guided directly to the exact location of any product in your store. This timesaving feature ensures that opportunities for sales are not lost - and frees up extra time for unplanned purchases.
Interactive Shopping List
Shoppers can now create their own personal shopping list once, and build on their current list of items. Concierge utilizes a built-in web component that automatically downloads web grocery lists, recipes, sale items and product updates. The shopping list also assesses customer buying patterns and suggests relevant product offers. For example, customers shopping for coffee might receive ads for premium coffee and flavored cream. Private label brands can be suggested instead of name-brand items on the list. Concierge can even issue coupons for related purchases.
Recipes
With Concierge, your customers have access to a wide-ranging database of recipes and meal-planning suggestions. Using the touch-screen, customers can search the recipe database; once they find a recipe that interests them, required ingredients are added to their shopping list and the recipe itself is emailed to them at home. Recipes can also be dynamically displayed based on the customer's location in the store or products they have already placed in their cart.
Trend Themes
1. Interactive Shopping Lists - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop a mobile app that integrates with shopping carts to provide personalized shopping lists, suggest product offers, and issue coupons for related purchases.
2. Personalized Product Recommendations - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create an AI-powered system that uses customer data to deliver personalized messages and product recommendations to shoppers based on their location and buying patterns.
3. In-store Tracking and Analytics - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop a platform that tracks shopping cart movements within a store to gather valuable insights on customer behavior, optimize store layouts, and maximize sales.
Industry Implications
1. Retail - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Implement shopping cart concierge technology in grocery stores, supermarkets, and retail chains to enhance the shopping experience and gather customer data.
2. Technology - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create advanced touch screen computers and wireless networks that can be integrated into shopping carts to provide interactive shopping experiences and enable self-checkout.
3. Advertising - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Utilize shopping cart concierge systems to deliver personalized advertisements in real-time based on shoppers' location, buying patterns, and saved preferences.
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