Audiovisual in retail: the customer comes first

The retail sector is facing a stage of reinvestment of its business models to attract the public to stores. In this way, offer multiple interactions and touchpoints and digital signage and eye-catching storefronts play a prominent role.

Even before the pandemic, the retail sector in its physical aspect was undergoing great changes, while the struggle to attract staff to stores intensified, instead of buying online. As shoppers return to malls and streets, this trend shows no signs of recession, as retailers seek to deliver unique experiences, interactive and contactless linking to digital offerings.

"The retail sector is facing a stage of reinvestment of its business models in physical establishments, to achieve a return to normality and offer consumers optimal shopping experiences, that are more secure and interactive to make the customer journey as engaging as possible", Says Toni Viñals, CEO of nsign.tv.

Scott Pickus, marketing director of Dynascan Technology, also comments on how some retailers have reduced revenue losses thanks to online shopping, but physical presence is more necessary than ever to maintain brand loyalty and increase revenue. "After more than a year of closures and limited access to stores, retailers are feeling the pressure to restore traffic to their physical premises. We see sustained demand for storefronts in retail. The goal has not changed and it is still vital to get the customer into the store, but the pressure for living storefronts is mounting after COVID.".

To attract the public to the stores, retailers choose to offer multiple interactions and touchpoints aimed at empowering the customer journey, and digital signage and eye-catching storefronts play a prominent role for many.

Supermarkets, For example, are targeting their promotions according to the different areas of their stores or through screens to manage queues. Elsewhere, digital signage at points of sale serves to inform and educate customers. Digitalization is also helping retailers keep their customers entertained during their store visit..

"Digital signage in storefronts is one of the most effective and cost-effective ways to attract visitors inside stores., as it allows retailers to communicate and update the public instantly. Inform about new promotions, sales and trends. This is very useful in sectors such as fashion, in which styles are continuously changed, and restaurants, in which you can visually show the new additions to the menu and the offers of the day", add Pickus.

Ikea Vienna

A vivid example of this is the concept of center that the furniture retailer Ikea has in Vienna. The store has an extensive digital signage, kiosk terminals, full application integration, a hotel, a restaurant and a rooftop terrace to offer a completely new shopping experience.

Of particular interest is the digitalization of the customer journey and the role of digital touchpoints in the establishment.. More than a hundred exhibitors have been installed on the five floors of the store to link stationary commerce in a limited space with e-commerce. Most digital touchpoints are digital posters designed to inspire and inform about products..

Interactivity is the most important thing in restaurants, which now have self-order kiosks similar to those of QSR restaurant chains. A novelty in Ikea are the shop windows and the box areas on all floors, designed to attract, entertain and inform customers.

This level of digitalization is also helping retailers quantify and analyze their customers' behavior from the moment they decide to enter the store to the end of the purchase process..

Custom preferences

Creating a consistent and personalized shopping experience in physical and digital stores remains a challenge, but audiovisual technology is providing a solution.

"Audiovisual systems are being used for a wide variety of functions that allow consumers to experiment with products and obtain personalized information., as well as access to promotions and products with special prices in a visually striking way. From the screens of 'click and collect' to the experiences 'lift and learn' or interaction with touch screens to navigate the retailer's website and choose the desired product for immediate purchase in stores, all are positive experiences facilitated by audiovisual systems", says Viñals.

Pickus explains how a digital medium allows retailers to match the speed of their in-store ads with those of their online shopping platform. "The data collected from online engagement can even be applied to tailor in-store messaging and content based on trends and online demand.. Good content is always the key. Eye-catching, dynamic content helps capture and engage viewers in a way that static images or printed posters simply can't achieve.".

Asimsimo, Pickus comments on how from the point of sale exhibitors who get up and learn, going through interactive mirrors, to digital mannequins, the audiovisual sector is providing retailers with powerful new tools to engage customers and augment the traditional in-store shopping experience with digital elements to bridge the gap with online storefronts and offer shoppers an incentive to shop in-store.

Looking Forward, the future looks positive for this sector, as Viñals explains: "We continue to see an increase in digitization processes from small to large retailers.. in 5 Or 10 years each store and business will have screens to inform, communicate or interact with your customers, employees and visitors. We have an incredible future ahead of us. In addition, the coexistence of digital systems in stores (brands and retailers) will continue to be a market trend with the aim that the offline and online experience of consumers is coordinated as a single user experience”.

Ise 2022

Integrated Systems Europe (Ise) 2022, to be held at the Fira de Barcelona on Gran Vía del 1 to the 4 February, will host exhibitors who will show the latest technologies for the retail sector. The digital signage zone and DOOH, in the pavilion 6, will be the center of attention, since in this all kinds of posters and screens will be exhibited, from transparent and flexible units to those that are controlled by touch, voice and gestures.

In this pavilion there will be suppliers covering the entire ecosystem of digital signage solutions, including digital signage software, media players and display drivers.

the Digital Signage Summit, organized in collaboration with invidis consulting and chaired by its Director General, Florian Rotberg, will also return this year. This event, that will take place on Monday 31 January, explore the business, digital signage and DOOH market technology and strategy.

There will also be a section for retail in the pavilion 6, presenting case studies of innovative retailers large and small. Attendance will be free of charge.

"By constituting a physical and face-to-face event, we are in a unique place to bring together all the elements of the sector under one roof. We can't wait to see you all. In the preparations for Barcelona we have worked hard to ensure that the ISE 2022 deliver a secure experience, pleasant and very valuable for the industry to show innovations and be inspired by the highlights of the market", Says Mike Blackman, CEO of Integrated Systems Events.

Registration to attend the fair can be done at this link.

Other articles on DynaScan Technology, Integrated Systems Events, Invidis Consulting, ISE2022, Nsign.TV