7 Ways Touchscreens Improve Retail Store Operations

Touchscreens are arguably the most intuitive interface between people and technology. Even voice interfaces pale in comparison to being able to touch an option and access the information or functionality you need. With touchscreens, customers and employees don’t have to remember the names of products or services – or be able to spell a query correctly. Touchscreens streamline workflows, enhancing customer experience (CX) and store operations in retail.

Touchscreen technology: the perfect solution to improve store operations in retail.

Store operations in retail have traditionally included face-to-face processes and high touch. Shoppers relied on sales associates and cashiers at every touchpoint, from finding the merchandise they wanted to checking prices or alternate item availability and checking out. However, implementing retail technology to digitally transform store operations has proven that retailers can provide the same – or better – personalization, convenience, and service, particularly with touchscreens for store operations in these seven areas.

Imagine asking a sales associate to call another store and find the item you are looking for in your size, today. It most likely would not be possible with the labor shortage retailers are facing. As opposed to the consumer friendly, self-service option to see which local stores also carry this product, pay for it on the same device, and have it shipped to your home, saving you a trip. It’s sufficed to say that most consumers would prefer the self-service option.

Reliable, quality touchscreen POS terminals with customer-facing displays streamline processes.

Point of sale (POS) systems with touchscreen terminals simplify employees’ workflows and increase their productivity. Eliminating a keypad also eliminates the chances of keying errors. Instead, employees use buttons on the touchscreen to efficiently total sales, apply coupons or discounts, issue refunds, and upsell. They use graphical buttons to help them streamline interactions at the checkout. A Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories study found that touchscreens can reduce response time for users by 20% compared to legacy input methods. Increased productivity and accuracy – good upside to touchscreen technology in retail.

Touchscreens at the checkout also enhance experiences for consumers. Customer-facing display POS options make selecting payment types and authenticating identity – even with biometric methods – easy for shoppers. Additionally, they allow consumers to manage their loyalty rewards, confirm email or text numbers so they can receive future offers, and quickly answer customer survey questions to provide feedback, which can help businesses improve future customer experiences. The touchscreen benefits keep stacking up.

Touchscreen wayfinding solutions and directory kiosks provide instant information.

The digital wayfinding solutions market is growing at a 16% CAGR from $234.62 million in 2021 to $664.95 million in 2028. Analysts point to retailers, healthcare facilities, and other enterprises changing their operations for greater efficiency, easy control and updates to messaging, improved consumer experiences, and social distancing, if needed.

Instead of looking for assistance to find the department they need, consumers have an easy-to-use, self-service option that allows them to explore a store, mall, facility, or college campus to quickly access directions. Interactive touchscreens enable users to tap a location to learn more about it or browse promotions and offers.

Endless aisle solutions give retailers the ability to offer their entire catalogs.

Endless aisle solutions bring a part of the online shopping experience in-store. With these solutions, shoppers aren’t limited to browsing and purchasing only the items in stock at the store. They can shop the retailer’s entire catalog and place orders for delivery or in-store pickup if they aren’t currently in the store inventory. A touchscreen solution is the easiest for shoppers, allowing them to tap product categories and scroll through products, much as they do when shopping online.

Offering an endless aisle solution can save sales. Research by Netstock found that 65% of customers have tried new brands because the items they wanted were out of stock.

Brands capture buyer attention with digital shelf talkers.

Shelf talkers are common tools for bringing attention to specific items on display. Traditionally, merchants have used brightly colored, graphical paper shelf talkers to draw the eye to featured products.

Now, digital shelf talkers allow merchants to use dynamic messaging and images, which are even more effective at capturing a shopper’s attention. Touchscreens can also enable the shopper to print a coupon or claim a discount, encouraging a positive purchasing decision.

Price checker kiosks give customers autonomy.

Customers want self-service options to make their shopping journeys faster and more convenient. Research for the 2022 Digital-First Customer Experience Report reveals that 81% of consumers expect more self-service options. Interestingly, the research also found that 53% of businesses believe their customers are satisfied with their self-service offerings, but only 15% of consumers say they’re happy with them.

Deploying price checker kiosks can give shoppers greater access to the information they need without waiting for assistance. It improves customer experiences, but it also frees store employees to focus on other responsibilities rather than tracking down prices or product information.

Mobile computers increase efficiency on the sales floor.

Mobile touchscreen computers allow businesses to have POS functionality anywhere in the store. Customers don’t have to wait in lines to check out. Associates with mobile computers can complete those transactions with a few clicks. Mobile computers can also accept multiple payment types, from credit and debit cards to mobile wallets and other contactless payments. The touchscreen interface makes it easy for customers to authenticate transactions quickly and easily.

Mobile devices, such as touchscreen mobile inventory scanners, also make stock checks and inventory management easier and more accurate than paper-based processes and provide real-time inventory data for purchasing and merchandising decision making.

Smart fitting rooms and magic mirrors take shopping experience to the next level.

Smart fitting rooms use touchscreen solutions to enable shoppers to try on apparel virtually, explore other color or style options, request that a sales associate bring items to the fitting room, and, in some cases, complete payment transactions.

Fortune Business Insights analysts have determined that the trend is fueled by the growing number of e-commerce and mobile shoppers and their interest in brands that incorporate augmented reality (AR) into shopping journeys.

These consumers want highly personalized, digital shopping experiences. A smart fitting solution leveraging AR and a touchscreen interface provide retailers with the tools they need to create them.

Where Will You Use Touchscreens to Optimize Processes and Enhance CX?

Touchscreens will help you improve your operations and create the experiences your customers expect at the checkout, at self-service kiosks, and while they shop and search for information to make purchasing decisions. Touchscreens are an easy way for employees and consumers to interact digitally with your business, saving time, increasing accuracy -- and even helping to increase revenues.

Additionally, the retail industry hasn’t yet discovered all the ways that touchscreen solutions can enhance operations and CX. You have the opportunity to create unique experiences that will differentiate you in your market and capture loyalty.

Elo is a leading manufacturer of touchscreens for commercial environments with the functionality and responsiveness necessary for optimal user experiences. Contact us to see how to bring your ideas to life with touchscreen solutions.