Retail & Distribution
RetailEXPO: Our unified commerce solutions in the spotlight
10 juli 2019
Challenges and needs
Adapting to the needs of the connected shopper is probably the biggest challenge facing contemporary retail, and very few retail organisations can say they have a joined-up view of customers, orders and inventory across all channels. At RetailEXPO we met retailers who find themselves at different points of the transformational curve. Many are looking for technology partners who can take them into and beyond omnichannel with confidence and ease.
Alan Holcroft
SALES DIRECTOR AT CEGID, WHO SPOKE AT THE EVENT.
The strong message from retailers, according to Holcroft is that they want to work with technology companies that can act as strategic partners, taking the relationship beyond simply selling a service.
The overall vibe of the RetailEXPO show certainly echoed this, with technology companies – from software suppliers to service integrators to payment partners – all eager to collaborate and support retailers in their search for unique, bespoke solutions.
The building blocks of unified commerce
At RetailEXPO, Holcroft delivered a ‘TrIED It Talk’ on Understanding new growth opportunities with unified commerce solutions.
He explained how retailers need to put in place “the building blocks of unified commerce”. This is essential because with the explosion of omnichannel, consumers expect a unified, frictionless and personalised brand experience, across all touch points wherever and whenever they shop. In his presentation Holcroft outlined what these building blocks are, and how retailers should go about adapting operations for future growth.
He demonstrated how with Cegid Retail Management Solutions it’s possible to optimise inventory and fulfilment across multiple touchpoints and keep stock costs to a minimum. He explained how with the latest SaaS and modern APIs it’s possible to cost-effectively re-invent the in-store experience to reduce brand defection.
Empower store teams with real-time information
Holcroft covered how to empower sales associate with instore tools, how to boost sales with cloud management solutions, and vitally, how to benefit from inventory accuracy. He also explored the growth in demand for Mobile POS, and its ability to speed up transactions, and better serve customers through the latest ‘clienteling’ techniques.
People who are engaging with customers in store every day should be armed with the right product and stock availability information. Pushing real time information back into stores is the best way to empower your instore teams, to allow them to serve and sell effectively.
Alan Holcroft
SALES DIRECTOR AT CEGID
Helping retailers win loyalty with unified commerce software
To fit with busy retailer schedules, Cegid gave short demos at our Retail EXPO stand to showcase our market leading unified commerce solution ‘Shopping’. This solution incorporates Order Management, Clienteling and Cataloguing modules and integrates with a brand’s e-commerce platform, creating a unified experience from offline to online.
We also showcased our newest piece of software -an Omnichannel Inventory Tracking solution. This helps integrate a retailer’s back-store to give real visibility of inventory to improve stock accuracy and reduce out of stocks.
So many retailers we engage with stress their need to offer more efficient, effective ways to get product to their customers in whatever way they demand to shop. Our systems help them facilitate that, with the aim of never missing a sale.
Alan Holcroft
SALES DIRECTOR AT CEGID
Helping retailers plan for future growth and customer excellence at all potential touchpoints is in our DNA, and conversations we had with visitors to our stand gave us the opportunity to convey exactly that. One learning from RetailEXPO is that alongside huge enthusiasm for the possibilities of omnichannel, there are gaps in retailers’ understanding of how they can use their own data to improve the unified customer experience.
For instance, while the CRM director and marketing teams may be confident about how they can put customer data insight to good use, retail operations directors may not yet see how to use it
Alan Holcroft
SALES DIRECTOR AT CEGID
Once store employees have access to signed-up customer loyalty data, and insights into past purchases, or online likes and searches, personalisation and tailored service can be taken to a whole new level in stores, for example.
At Cegid we’re here to bridge those gaps in understanding, and technically put retailers on the right path towards making smarter use of their data, people and channels. That way they are far better prepared for the future.
Alan Holcroft
SALES DIRECTOR AT CEGID
Cegid exhibited at The RetailEXPO on 1st and 2nd May at Olympia, London.
To find out more about the journey to unified commerce, contact us today.
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