The Future of Retail: Digital Signage in Retail

Even before the pandemic began in 2020, discussions about digital transformation in retail, omnichannel retail, customer-centric shopping, digital signage in retail, and shopping through social networks were already underway. With the decrease in physical shopping and the increase in online shopping due to the pandemic, these developments began to be discussed more loudly as a salvation for traditional retail.

Despite dire predictions for traditional retail, the pandemic did not mark the end of traditional retail or shopping malls. Instead, traditional retail adapted with safety measures and capacity controls. While the tremendous growth of online commerce posed a threat to traditional retail, it also presented an opportunity for traditional retail to turn this change to its advantage. The growth of logistics and delivery companies was driven not only by online commerce but also by the increased demand in supermarkets, making the logistics sector critical.

During this time, physical establishments wanted to inform their customers about wearing masks, using hand sanitizers, maintaining distance, and knowing when capacity was full and they needed to wait. They even sought ways to inform drivers before they arrived at the store. How did they achieve all this? There were two different approaches: either stick with traditional solutions or harness the power of technology. They could solve these issues with employees repeatedly reminding customers to wear masks, posting signs throughout the store, and placing guards or managers at entrances to count people. Or they could transform everything digitally and solve these issues with digital signage.

Using screens of any size strategically placed in physical locations, customers can be informed in real time about capacity, COVID-19 precautions, driver shifts, marketing communications, and any information a retailer wants to provide to their customers and employees. This significantly reduces the amount of paper used for numerous information posters and instantly informs consumers by providing an experience similar to what they would have through a website or mobile app.

So far, we’ve discussed how digital signage can improve communication with customers and employees in retail. Now let’s talk about the future.

Digital signage is the future of retail because it blurs the line between offline and online. With a well-implemented digital signage system, you can collect, analyze, process input from customers visiting a physical facility, and display the most appropriate messages to the relevant audience at the right time. What does this look like? It means that retailers can interact with their customers through physical channels just as they do through online channels. To reiterate, well-implemented digital signage allows interaction with a physical establishment as if it were an e-commerce site. Therefore, digital signage stands as the future of the retail industry. If it is said that traditional retail will completely end and online commerce will take over, it can actually be said that this will not be the case. Thanks to digital signage, traditional retail will evolve into a new form. We can call this physical-digital retail.

What is this physical-digital retail like? It is a system that, thanks to a well-implemented digital signage system with a consistent strategy, allows customers to create and measure their customer journey during their visits to a physical establishment and use this information online. In short, we can call digital signage and omnichannel retail the future of retail.

Let’s illustrate all these ideas with an example: A customer comes to a physical store to make a purchase. At the entrance, there is a screen that tells the customer the current capacity. At this point, the capacity is not at its maximum, and the customer is allowed to enter.

Inside, the customer scans a QR code on a screen, directing them to a website (or app) with information about in-store notifications, average waiting times at the checkout, and the shelves where the desired products are located. As they proceed to the desired section, they can see various promotions, offers, and campaigns on screens of different sizes (from electronic labels to massive and eye-catching LED panels).

When they reach the section they are interested in, a screen informs them of their current location, and their phone sends a notification that their turn is coming up soon. After placing an order, they go to the cashier line they are authorized to pay at. Throughout the journey, cameras and sensors collect information about the customer, always adhering to privacy laws. This physical-digital retail system, like a website, sends this information to relevant departments to analyze how to provide the best customer experience.

Digital signage is the future of retail, and if you want to secure your place in this future, contact us now.