Black Friday — Brace For The Onslaught By Embracing Mobile
By Bob Johns, associate editor
Black Friday through Cyber Monday are normally the busiest retail days of the year, and this year looks to be no exception. As retailers struggle to figure out how to brace for the onslaught, one thing is evident — mobile is the answer of choice.
Mobile POS, kiosks, employees with tablets, mobile apps, mobile marketing, check-ins, local deals, QR codes, and a multitude of other mobile applications will be employed in the upcoming holiday season. Everything from line busting to online ordering can now be accomplished by the mobile associate and consumer.
Target recently initiated a program that incorporates QR codes into the shelving to allow consumers to order out of stock merchandise directly from Target’s website. Additionally, they have chosen to join merchants such as Best Buy to target “showrooming” by matching Amazon’s pricing, in addition to brick-and-mortar competitors.
Walmart, which opens at 8pm for the first time ever, just launched a mobile app that allows pre-purchase of holiday items on Walmart.com. This app is tied into Walmart’s geofence to allow customers to view item level stock at nearby stores and pricing. According to Walmart’s website, beginning November 19th, Black Friday interactive store maps will be available through the app, allowing customers to see the product’s location within the store, in addition to the price and availability.
Kohl’s will be offering mobile specials as well as using the in-store kiosks to offer free shipping and a larger assortment than can be found in the store. Urban Outfitters recently converted to mobile POS, and Finish Line added mobile POS earlier this year. This is one of the most effective ways to bust the huge lines at the registers on Black Friday. I know too many people who have left a store on Black Friday when the check-out lines were wrapping all of the way through the store. Why not create extra lanes by going right to the customers, checking them out right where they stand, and getting them out the door. Not only have you engaged a customer that will probably tell everyone about the great experience she had, but you also don’t have to worry about the lost sales opportunities of customers getting tired of waiting and leaving, plus those that walk in and walk right back out when they see the lines.
Mobilizing the associates offers additional opportunities beyond POS. Especially during Black Friday, when inventory can run low very quickly, a helpful associate who has visibility into the in-store, other-store, DC, and online inventory can help capture that potential lost sale. If someone come in for that X-Box bundle, and the shelves are bare, they may just walk out. If a nearby associate sees them, they can pull out the iPad or tablet, access the inventory, and let the customer know, “Hey, I have 5 more of those in the back, let me grab you one and have it waiting at the checkout for you.” Or, “We are out of those here, but I can have one brought over from another store or have one shipped to your house for free. Would you like to take care of that right now?”
What about the customer that comes in with the Black Friday ad and has no idea what the difference is between the three tv models you have on sale? That same associate can pull up specs, reviews, and even competitor pricing that you can match to make the sale.
The possibilities of mobility and Black Friday are endless. The key is to capitalize on the wealth of data both the consumer and your associate can access. Make the purchase easy and move the customer on to the next purchase. At the very least, you have a satisfied customer. At best, you have an advocate that just told everyone in their social network how great the experience in your store is.