How Cloud Technology Will Reinvent The Role Of The Retail Store Associate

By: Jeff Hoffmeister, Sr. Director, Solutions Architecture, Tulip Retail

Create a world-class store experience with mobile- and cloud-first tools for store associates

Retailers understand the need to differentiate in brick-and-mortar stores in a way that is fast, agile, and cost effective, but on premise systems have made it near impossible to affect any type of meaningful change. Adoption of cloud technology in retail has tripled from 2011 to 2015, but retailers continue to lag behind in executing practical solutions for store associates that will enable them to meet and anticipate the growing demands of the mobile-enabled shopper. There haven’t been viable solutions that reduce total cost of ownership, while also driving maximum adoption on the sales floor.

At Tulip, we believe that the fastest, most effective way to turn the physical store from a static, one-dimensional location into a rich, omnichannel destination is by empowering store associates with enterprise mobile tools that drive viral adoption the way consumer-facing apps do. Store associates are mobile natives and expect any app they use at work to be as beautifully designed, easy-to-use, and fast as the apps they use on their own phones. We’ve outlined practical ways in which we’ve seen leading edge retailers like Frank + Oak, and traditional retailers like Toys”R”Us, use cloud technology to reinvent the role of the store associate.