Preparing for a successful peak season in retail

 

Retailers are all too familiar with the challenge of managing checkout lines and ways to beat long queues that frustrate customers leading to abandoned carts and a loss in revenue. This is only exacerbated during busy times and seasonal peaks. 

 

Most retailers spend months planning in advance for seasonal demand, planning their inventory, forecasting for uplifts in demand and planning how to maximise revenue while minimising markdowns. If retailers don’t keep up with stock and demand it can really hurt the customer experience and impact their loyalty to the brand. 

 

How can retailers combat peak season demand and in-store queues? 

 

Planning ahead and preparing staffing resources, including hiring seasonal staff and offering additional shifts to current staff is one way to ensure you are ready for the peak season as is forecasting short and long term demand for products and services.

 

Another way is to provide customers with a variety of options for how they shop. This can range from e-commerce sites, to click and collect. In store retailers can offer technology like ours which gives shoppers the ability to pay for items on their smartphone, relieving pressure on staff who are working on checkouts and freeing up staff to remain on the shop floor to assist shoppers and give exceptional customer service.

 

Easy set up and no terminals required, the only requirement is that the shopper has an internet connected device to access the Booop retailer tools. They simply scan the QR code or barcode, from here they can save the item, buy it or walk away. Retail staff can check the digital receipt — sent  directly to the customer’s phone — on their way out of the store or at a designated area in-store. Faster and more convenient for those customers that choose to pay using this method compared to standing in line with customers that select to pay by cash or pay at the checkout. 

 

If you’re looking for solutions to beat busy periods in your store, then speak to Booop today to discover how we can help to free up staff, boost sales and provide customers with a variety of payment options, contact us