Using Mobile Technology in the UK Retail Industry

Mike Bielinski, CEO of Vodat International answers questions about using mobile technologies in today's retail environment.

How has the use of mobile technology in the UK retail industry changed in recent years?

If we are looking at mobility solutions using wireless technology, this was initially deployed for queue busting at busy periods but now it's seen as a tool for improving customer service. The use of mobile telephony has really only been used in the past as a telephone but there is potential for its greater use as a customer contact and customer service tool.  

How is mobile technology used generally by UK retailers? Are there things they could be doing better?

In the area of customer service, wireless technology and mobile solutions enable retailers to provide a more personal service to their customers. In a one to one situation where there needs to be strong interaction between the sales person and the customer, as evidenced by our client Beaverbrooks.

In the case of mobile telephony, there is significant potential to use the mobile telephone both as a contact facility and as a payment device between the retailer and the customer; particularly in the area of gift cards and discount voucher identification and tracking.

The former involves using the mobile phone to provide information to the customer about product availability, order tracking and special offers etc. The latter as a means of securing both the identity and the payment of goods at the point of sale against pre-loaded gift exchange or voucher data.    

How is the use of mobile technology helping retail staff? 
It empowers them to provide improved customer service.

What is the technology doing to improve the customer experience?

Customers benefit from having a more personal one on one interaction with the sales person. It also enables them to receive information, special offers on products and services from the retailer in an immediate and unobtrusive manner. Lastly, and one for exploitation, is the fact the mobile phone is such a part of everyone's personal baggage these days, it could be a secure way to enable customers to carry gift and/or discount voucher for several stores instead of in their wallets with the added advantage that it can provide immediate interaction with today's thin client EPOS systems.  

What are the recent innovations in mobile technology? Can you tell me about any top UK retailers that are benefiting from these innovations?

In terms of mobile solutions queue busting is used by many retailers including WH Smith and Boots. In terms of customer service Beaverbrooks is an excellent well know brand that is at the forefront of providing exceptional customer service. Halfords and other retailers that sell via e-commerce websites use mobile technology solutions as a means of informing customers about deliveries; and Tesco of course are already using mobile technology to notify customers of special offers at their local stores.

What is the future of mobile technology for retailers?

For mobile solutions the future is huge, and mobile EPOS will become de-rigueur for many UK retailers as they seek to improve store productivity and customer service.  For mobile telephony there is huge untapped potential, but it's being held back to some extent by current cost and a natural reserve on the part of customers to allow information to be received.

However if British retailers can see the potential - how long will it be before they provide the customer with an incentive to have the information forwarded. Perhaps a bit more controversially, I also believe that the deployment of the mobile phone as a transaction exchange device between the customer and the retailer at the point of sale will be the natural extension to the PDQ as it could (with development) provide  a much more personal, secure and immediate ID than a card.

For details about mobile EPOS systems and our range of mobile technology solutions for retail businesses in the UK, please call Vodat International on 0161 406 1820 or contact us by e-mail.