Seamless Retail, Hidden Payments and Erratic Robots - RBTE 2015

Posted by Sarah Taylor on Mon, Mar 23, 2015

From crashing robots to great keynotes and QR codes, plus the chance to win an Apple Watch, find out what we experienced at RBTE 2015.

Article   Seamless retail, hidden payments and erratic r

RBTE is always an event to remember, but this year’s will certainly stick in my memory for a long time thanks to some very slick stands, engaging keynote speeches and...an out of control robot operated by the BBC that came crashing into our stand.

 

Slick stands

Though always suave, RBTE 2015 was given an extra level of style with the addition of the Retail Design Expo co-located alongside RBTE . Out of the plethora of impressive interactive stands on display design agency Dalziel + Pow’s effort really stood out with its illuminating, sound emitting, wall panels.

Multi-channel retail specialist One iota also impressed with a slick display of in-store software and hardware solutions including interactive mirrors, a window kiosk – encouraging 24/7 shopping even when the store is closed, and a number of assisted selling in-store tools such as iPads and kiosks. The solutions showcased on the stand enabled visitors to interact as if it was a real-life store. Once the customer has built a basket of goods they can quickly and easily ‘collect’ the basket on their own device by scanning a QR code. This seamlessly transfers the whole basket of goods including size selections, and any additional options they had chosen, to either the checkout within the store’s app (if the customer has it installed) or to the store’s mobile site. Customers are then able to complete their purchase on their own device, anywhere and anytime.

Slick stands

This demonstration ties into what has been a growing trend in retail for a while now, seamless purchases. The new generation of customers might begin their buying journey on a tablet, continue on the high street and complete on a mobile phone, each stage of this process should be seamless.

 

Engaging seminars

In addition to the always engaging stands there were also a number of conferences on various aspects of retail.  I was lucky enough to catch part of the Keynote Panel discussion ‘How Are Retail Leaders Inventing Their Future?’ Boasting a variety of key influences and thought leaders in the retail industry, including Catriona Marshall, CE of Hobbycraft and Steve Rowe, Executive Director of Food for M&S,  this keynote covered among a wide variety of retail topics the essential skills that retailers will need for 2015 . Of the many interesting points made during the duration of the conference, one that really resonated with me was made by Simon Belsham, Managing Director of Grocery Home Shopping for Tesco, who stressed the need for retailers to make payment experience as invisible and as smooth as possible. While this is something that has been mentioned before, and in fact ties into the concept of a seamless shopping experience, hidden payment is something that is very likely to feature in the store of the future as retailers try and find ways of getting people shopping again.

 

A chance to win an Apple Watch

As ever the attendees were fantastic and a great atmosphere of discovery and collaboration, of course with a competitive edge, was prevalent throughout the show. This year of course we  were conducting a short survey among the attending retail specialists, capturing their views on the big issues facing retailers in the year ahead and giving them a chance to win one of this year’s most coveted items - an Apple Watch. We were overwhelmed by the positive response to this survey but for those of you who didn’t make it down to RBTE 2015 all is not lost, click through for your chance to share your retail insights and be in with a chance to win this year’s hottest piece of wearable technology. 

Powered by Typeform

 

...That BBC robot

If you didn’t already know, a Telepresence Robot is essentially, a pair of motorised wheels, a gyroscope, and a long pole on which an iPad can be mounted. This enables those involved in a video conference to avoid the ignominy of being placed, literally, under the board’s noses and instead follow the action around the room, as if they were there in person.

BBC Breakfast had chosen to film, live from the RBTE, in front of our stand. Much beloved TV presenter Charlie Stayt was remotely controlling a Telepresence Robot when disaster struck! His erratic steering led to the robot making a mad dash for our stand before ‘tripping’ over the threshold. Of course the event ended up on YouTube forever binding Sanderson and Charlie Stayt’s slightly lacking driving skills together...perhaps we should spare Charlie’s blushes..but then again perhaps not.. watch it here.

For those of you that missed us at RBTE 2015 you can find us at IRX 2015 on the 25th and 26th of March at the NEC in Birmingham.  Whilst we can’t promise crashing robots, we will be showcasing our specialist IT solutions that help multi-channel retailers to grow their businesses and improve key operations – from smarter stock control to faster delivery times. Find out more here.

 

Key points from  RBTE 2015:

  • A seamless customer experience goes beyond having a mobile optimized website - make sure all your sales channel and back office operations are optimised to support customer requirements and ever changing buying preferences
  • Hidden or invisible payments - the future of retail?  are you prepared?
  • If you see Stayt driving…..stay away!

 

The way customers shop is changing, find out how you can improve your customer experience and bring the crowds back: download ‘The Store of The Future: 10 Ways To Make People Love Shopping Again’ here

The store of the future: 10 ways to make people love shopping again

Topics: RBTE 2015