Retail’s Big Show, NRF 2019, is behind us now and while we’re still recovering a bit from those three action-packed days in the Big City, the impact and inspiration of the event has left us excited for where the retail industry is headed.
Looking back at the Big Show, our team noted some interesting trends that arose directly from the activity and interactions that took place at the Lavi Industries booth.
Here are our five key takeaways:
1. Retailers are ready to work in 2019.
Retailers showed up at NRF with projects and notepads, ready to work this year. It was as if a sense of confidence and decisiveness had taken over and instead of merely searching for inspiration, retailers were seeking out real solutions from vendors at the show and actively setting things in motion.
2. BOPUS is still turning heads.
Like last year, BOPUS (buy online, pick up in-store) was on fire at the 2019 NRF show. Retailers are definitely seeing this as a key to winning the omnichannel game. At the Lavi Industries booth, our in-store pick up demonstration turned heads of attendees and generated many interesting conversations about the challenges of managing the customer experience during the order pick-up encounter.
3. Virtual is the real deal.
Virtual queuing, also known as Digital Queuing, sparked tremendous interest among retailers as they look to rid themselves of one of the biggest sources of customer frustration with the brick-and-mortar experience: long waiting lines. Retailers were looking for solutions to help manage service delivery across a wide range of retail environments, from mobile queuing solutions that allow for pre-scheduled arrivals and appointments to omni-channel solutions to help manage the in-store pickup process. And Qtrac VR Queuing delivered.
4. Big data got a lot smaller.
For years, retailers have been seeking ways to manage, analyze, and use the tremendous amount of data being captured from their retail analytics systems. This year, however, retailers have finally heard us: “Think small!” More and more retailers approached us for help in using real-time data to effect immediate change on the store floor such as opening or closing a cash register based on actual need. Creating store efficiencies while improving the customer experience is just one way we’re helping retailers use “Small Data” to deliver a better customer experience.
5. From luxury to hardware, queuing tech is drawing interest.
Retailers of all shapes and sizes are becoming aware of what queuing technology is available and how the technologies can benefit their businesses. At NRF, it was interesting to talk to retailers from hardware stores to high-end luxury brands as they seek to implement everything from footfall analytics for managing checkout queues to virtual queuing systems that enable highly personalized shopping experiences. Retailers are definitely not shying away from technology.
If you missed Retail’s Big Show, or are interested in continuing conversations begun at the show, please contact one of our Queuing Experts to discuss how Lavi Industries can help you implement queuing technology in your store.
