Mobile retail execution has been in one form or another since the first shop opened its doors, stocking shelves full of products from many vendors. These companies have always been competitive with one another to have the best shelf space for their goods. The same goes for businesses; they all want to build and have a solid connection with retailers so they can keep making sales.
Like all other aspects of business, retail execution has developed over the years in response to shifting consumer tastes and the proliferation of goods on the market.
In our modern day, digital transformation has become an absolute must for almost every business, notably for retail initiatives that include actual purchasing. Consequently, the prediction of a 13% yearly growth rate for the mobile CRM industry from 2019 to 2029 is not surprising.
Using purpose-built retail execution tech is more important than ever for consumer products businesses to stay competitive. To boost their presence in physical shops, they want data-driven insights to make quicker, more informed choices.
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What is Mobile Retail Execution?
When field sales and marketing staff utilize mobile devices like smartphones and tablets to carry out a variety of tasks in-store, this is called mobile retail execution.
Merchandising, stock management, order processing, price and promotion administration, and CRM tasks are all examples of what could fall under this category of operations.
Retail salespeople can now make better choices, stay in touch with headquarters, and provide top-notch customer service even while they're on the road thanks to mobile execution, which gives them access to vital data and tools.
How to Get Started on Transforming Your Retail Execution Strategy
If your business hasn't started its digital transformation journey yet or is just starting out, you can be asked what measures to take to ensure that you invest in the appropriate technology. You can make sure your items stand out from the competition by making decisions based on data. Retail execution management includes:
- Understanding retail execution, its origins, and its many facets
- Drivers of in-store success in retail
- Best practices for retail execution, including the need of using purpose-built technology
- Essential features of a retail execution platform
- Which instruments are necessary for the execution of marketing and retail campaigns?
- An overview of Opmetrix's retail execution solution and how it works
Quick and efficient decision-making for your field teams based on data obtained from a purpose-built solution is essential for successful retail execution, as it increases product exposure and availability on every retailer's shelf.
Data-driven Retail Execution Tools Are The Key To Success for any Retail Business
Planning and executing effective shelf strategies and other tactics at the point of purchase (POP) is what retail execution tools are all about.
Focusing on getting the appropriate items to the right places at the right times is key to making sure they reach the right consumers. Therefore, it guarantees that the POP employs appropriate techniques. It entails:
- Developing effective shelf solutions to increase product visibility
- Predicting needs via analysis of consumer patterns
- Improving merchandising via analysis of retail data
- Developing and implementing strategic plans for product sales
Whether it's retail related or any other service centric business, nearly 70% of consumers make their purchases at the point of purchase.
If a customer finds a better promotional deal, if a sales associate suggests another product, if a peer suggests a different product, or if the product isn't visible, they are more inclined to swap brands or products. This is where data-driven retail execution really shines.
Having access to additional data allows you to better understand your consumers, approach them in a more effective manner, and establish a strong connection with them. Now, we'll observe the process.
Benefits of Mobile Retail Execution
There are a number of advantages that retailers and CPG/FMCC manufacturers can derive from mobile retail execution, such as:
- Improved Efficiency: Automating formerly manual processes like inventory management, order taking, and competition/pricing audits is how mobile retail execution simplifies retail operations. The elimination of paperwork and tedious data input allows agents to quickly update inventory levels, digitally collect orders, and report on rivals, price, and promotions while on the road, leading to better operational efficiency.
- Enhanced Inventory Management: The success of any retail establishment depends on its inventory management system. Retailers can identify slow-moving or out-of-stock products, monitor product motions, and keep track of stock levels with the help of mobile retail execution software. Not only does this streamline the supply chain, but it also avoids stockouts and decreases surplus inventory.
- Improved Store Compliance: The software makes it easy for the headquarters and retail employees to communicate with one another. For the uniform implementation of store layouts and marketing activities, retailers can communicate guidelines, planograms, and promotional materials straight to the smartphones of in-store staff.
- Real-time Data Insights: Retail execution management can make data-driven choices in real-time with mobile retail execution because it gives them access to data, analytics, and reporting in real-time. As a result, retail tactics are improved since brand and category managers have a better grasp of consumer tastes, can monitor sales figures, and can see possibilities.
- Enhanced Customer Experience: Mobile retail execution allows reps to improve customer service by responding quickly and personally to customers and businesses. With the ability to access data like optimal store inventory levels, promotional pricing, and planograms, retailers can more effectively adhere to corporate goals and experience fewer instances of out-of-stocks. Customers are more likely to be satisfied and committed to a brand when salespeople have access to their personal information, such their purchase history and preferences, so they can personalize their interactions and provide relevant suggestions.
- Flexibility and Mobility: With mobile retail execution, salespeople can access data and complete activities from any location at any time, and management can use GPS fencing tools to verify that the tasks were carried out at the correct location. This improves efficiency and effectiveness since representatives can attend to more customers' requirements, visit more shops in a day, and operate more effectively while on the go.
Best Practices for Implementing Mobile Retail Execution
The worldwide market for retail automation is expected to reach $33 billion by 2030, up from $12.2 billion in 2021, according to Statista. The retail automation industry is expected to reach $44.46 billion by 2033, according to a research by Future market Insights.
This is based on a projected CAGR of 9.6 percent.
Implementing mobile retail execution requires careful planning and execution to ensure its success. Here are some best practices for implementing mobile retail execution in your retail business:
- Define Clear Objectives: Make sure your mobile retail execution plans are in line with your overall retail company strategy before you launch. Before you can provide your field teams with mobile devices, you must first determine which retail activities and duties you want to allow them to carry out. To evaluate the efficacy of mobile retail execution, clearly identify the desired results and success criteria.
- Choose the Right Application: Make sure the apps and tools you choose are compatible with both Apple and Android platforms, and that they are tailor-made for your retail company. As many stores have spotty mobile phone service, it's important to think about additional aspects including usability, scalability, security, interaction with current systems, and the capacity to work offline.
- Provide Adequate Training and Support: Make sure your field teams are well-versed in the proper usage of mobile devices and apps for retail execution, and choose an app for retail that is simple to use even for temporary or seasonal workers. Extensive, free training is available for several apps via YouTube videos.
Strategies of Implementing Automation in Your Retail Business
1. Selecting the Right Automated Retail Technologies
Retail automation begins with the selection of the most suitable technologies for your business. Here are some key considerations:
- AI and Machine Learning Solutions: By shedding light on consumer habits, industry tendencies, demand prediction, and inventory management, artificial intelligence and machine learning are reshaping the retail industry. Retailers can maximize profits via optimized pricing and promotions and individualized shopping experiences made possible by integrating AI and ML technology.
- IoT Devices for Inventory Tracking: Implement software or devices that are Internet of Things (IoT) enabled to keep tabs on inventory, monitor sales, and increase the precision of stock management. Retailers can see their whole inventory and come up with effective plans to restock thanks to this.
- Robotics and Automation in Warehousing: Using robotic automation helps warehouses expedite order fulfillment procedures (such as picking up things, packaging them, sorting them, etc.) with speed and accuracy, which in turn reduces the expenses of human labor and ensures that consumers get their orders on time.
2. Crafting an Effective Retail Automation Strategy
The effective deployment of automated retail technology requires the development of a strong strategy:
- Identifying Business Goals: Whether your goal is to increase revenue, decrease operational expenses, or improve client experiences, make your automation goals clear. Everything that follows will be based on your objectives, which are the bedrock of your retail automation plan.
- Budgeting and ROI Analysis: To guarantee a favorable return on investment (ROI), it is important to calculate the expenses of implementing automated retail technologies, assess them, and then compare them against the predicted benefits. To make sure your retail automation approach adds value without disrupting current operations, this phase is crucial.
- Partnering with the Right Vendors: Work with technology providers who have a firm grasp on the unique challenges faced by your retail sector and can accompany you on your automation journey with customized solutions and expert assistance.
3. Navigating Workforce Changes
Alterations to your staff may be required as a result of the use of automation. Some ways to handle this change are as follows:
- Employee Training and Upskilling: Educate your staff on how to collaborate with automated technology by funding training sessions. You can keep your workers useful and ready to work together with cutting-edge tech by providing them with chances to upskill.
- Strategies for Managing the Transition: To effectively handle the shift to automation, you need to reevaluate your pay structures, revise your recruiting practices to attract tech-savvy candidates, and reshape your staff to operate in collaboration with automated systems.
4. Ensuring Data Security and Compliance
Safeguarding data and complying with rules are of utmost importance when you adopt automation:
- GDPR and Retail Automation: Validate compliance with data protection standards, such GDPR, with respect to automated collection and processing of consumer data. All consumer information gathered and processed by retailers' automated systems must be protected in accordance with applicable legislation..
- Cybersecurity Best Practices: To keep sensitive information safe from cybercriminals, you should encrypt it, conduct frequent security audits, and educate your staff on security procedures constantly. Retailers can protect themselves against any financial losses and significantly enhance client confidence in this way.
Conclusion
An organization's ability to adapt to the changing retail scene depends on how well it uses technology.
Stores can enhance efficiency, boost output, and provide consumers a more pleasant shopping experience with the help of mobile retail execution software. Retailers can adjust to the ever-changing market by using real-time data, boosting visual merchandising, and better managing inventories.
Unify Team Operations, Maintenance and Safety Compliance with Xenia
Xenia unifies daily operations, maintenance management and quality assurance to help ensure teams and facilities are effective and efficient.
Our customers love Xenia's robust use cases including:
Operational Execution
✔️ Checklists & SOPs
Create checklists, SOPs, Inspections and Data Logs to power accountability, training and staff clarity on every task.
💪 Team Task Management
Assign work digitally to defeat pencil whipping and disorganized teams. Complete tasks, chat with teams on any device, track time, collect photos, and ensure high quality work.
📆 Recurring Tasks
Create recurring schedules for daily opening and closings, performance review meetings, inspections, cleanings and more.
📲 Chats & Announcements
Centralize team communications with in task chats, one-on-one chats, team messages and company wide announcements
📊 Team Performance Reporting
Use Xenia's analytics dashboards to view staff work reports. Filter by asset, location, category or due date and export the report in PDF or Excel
Maintenance Management
🛠️ Work Orders
Create work orders with associated team, asset, location, priority, category and due date. View live progress reports on each work order, chat with teams, and review resulting template submission, images and notes to improve operations.
🧰 Preventive Maintenance
Create a preventive maintenance calendar to ensure asset uptime is not compromised. Attach images, templates, videos and notes to every task and assign to a team or individual for completion.
📲 QR Codes
Generate and attach QR codes to equipment and facility locations to enable fast and accurate inspections and data logs.
⚙️ Work Order Requests
Receive, approve and assign work order requests from tenants, regular customers and vendors. Enable requesters to submit, track, and communicate with your team, without access to operations templates or unrelated work orders.
📁 Equipment Work History
View work history for every asset and sub asset in Xenia. Review performance data and enable corrective actions to improve your operation.
Safety Compliance & Quality Assurance
👍 Concrete Brand Standards
Put your brand standards in a clear and operational checklist to be attached to work assignments.
🔎 Smart Inspection Workflows
Xenia's operations template builder has built in conditional logic into each step. This allows you to trigger actions based on a form response such as creating a corrective action on a failed inspection step, sending a notification to management for out of range meter readings, and much more.
✨ Corrective Actions
Operationalize inspections with fast work order assignment arising from a failed inspection step. All corrective data is stored in the checklist submission for auditing and accountability.
📋 Analytics and Reports
View live dashboard summaries of tasks, employee performance, template submissions and more. Filter, organize and export compliance reports to PDF and Excel formats to simplify compliance management.
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