BLUESTAR RETAIL & Payment NEWS

NRF Retail's Big Show 2023

A Glimpse into the Future of Retail Technology

Richard Austin

It was great to be back at the NRF Retail’s Big Show this year, and of course, to be back in New York, the city that never sleeps (with a combination of jetlag and a couple of late nights I was more or less immediately on board with that). This was my first time visiting the NRF show since 2020 and I was keen to see the latest in retail technology.

Like with many industries, if you think about Retail, a lot has changed in the 3 years between my visits, with the changes forced by major impacts from the global pandemic and more recently staff shortages, combined with the ever-accelerating march of technology.

From RFID tagging to automated checkout, retailers are looking to the future of retail and getting ahead of the competition. Companies like Keonn are leading the charge in the RFID field, offering solutions that help retailers increase efficiency and reduce losses due to shrinkage. 

Self-service technology continues to be in high demand in retail as well as hospitality. I was particularly impressed with the sleek design of Custom’s brand-new Glass 27 kiosk. Epson’s stand had a very impressive solution in operation, combining technologies from across their business units to provide a coffee delivery solution featuring kiosk ordering combined with colour label printed and personalised cup labels. They even had a projector linked up to the ordering system marking the space on the counter reserved for your drink when ready, which is really handy when multiple drinks are being delivered simultaneously in a busy environment.

I’m always interested to see what’s happening in the payments industry and, whilst away from the show it was a bit of a culture shock to see pen and paper signatures still required for card payments, especially in New York’s restaurants (of which I will admit to visiting a fair few), there are some exciting new developments in payment technology on their way, particularly ELO’s forthcoming solutions here caught my eye.

Star’s new mC-Label3 with SteadyLAN+, CloudPRNT, and brand-new TetherLAN capabilities is an optimized label and receipt printing solution that does the work of multiple printers in one (we have a sample of this in our UK demo room for anyone who’d like to see this or test the latest model for compatibility with their software).

Aside from the above, there was a lot of buzz around augmented reality and virtual reality technologies. These technologies allow shoppers to experience products in an immersive, realistic way.

I also attended an interesting seminar by Sitoo and Insider Trends, which looked at their vision for the future of retail and the delicate balance between online and in-store shopping, and the importance of both to retailers.

The MACH Alliance also caught my eye a few times during the show. This is a not-for-profit, vendor-neutral industry body supporting the movement from legacy systems to a new industry tech standard, based on the criteria of being Microservices based, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS, and Headless. This support network for migrating to future technology was a new one to me and is one I’ll be looking out for away from the show and back in Europe.  

Solution Spotlight

Complete Self-Service Solution 

BlueStar is your one-stop-shop for resellers looking to provide a complete self-service solution. Our lineup includes the Elo Wallaby Pro stands, NCR SS90 kiosks, and the Epson TM-M30II-SL printer, all of which can be easily integrated with the Lenovo Tab M10 to create an efficient ordering and checkout process. With our range of high-quality products, resellers can offer their customers a seamless and personalized self-service experience that is tailored to meet their unique needs.

ISV Spotlight

Evoke Creative

Neil Dorrian, Sales Director at Evoke

For our newsletter focussing on self-service, who better than one of the leading providers of self-service kiosk and digital signage solutions to the retail and hospitality market, our partner Evoke Creative. We spoke to Neil Dorrian, Sales Director at Evoke to get his take on what’s driving the growth in self-service technology in our industry today.

32% of consumers want more self-checkouts and more than a fifth of them use click-and-collect services.

Add that to the 44% of people of in-store shoppers who are happy to use digital experiences, like QR codes and product searching, and you start to realise how much the customer experience in-store can be digitally driven.

The rise of convenience culture for customers is huge in a post-pandemic world across multiple sectors so getting the right customer experience is crucial for businesses. QSR businesses are fully aware of the benefits that kiosks can bring to their bottom line. Cleverly designed digital kiosks can drive up to 30% increase in basket size and targeting digital solutions have been used to reduce wait time by nearly half in many cases. All of these improve the customer experience and add significant operational and revenue value to the business.

Retailers have seen the benefits of technology too. No longer satisfied with just single digital screens, retailers like JD Sports, are creating entire meaningful digital journeys in their stores, designed to engage, delight and convert more customers with innovative signage, range extension kiosk solutions, and payment solutions.

Ultimately, not only can digitally-driven solutions, like kiosks, delight customers and offer them a new way of communicating with them, done right, but they can also offer huge operational opportunities for businesses.

*Stats from the Global Web Index. 2021 & GWI 2021

Industry Insights

Capitalize on the Opportunity
to Sell Retail Self-Service Kiosks 

Dev Pro Journal

Demand is growing for these versatile solutions that enhance CX and operational efficiency.

Self-service kiosks might go down in history as one of the unsung heroes that quietly changed the retail industry. Omnichannel customers demanded in-store technology to meet their need for speed, convenience, and social distancing during the pandemic. Additionally, many consumers prefer tapping on a touchscreen to talking to a sales associate and using a familiar interface to access information quickly. Retail self-service kiosks check all those boxes and more, explaining why the European market for these platforms is expected to grow at an 8.2% CAGR to reach USD 4.79 billion by 2027. 

Technology solutions providers (TSPs) can seize the momentum in the self-service kiosk market and help grocers, fashion boutiques, big-box chains, coffee shops, and other types of retailers deploy engaging retail experiences. There are various reasons why a merchant will want to bring a self-service kiosk into their store, and it’s up to you to narrow down the long list of options to the few that best fit the bill.  

Retail Self-Service Kiosk Use Cases  

As a TSP, the most crucial step you can take is to clearly establish how your client will use retail self-service kiosks to support customer journeys. Some will be interested in a kiosk where customers can place orders, reducing the time they spend standing in a queue and freeing them to shop the rest of the store while store staff processes their orders. Another popular use case is the click-and-collect kiosk that shoppers use to punch in their details or scan a QR code to get the products they ordered online for in-store pick-up.  

Kiosks make accessing baby and wedding registries simple, allowing customers to quickly search, print, or send these lists to their smartphones. Self-service kiosks can also be set up to help shoppers check current pricing information instead of tracking down a store employee at a time when retailers are struggling to hire workers during a labor shortage.  

Checkout is another use case garnering big interest in kiosks that can be programmed to let shoppers pay for items without a store associate’s assistance. In fact, fewer associates can efficiently oversee several self-service kiosks at once and troubleshoot any problems that crop up. Keep in mind that as a TSP, you also have the opportunity to sell complementary technologies such as RFID scanners, cameras, and scales to complete the kiosk self-checkout experience.  

The Key to Retail Self-Service Kiosk Implementation Success  

When designing a great retail self-service experience, you must strike the right balance between simplicity and sophistication. Customers don’t want to be intimidated by a user interface that’s hard to figure out. Instead, they want a setup that’s as simple and intuitive as the smartphones they use in their everyday lives. A kiosk should also be equally easy for teens and their grandparents to use while still offering rich features that put shoppers in the driver’s seat.  

That ease of use extends to payments too. It’s important to build a retail self-service kiosk that accommodates all the ways customers want to pay, including standard debit and credit cards as well as QR codes, contactless tap-to-pay, gift cards, cash, and other payment methods. Encourage your clients to add peripherals like printers so shoppers can quickly print out their proof of purchase if they’re not comfortable walking away with just a digital copy of a receipt.  

Retail self-service kiosks can play an integral role in elevating the customer experience and improving retail operations. TSPs who dig deeper into this growing market have the chance to build their business while supporting retailers’ modernization journey. 

Event Recap

Euroshop 2023

Jord Malcorps

EuroShop 2023 is a major international trade fair for the retail industry that took place from February 26 to March 2, 2023, in Düsseldorf, Germany.

The event brought together thousands of exhibitors and visitors from all around the world to showcase and explore the latest trends, products, and innovations in the retail industry. BlueStar Distribution had organized a Monday evening get-together after the second day at Euroshop. With over 150 partners out of the industry attending, we sure had an awesome time! Thanks to our amazing sponsors Zebra, ELO, Star Micronics, APG, and InVue for making this an unforgettable evening.

As always, I recap the 2023 trends that I’ve seen this year on the show. 

1. Technology and Digitalisation: Technology and digital innovations were a major theme at EuroShop 2023, as retailers continue to embrace new technologies to enhance the customer experience, streamline operations, and optimise sales. Exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge digital solutions such as artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, robotics, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
2. Sustainability and Eco-friendliness: Sustainability and environmentally conscious practices were also a major focus at EuroShop 2023. Retailers are increasingly adopting sustainable practices to reduce waste, minimise their carbon footprint, and meet the demands of environmentally conscious consumers. Exhibitors are showcasing eco-friendly products and solutions such as biodegradable packaging, energy-efficient lighting, and sustainable materials.
3. Customer Experience: Enhancing the customer experience is always a top priority for retailers, and EuroShop 2023 is showcasing the latest strategies and technologies for improving customer engagement, personalisation, and loyalty. Exhibitors showed innovative solutions such as interactive displays, personalised recommendations, and mobile shopping apps.

Do you agree with my recap on trends? Let us know what you think the trends this year will be!

Overall, EuroShop 2023 was a really exciting event for the retail industry, offering attendees the opportunity to learn about the latest trends, network with industry experts, and explore innovative solutions for their businesses.