Not many industries benefit from digital signage as efficiently and in as many ways as the retail sector. Read here why more and more retailers are using digital signage and what the advantages and disadvantages are. Finally, discover what solutions exist and how Digital Signage Software from SmilControl helps you to fully exploit your potential.
As online commerce has grown rapidly in recent years, retailers need new ways to attract customers to their brick-and-mortar stores. Digital retail is not limited to digital storefront advertising, but is a holistic concept. Although the retail window is an important advertising tool, there are many more opportunities.
Why does Retail use Digital Signage?
Digital signage helps retailers attract more walk-in customers, increase sales, and support slow-selling areas. This is achieved through the flexibility of digital store window advertising, the utilization of waiting areas and the networking of digital point of sale solutions with digital signage and smart retail technologies.
A study by Posterselect GmbH together with the German Outdoor Advertising Association (Fachverband für Außenwerbung e.V.) found the following back in 2013:
65 percent of all respondents perceived the advertising on digital screens and a full 56 percent considered the advertising to be informative.
Win Walk-in Customers
Digital advertising displays in the shop window are ideal to increase foot trafficr. Improve the appearance of your brand and turn passers-by into loyal customers.
Highlight special promotions or create a unique ambiance that serves as an eye-catcher. Use your storefront as a strategic area to communicate with customers and make an impressive first impression.
While retail store windows make sure that customers come into the store, the second step is the so-called instore marketing to keep customers and encourage them to make a purchase. Digital signage solutions also perform well here.
Small signboards on shelves work well for displaying product details and prices.
Increase Sales
Digital signage at the point of sale catches your customers' attention and influences their purchasing behavior.
Utilizing the waiting area means shortening waiting times for customers. In this context, digital displays not only entertain waiting customers with the latest news or weather reports, but also boost sales by displaying special offers and promotions. Customers are open to spontaneous impulse buys by up to 60 percent. A separate article shows several ideas on how you increase your sales in retail.
Another way to increase sales is to use the retail zone model. The aim here is to identify zones with weak sales and zones with strong sales. Digital signage allows weak sales zones to be promoted selectively. You will find detailed information on this topic in the linked article on store layouts in retail.
Smart Retail
Smart Retail technologies togetehr with digital signage, optimize sales processes in retail through automation. This includes digital PoS solutions, augmented reality and in general: networking between merchandise management, price tags, accounting, warehousing and marketing.
Smart Retail completes the digital transformation in retail.
What Digital Signage solutions are available for the Retail Industry?
Several digital signage solutions are available specifically for the retail sector.
Digital Advertising Displays
In-store Marketing
Digital Signs
Signage Totems
Digitale Points of Sale (PoS)
Video Walls
Digital Advertising Spaces
The Solutions
Find concrete solutions and application examples for the retail industry. Furthermore, information on how Digital Signage Software from SmilControl helps you with the implementation and grants unique freedoms for this purpose.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Digital Signage in Retail
Each technology has its pros and cons. It is important to us to inform you transparently about the disadvantages.
Pros
Changes to the content in real time
Process automation
Cost savings (no printing, no logistics)
Hassle-free correction of errors
Prompt customizability of content through templates
Higher attention through animated content
Multiple locations manageable
Sell out of hours (interactive storefront)
Cons
Installation costs
Ongoing costs for power, cloud and maintenance
Technical defects require prompt repairs to maintain operation
Training needed
Why SmilControl?
SmilControl covers all requirements for digital signage software in retail. If you are a company or a reseller, you have the possibility to create your individual digital signage product for retail. For yourself or as reseller.
We base our philosophy on openness and transparency - not only regarding interfaces and cooperation. You have the free choice to buy SmilControl compatible media players and screens from our hardware partners or to use your own devices. We developed a free digital signage player for this purpose. You may also customize this player to your brand.
Our SMIL player runs on Windows, Linux, Android and macOS and thus, is compatible on an incredible number of hardware.
Digital signage systems in retail require a content management software. With CMS from SmilControl as a white label, you update, schedule and organize your content in playlists with a few simple clicks. In real time! You, your employees or users manage thousands of locations without multiple logins. SmilControl CMS gives you maximum control over your digital signage.
Play content in the right place at the right time. With the finely granulated user management, you enable the branch management to access specific screens while the central administration has control over all locations. In addition, the CMS automatically generates playback statistics, grouped by local, regional and national locations.
