How to improve retail store performance in the run up to Christmas

This year’s Christmas period will be unlike the ones before. With retailers just recovering from or still grappling with supply chain issues and facing potential staff shortages caused by Coronavirus and other extenuating circumstances, it’s going to be more difficult to hit yearly KPIs.

However, the retail forecast for the final quarter of the year still looks promising. Deloitte predicts that holiday sales will grow by 7% to 9% compared with the same period last year, and retailers should focus on taking advantage of consumer demand this Christmas. While retailers can expect high demand for products this year, there are additional ways you can improve store performance.

Not only do physical retailers have to compete with online purchases in the run-up to Christmas, but there is also increased pressure to make up for any lost performance from earlier this year due to the dual crises of the pandemic and supply chain problems.

There are many retail solutions for improving store performance, ranging from implementing omnichannel marketing to improving customer service. Most store solutions come down to accurate inventory counts. Knowing the stock you have, where shipments are, and what products you can offer the consumer will inevitably improve the customer experience and your overall store performance this Christmas. For this reason, you should consider retail solutions like inventory software as part of a strategy to improve performance.

Our suggestions for store solutions are just a start. To successfully improve store performance this Christmas, retailers should take a 360-degree view of their operations, from their supply chain to stock replenishment and customer expectations of their store. Inventory software like RFID tags will go a long way to tackling some of these issues.

While a switch to digital inventory solutions will take time and training to implement successfully, it’s a long-term solution that will protect retailers against future supply chain issues and ensure optimal customer satisfaction in your stores.

A difficult Time for Retailers

If your store is struggling to reach its KPIs this year, you’re not alone. Supply chain issues – partly caused by the Coronavirus crisis – have made it more difficult for stores to get the stock they need this year, leading to reduced sales and performance.

These issues exist all the way through the supply chain and are not limited to one geographical region or country. Around 38% of ocean freight was delivered on time this year, half of last year’s total. Consequently, prices for raw materials and delivery are rising, on top of increased demand from retailers for their stock.

Stores experiencing a drop in their stock availability are already witnessing the effects on their total profits this year. Maternity wear retailer Seraphine reported lower stock holdings from July onwards, which meant they couldn’t satisfy customer demand in-store. Consequently, the retailer now predicts a 15% reduction in profits compared to last year.

As demand for products increases in the run-up to Christmas, many retailers are consequently over-ordering or placing retail orders too early to get their stock inventory back to normal levels. But this is far from an ideal retail solution and creates issues further up the supply chain for raw materials manufacturers.

Stores that can anticipate stock issues and respond to them quickly will have a better chance of weathering the supply chain crisis and improving their performance – which is more important than ever as the retail sector prepares for increased demand over Christmas. To do this, retailers should take advantage of inventory software.

The importance of inventory accuracy 

There are many ways to improve store performance, from focusing on the overall customer experience to automation and omnichannel marketing. Most of these store solutions have in common, though, is the problem of accurate stock inventory. If retailers are going to recover from the ongoing supply chain crisis successfully, then a 360-degree view of operations and stock levels is crucial – and inventory software can help you do this.

Tracking and cataloguing store inventory isn’t limited to the shop floor. Retailers must have a broad view of their inventory from the end of the manufacturing process to when a shipment arrives at the store warehouse. Tracking such a large amount of stock – for some retailers, this can mean processing 70,000 items in just a few months – requires its own digital solutions, which can take time to implement. However, the impact of such inventory software is significant.

Missing stock on the shop floor is a massive problem for physical retailers, especially in the wake of supply chain issues. The digital age has transformed customer expectations, meaning that physical stores must compete with online retailers. Now, if customers are disappointed by product availability in-store, their solution is to order the same product online.

To put this into perspective, 75% of millennial shoppers leave a store without a purchase instead, buying that item online. The main reason for this? It’s encountering out-of-stock items in the store.

Accurate stock inventory is also key to providing a successful omnichannel customer experience. Especially in the busy Christmas period, customers will be looking for flexibility in the shopping process, including options to collect their products in-store, order online for in-store pick-up, and even in-store ordering to their home. This omnichannel approach to the shopping process inevitably increases the chance of a successful sale and makes the entire experience effortless for the customer.

In all of these cases, inventory software is the tool that will enable retailers to have a broad view of their entire stock inventory, from warehouse to shop floor. Technology like RFID can transform your strategy to retailing by making it easier to perform stock counts, track products across the shop floor, and make informed decisions about your retail strategy

Why RFID is thriving

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) has fast-evolved from a technology used at the fringes of retail, to a global technology that is delivering business results to retailers everywhere.

According to a recent study published by Accenture:

• The majority of retailers (80%) said the benefits of RFID cannot be replicated by another technology.

When fitted to a product at the manufacturing stage, an RFID tag will send continuous data to a reader as long as it is in range. This tag removes the need for laborious stock taking with a barcode scanner, as the reader will scan everything in range and catalogue it – even if the product is in a boxed shipment.

Used alongside inventory software, RFID can produce accurate stock counts, track stock from the factory to the warehouse, and work alongside other technology in-store to create a personalised experience for customers.

With accurate stock counts becoming more important as the busy Christmas period arrives, inventory software like RFID is a valuable store solution that can easily improve your store’s performance.

How Inventory Software Can Improve Store Performance

With a digital inventory solution like RFID, retailers can solve the problem of inaccurate stock counts, which become even more important during times of increased consumer demand. It can also improve the omnichannel customer experience by giving consumers more transparency about where products are and how they can purchase them – all of which will improve your store performance in the long run.

Keeping Shelves Fully-stocked

We know that one of the biggest problems for retailers is keeping shelves fully stocked and the consequences of out-of-stock products. While you can expect some stock disruption with supply chain problems, RFID can alleviate some customer pain by ensuring shop floors are as full as they can be under the circumstances.

This digital store solution will allow you to take frequent inventory counts – up to twice a day, compared to the average of once or twice a year. When used with inventory software, you can also get on-time recommendations for which products to refresh on the shop floor, ensuring that no customer ever leaves disappointed.

This digital store solution will allow you to take frequent inventory counts – up to twice a day, compared to the average of once or twice a year. When used with inventory software, you can also get on-time recommendations for which products to refresh on the shop floor, ensuring that no customer ever leaves disappointed.

Improving the In-store Customer Experience 

Nowadays, customers want more from their physical stores. Whether that’s more personalised recommendations from staff, virtual shop assistants, or interactivity in-store, RFID can help you do this.

RFID tags can work with other innovative technology like smart fitting room mirrors to offer personalised product recommendations for customers while shopping in your store. When a customer takes a product fitted with an RFID tag to a fitting room, the product’s unique code is read, and the product is displayed on the smart mirror, alongside similar products that the customer may like to try. There may also be the option to request products while in the fitting room, making the shopping experience more seamless for the consumer.

Producing Accurate Data  

For retailers to successfully navigate the increased demands of the Christmas period and ultimately improve performance, accurate data is crucial. RFID is a digital tool that provides real-time data about stock levels and makes suggestions about managing inventory better.

Instead of relying on historical data for your in-store stock decisions, RFID gives you the tools to make informed decisions about your store. From stock availability to automated refills and data on dwell times, this inventory software will improve performance in your store through more accurate insights.

Offering Omnichannel Retailing

It’s no longer a battle between brick-and-mortar stores versus online, but most retailers are a hybrid of both. This means that your stock inventory needs to be more precise and accurate,  reflecting both your in-store availability as well as online, so customers can get exactly what they want whether they’re in-store or at home. The key to omnichannel retailing is ensuring there are enough options for your customers – whether they want to pick their product up in-store, order it to their home, or return it to a different store, there should be a retail solution for that. For this to work, retailers need an accurate view of their stock counts and where stock is at all times. By utilising RFID with all-in-one inventory software, you can achieve up to 99% stock accuracy, meaning the customer is never disappointed by out-of-stock notices or unavailable shipping.

Why You Should Invest in Inventory Software now

Retailers gear up for increased consumer demand, inventory software and RFID can be a valuable retail solution in the run-up to Christmas by eliminating labour-intensive stock counts and improving stock visibility from warehouse to shop floor.

Retailers are increasingly investing in inventory software like RFID to streamline their supply chains. In the US, investment in retail technology has reached $8.6 billion, reflecting its value as a store performance solution. It’s a similar story in the UK, where technology like inventory software could uplift £21 billion to the retail sector.

Not only will more accurate inventory information make your operations more effortless and reduce labour requirements, but it will inevitably improve store performance. You can use a store solution like RFID to strengthen omnichannel retailing and provide increased personalisation in-store, leading to more opportunities for sales. Ultimately, RFID is an ideal retail solution for periods of increased demand, such as the run-up to Christmas.

Detego is the only all-in-one retail solution on the market, utilising RFID alongside a complete end-to-end SaaS platform to improve your inventory accuracy. From stocktaking and stock replenishment to tagging, our inventory software can handle it all, reducing the chances of human error and increasing opportunities for sales in your stores