VMSD - February 2013 - (Page 16)
NS
NEX T STORE
By Jim Crawford
Designed Not to Fail
Learn to avoid common in-store technology errors
1. Relying too heavily on manufacturers’ claims
Ten years ago, retailers deploying technology faced
a simple set of choices. Almost all the hardware was
16 FEBRUARY 2013 | vmsd.com
retail hardened, meaning it was built to a more rugged set of specifications and engineered for much
longer lifecycles and much lower failure rates. It
was also a lot more expensive. Whether by choice
or necessity, more retailers today are deploying consumer hardware into stores (think iPads) and this
is raising the risk of failure. There are a lot of times
when this approach makes sense, but without a
risk-abatement plan, retailers will invariably run
into problems in which consumer-grade equipment
doesn’t work properly in a retail environment.
THE FIX: Instead of requiring consumer gear to step
up to your demands, step down your expectations of
what it can do. Learn which environmental conditions are likely to cause problems (hint: temperature
and dropping things on the floor are two big ones)
and develop a plan to reduce their impact.
2. Content that goes stale too quickly
Too often, digital media screens in stores are shut
down or ignored because the content is out of date.
This often isn’t the fault of the digital media system
KA REN BOY HE N, CI NCI N NAT I
LAST YEAR, I FOCUSED A LOT on what to do with
technology to be successful in a store environment,
ranging from simple steps to large-scale technology
and integration projects. Our industry has watched
retailers improve the shopping experience by bringing technology into their stores. A great example
of this is the new Build-A-Bear store of the future,
which seamlessly integrates both physical and digital
elements, simple interfaces that let young children
interact with devices and a cross-channel experience
that blurs the lines between stuffed animals and
video games.
This month, I want to turn the tables and focus
on the failures of technology in stores. Of course, the
overarching way to fail is to deploy technology that is
pointless or unusable, but assume that your project
is a great idea and that the technology does exist to
make it happen. What are the main pitfalls you have
to avoid?
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of VMSD - February 2013
VMSD - February 2013
Contents
From the Editor
VMSD Editorial Advisory Board
The Goods
Design Detail
Next Store
The Sole Story
Urban Highlights
Here Comes...Tradition
Alpine Lakes of Soho
Problem/Solution
Showroom
Ad Index
Checking Out
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