Digital Screens and Retail Staff: Colleagues or Competitors?

You undoubtedly recall the first time you saw a peek at a hypothetical future retail environment. It was in the movie Minority Report, and it included strange computerized voices that selected outfits for you depending on your preferences (based on a scan of your eyeball, naturally). While this appears to run afoul of personal privacy rules, there may be some logic to the cinematic picture of what shopping experiences would be like in 2054.

Digital screens and stores

Displays are becoming an increasingly important component of the in-store experience due to the great clients employing digital screens to bring in-store brands to life. The simplicity with which you can set them up is a significant contributor to this advantage. In the past, TV displays were prohibitively costly, and digital signage software packages were notoriously tricky to install without the assistance of an IT technician. Setting up digital signage, getting fantastic information put into displays, and adapting and altering the shop's developing environment are all made much more straightforward than they ever have been before, thanks to the various signage systems.

Screens are also affordable, and with the addition of a media player, such as the Chromecast with Google TV or the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, any business, no matter how large or small, can create their digital signage system for not much more than the price of standard consumer-grade television. If, on the other hand, you run a more substantial company and would want a more dependable device that is capable of managing more demanding digital signage material, then maybe a device of commercial quality would better meet your requirements.

Affordable content and advertising streams

Store owners can engage with brands on their terms when they use digital signage systems, which are easy to use and economical and provide excellent benefits for the consumer experience. Through the use of various applications, a shop may generate cash from screen advertisements, which can help cover the expense of updating its technological infrastructure and make the business more profitable without requiring the employment of an advertising intermediary.

The digital screen's curriculum vitae

After setting it up, the digital screen may serve various purposes. First, the breadth of meaning may be conveyed by the terms "digital screen" and "digital signage." Starting with a single screen and progressing to video walls with many displays, tablets, iPads, and even iPhones. Then there are the many different applications that brands are finding for them in retail outlets.

• Processing payments: Companies like Apple have been employing iPads in their retail stores for years to enable consumers to pay for their items from any location in the store, which is a massive convenience for shoppers. Similarly, setting up product directories and price checkpoints on customer-navigable iPads and tablets is a pretty low-cost and straightforward endeavor that you can easily accomplish.
• Self-service — Restaurant chains like Pizza Hut and McDonald's have begun installing self-service checkout lanes, at which customers may make orders without having to utter a single word. Customers can take command of their experience by perusing available things and assembling their meal or shopping basket from the ground up, which, in addition to being a bit of a unique experience, allows them to exercise more agency. In addition to this, it enables a more accurate visual portrayal of the goods, especially the food items, which is something that a traditional paper menu would be unable to provide.
• "Picture this" product displays - we like seeing real things, which is why so many customers still choose to purchase in physical shops rather than online, but we enjoy seeing them in motion even more. This "out-of-store" experience is made possible, in part, by the use of screens, which display movies and still photos of products such as GoPro cameras in the Alps, bathing suits on the beach, and turkeys shining in the oven, among other things.
• The current mystery that information points seek to answer is this: why is there never a sales assistant available when you need one? In short-staffed retail establishments, digital displays may do the tasks of three or four employees by directing customers to the sections or goods they need. The use of screens comes naturally to us. If you don't believe me, go to a shop and put a screen that doesn't have touch capability. Count how many people approach it and attempt to swipe it with their fingers. Because of this, digital displays should be your top choice when looking for rich information points that don't need additional staff.

Will digital screens replace in-store customer service staff?

The implementation of advanced digital signage in stores is likely to eliminate specific jobs, just like introducing any new technology. The power of face-to-face communication, support for a brand, and our need to "talk to a real person" will always remain inherently human characteristics.

The most effective applications of digital displays we have seen in retail locations are those that a person leads. The winners are the shops that use tablets and iPads to connect with customers more often. The digital displays are used to fill in the gaps where a business requires workers but may not have the ability or funds to hire such staff members. Instead of static signs, which get out of date very fast, there are now displays that lead customers to the various departments. Even interaction between the sales personnel and the screen to help close the deal would be beneficial.

In the next few years, we will see an increase in digital displays, and firms that provide cloud-based digital signage solutions will do all they can to make this straightforward. But when it comes to giving a kind grin and a solid handshake as you exit the building, we will let the real folks handle that part of the interaction. Also, note that if you don't devote enough digital resources or take a haphazard approach with no clearly defined goals, your competition will eat your digital lunch!