Mobile POS allows retailers to create more seamless and engaging in-store experiences for consumers — whether they want to make a quick purchase or browse more extensively.
In The Pink, a chain of Lilly Pulitzer Signature Stores, is embracing mobile POS to transform its eight locations in the Massachusetts area.
The first store to undergo this mobile transformation is the Newbury Street, Boston location. By removing the cash wrap, which took up 50-square-feet of space, the retailer has been able to acquire more selling real estate and improve merchandizing strategies.
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Approximately 41 days after implementing mobile POS in its Newbury Street location, In The Pink saw sales increase 60%. The typical increase for this seasonal period is 43%. Transaction volume and total units per transaction also improved.
Eliminating the traditional cash wrap is “working very well,” according to Winfield Russell, General Manager of In The Pink. “The store is laid out like a big, long oval, and there’s a lot of product and five fitting rooms squeezed into 1,100 square feet. We found that where the cash wrap was, on the right side as soon as a customer enters, was good selling real estate.”
After demolishing the cash wrap area, In The Pink found the “physical flow to be a lot better, more efficient and more comfortable for getting customers in and out of the store,” said Russell in an interview with Retail TouchPoints. “People are more comfortable being in the store longer because it’s not as tight.”
In The Pink developed custom mobile POS carts, which are designed to help associates complete transactions faster while still offering exemplary service. Two carts are stationed in the Newbury Street store — one in the center and one toward the back by the fitting rooms.
“We needed something that allowed associates to check people out, but also fold merchandise and wrap it in tissue to provide that high-end POS experience for the customer,” Russell explained. In addition, associates are equipped with handheld iPads and iPad Minis so they can complete transactions in the aisles.
Turning “Lilly Lovers” Into Service Leaders
While the mobile POS implementation has had a profound impact on in-store traffic flow and overall sales, combining the hardware with rich insights has empowered store associates to have more relevant conversations with customers.
Using the cloud-based POS and retail management solution from Springboard Retail, associates — called “Lilly Lovers” — have real-time access to store and customer information on their mobile devices.
Springboard Retail is “tremendously empowering for sales associates and managers,” Russell said. “Lilly Lovers are Lilly Pulitzer fanatics. They love the clothing and their product knowledge is extremely deep and broad. As these associates are hired and trained, we teach them how to interact and help customers to create a fun experience in our stores.”
A Springboard Retail user since 2011, In The Pink has seen “staggering” results in stores due to associates’ and managers’ ability to interact with strong reporting capabilities.
Team members can quickly run reports on product sales and customer preferences, Russell noted. As a result, associates have “more information at their fingertips, including customer information, buying trends and what sizes they purchased. Then they can make better recommendations in terms of item styles and sizes.”
