More retailers are recognizing the variety of potential benefits they can gain by implementing
mPOS in stores. For example, arming store associates and managers with tablets helps retailers improve customer service and increase shopper engagement, leading to a boost in brick-and-mortar sales.
Perry Ellis is among the latest retailers to implement mPOS in stores. Prior to Black Friday, Perry Ellis adopted iPads featuring Starmount Connect and Engage in 17 top-selling locations. Due to the success of the holiday pilot, Perry Ellis plans to bring m-POS to all 45 locations nationwide by the end of Q1 2013.
Using tablet devices, store associates and managers now have more seamless access to brand and product data, as well in-store inventory availability, allowing them to be more educated and empowered. As a result, Perry Ellis effectively has improved shopper satisfaction in stores, according to Mark Colbert, Director of Retail Systems at Perry Ellis International.
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With a swipe of their fingers, store associates can tap into a breadth of content, such as product and price information, customer ratings/reviews and item recommendations based on personal tastes and preferred styles. These resources, said Colbert, help ensure that every shopper has a memorable and relevant shopping journey.
“The main reason we pursued mPOS was for clienteling,” added Luis Paez, CIO of Perry Ellis International. “Being able to approach and work with the customer more effectively was very important. Employees and store managers now are equipped with the tools to build that relationship with shoppers and create more interactive experiences.”
In addition, Perry Ellis employees can create more flexible in-store buying processes with the mobile solution. For example, if an item is out of stock, sales associates can order the product online and have it delivered directly to the consumer’s home.
Reinventing The Perry Ellis Brand
The full mPOS deployment is part of Paez’s plan to redefine the Perry Ellis brand experience across channels. In the near future, he explained, Perry Ellis plans to roll out a loyalty program that will help create a stronger synergy between the brick-and-mortar store and e-Commerce site.
“We’ve seen increased sales via e-Commerce in the last three years,” Paez noted, “so we’re working to release a loyalty program — and new loyalty system — and will integrate it with the Starmount mPOS solution.”
Perry Ellis also is developing a mobile app which will link to the loyalty program, Paez explained, and “provide another way for consumers to connect instantly to our stores, the web site, and Perry Ellis products.”
The mPOS rollout, loyalty program and mobile app all are part of “a very ambitious project that we hope to complete sometime this year,” Paez added. “We’re striving to connect all of these touch points to give the customer a 360-degree view of our brand.”
