We know if you’re a retailer, there’s never a dull moment. With technological innovations coming thick and fast, new challenges appearing on a regular basis, and changing needs of both your customers and employees, running a successful retail business requires dynamic and forward thinking leaders.
Retail is a fast moving and challenging place and, increasingly, the secret to success is using data to better understand your customers, your staff and your business. By embracing technology and analysing your business insights, you’ll be able to make better decisions, faster.
But first it’s important to understand the impact changing demographics are having on the industry. By the end of 2018, Millennials will outpace Baby Boomers in terms of earnings, making them the world’s largest, and most powerful, shopping group. What’s more, by 2025 they will also make up 75% of the global workforce. This means forward-thinking retailers need to focus on what Millennials value most, both as consumers and as employees. Chiefly, this can be summed up in one word: experience.
As consumers, Millennials are often more interested in their shopping experience than price points. While as employees, Millennials increasingly search for an employer who has a culture that matches their own values, rather than simply doing a job for the sake of doing it.
There are many ways you can create an enhanced and compelling experience for both your customers and employees, and both hinge on utilising software and technology. Consumers look for a seamless omnichannel experience and prize convenience highly. The video below, a webinar with Mark Thomson from Zebra Technologies, contains some great information on how technology can help do this.
At Quinyx, our focus is on how workforce management software can help enrich the lives of your employees and as a result make your store more successful. Staff are your number one asset and most significant benefit when it comes to creating experiences for customers. This is why investing in them is key.
This is how Quinyx can help you improve the experience you deliver for your staff and therefore your customers.
It frees up their time. One of the key benefits of a mobile-first workforce management solution like Quinyx is it saves time. By reducing the amount of time it takes your managers to create schedules and the time it takes your staff to manage their own personal admin, you are increasing the amount of time they can spend with your customers. Your customers will love this and as a result their experience will be enhanced.
It gives your employees control. Millennials crave control over their destiny and as an employer, it’s now easy for you to give them this. Through the Quinyx app they will be able to request when they want work, to apply for more hours, to manage their time off and more. Again, this saves your managers time but, more importantly, empowers your employees.
It revolutionises communication. There’s one piece of feedback we get from every customer and that’s always how much communication improves because of Quinyx. Because the software is cloud-based it can be accessed at anytime from anywhere. Employees value good communication and are happier when it’s done well.
It makes their lives easier. Especially when it comes to absence management and leave requests. Instead of having to fill out endless forms, employees can apply for leave or vacations through the Quinyx app. And managers can grant these requests through the app as well, meaning a process which traditionally involves spreadsheets, paper and admin can be done in a swipe and a click. And as a result of all of this, it also reduces staff turnover. One of the outcomes of having happier staff who enjoy work is a reduced staff turnover. We’ve found the impact of this to be significant, especially in industries like retail where staff turnover for low wage employees has historically been high.
Great technology and great people go hand in hand. They complement each other, empowering you and enabling you to give more to your customers.
Innovation and experience are the buzzwords on every retailers’ lips. If you’d like to find out more about how we can help you embrace innovation and deliver an amazing experience, we’d love to hear from you.