Shoppers often use mobile devices in stores and retail employees might benefit from following suit.
In its quest to be an omnichannel retailer that integrates its online and store operations, pharmacy chain Boots UK Ltd. deployed 3,700 iPads across its 2,500 stores in the United Kingdom. Each store has one iPad and larger stores may have more, says Robin Phillips, director of omnichannel and development at Boots UK.
The Walgreen Co.-owned retailer created an employee-facing app for the iPads, called Sales Assist, that employees can use to find information about products, inventory levels and to give shoppers product recommendations. These features will allow employees to better serve shoppers, get their work done faster and boost productivity, Phillips says.
“Putting updated, relevant information in the hands of store colleagues is key to delivering an easier, simpler shopping experience for customers,” Phillips says.
For example, if a product is not available in the store, an associate can use the app to check if it is in stock at a nearby store or online. The app is linked to store and website stock levels, and product databases, Phillips says. Previously, employees needed to search for products at the store’s point-of-sale system for such information.
“The app is much quicker to load and has a faster search functionality, including showing recent searches,” Phillips says.
The app also can also link to the point of sale system. So if a shopper wants to order an out-of-stock product send it to a Boots store for pick up or ship it to her home, the employee can add the product to the basket in the iPad app, and then transfer the cart to the store’s point of sale system for the shopper to complete the purchase.
Although the app gives shoppers and employees more information more quickly, the goal for the app is to improve the quality of shopper-associate interaction, not speed it up, Phillips says.
Boots will measure the success of the iPad rollout via how often employees use it, number of in-store orders and feedback from employees and customers, the retailers says. Phillips did not disclose usage metrics so far.
Boots employees received training on how to use the iPad with an e-learning module, which included videos and images, he says. Associates carry the iPad throughout the work day, and some associates use an iPad holster to hold the device, Boots says.
Boots used IBM MobileFirst and Apple Inc. for app development and the project deployment. The companies began work on the project in October, and Boots piloted the app at several stores before releasing it, Phillips says. He would not say how much Boots spent on the app or the project.
“Mobility is a key component of our current strategy, which will see investment focused on ensuring that Boots continues to serve communities through its store network as a true omnichannel retailer and healthcare provider,” Phillips says.
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