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A Question Heard Every Day in Retail Stores Could Soon Become Obsolete

Jan. 3, 2013
“Did you find everything you were looking for today?” We frequently hear sales associates ask this as we’re checking out with our purchases. But could this common question soon become obsolete?

“Did you find everything you were looking for today?” We frequently hear sales associates ask this as we’re checking out with our purchases. But could this common question soon become obsolete?

Yes, and here’s why. Recent mobile app development could eventually make finding everything you need as simple as using a GPS. Called indoor mapping, retailers use in-store apps and GPS mapping to help customers find what they need, turn-by-turn, while in a store.

The apps can also deliver ads in the form of coupons and buying incentives at the same time that customers are standing in front of products that they are considering purchasing. This can also help retailers with improving store layout (and hence, boost supply chain efficiency).

Indoor mapping is still a few years away from becoming a common tool, but some retailers are already testing it. With a tool like this, customers should be able to easily find what they need. And this exactly is the kind of in-store experience that can bring in more customers, continually boost satisfaction levels, and turn them into repeat customers.

As retailers look for new ways to make in-store shopping more appealing, being able to help customers speed up the pace and find exactly what they need through indoor mapping is a great way to bring in customers and complement online offerings. Let’s keep an eye on this developing trend.

For more on factors that are important to in-store customers, read this new article.

Jim

About the Author

Jim Tompkins | CEO

Dr. James A. Tompkins is an international authority on leadership, logistics, material handling, outsourcing, and supply chain best practices. As the founder and CEO of Tompkins International, he provides leadership for Tompkins globally.

His 30-plus years as CEO of a consulting / integration firm and his focus on helping companies achieve profitable growth give him an insider’s view into what makes great companies even better. Listen to an interview of Jim Tompkins on the Business Leader Radio show.

As a high-level business advisor, his unique perspective prepares corporations and executives for the future.

To share his knowledge and provide up-to-date information on supply chain and business trends, he developed the GoGoGo! Blogand Global Supply Chain Podcast.

He has written or contributed to more than 30 books and eBooks, including Caught Between the Tiger and the Dragon, Bold Leadership, Logistics and Manufacturing Outsourcing, The Supply Chain Handbook, andNo Boundaries. Jim has been quoted in hundreds of business and industry magazines such as The Journal of Commerce, Supply & Demand Chain Executive, and FORTUNE, and he has spoken at more than 4,000 international engagements.

Jim has served as President of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, the Materials Management Society, and the College-Industry Council on Material Handling Education, and Purdue has named him a Distinguished Engineering Alum. He has also received more than 50 awards for his service to his profession.

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