Mercaux has made its sales associates technology available to shoppers’ own mobile devices when visiting brick-and-mortar retail stores because of consumers wishing to keep socially distanced from shop assistants in-store.
 
This means shoppers can still get real-time availability checks and the source of product, recommendations and content normally provided by sales associates using the London-based company’s assisted selling app.
 
The web app can be accessed instantly by shoppers scanning a QR code or inputting a short URL into their web browsers on entering the store, so there is no need to wait for a native app to be downloaded
 
Normally operated by sales associates using a tablet, or self-served by customers using touch screen kiosks installed in-store, this is the first time that Mercaux has been offered to shoppers to operate on their own mobile devices.
 
Shoppers accessing the B2C web app can benefit from digital capabilities found in Mercaux’s sales assist and omnichannel products, such as:

• Scanning a barcode for product availability check in-store, online and in other stores;
• Access to descriptions, similar products, cross-selling suggestions and styling recommendations to complete a look;
• Browsing aisles of products available in-store and online;
• Being inspired by selling content such as product benefits, social media content, special offers and videos; and
• Bookmarking favourite items for purchase at the end of their visit.

This should result in higher conversion and fewer lost sales due to quick access to all information and alternative products, bigger basket sizes and more engaged shoppers.

“Anxieties felt by shoppers returning to stores will be felt for weeks and months to come, making for a very different shopping experience,” said Olga Kotsur, CEO of London-based Mercaux. “Coupled with this are new health-and-safety measures and varying staffing levels as retailers recover from lockdown measures, so providing a personalised shopping experience to every customer becomes impossible for some retailers. For these reasons, we felt it important that customers can still enjoy in-store shopping by taking advantage of the huge benefits that come from accessing instant availability, product details and rich content themselves.”

From a retailer’s perspective, Kotsur said it freed up the time of their staff, inspired customers to purchase bigger baskets and revealed in-store customer preferences and behaviour using Mercaux’s analytics.