Line Busting: Top Benefits and Strategies for Retailers
Many consumers have preferences when it comes to in-store versus online shopping. Online browsing typically offers around-the-clock convenience while in-store shopping gives consumers the ability to see and try on items in person.
One of the downsides to shopping at brick-and-mortar locations is the potential of encountering long lines, especially during peak times. However, as brands continue to digitally enhance in-store shopping for consumers, one retail practice makes a significant impact on providing a seamless and convenient experience: line busting.
What is Line Busting?
Line busting is when store associates leverage mobile technology to help customers quickly move through lines at brick-and-mortar retail locations. Not only does line busting reduce wait times, but it also eliminates overcrowding and promotes wider foot traffic around stores – benefiting both shoppers and retailers.
Line busting tactics that retailers can use include:
- Enabling customers to check out anywhere in the store through a mobile point-of-sale (POS) system, such as an iPhone or iPad with contactless payment options like Tap to Pay on iPhone;
- Promoting BOPIS (buy online pick up in-store) and curbside pick-up options that let shoppers quickly retrieve purchased online orders, reducing the time consumers spend waiting in line;
- Allowing consumers to check out in-store via a self-service kiosk or mobile shopping app instead of at a checkout counter.
Retailers can employ line busting strategies in numerous ways to provide customers with a seamless shopping experience. Read below to learn more about line busting, including its major benefits and what technologies retailers need to implement to make line busting successful.
Top 3 Benefits of Line Busting for Retailers and Shoppers
While line busting ultimately centers on providing greater convenience and saving consumers time, it also boasts several major perks that benefit both retail staff and customers.
1. Shorter In-Store Lines
The potential of encountering long lines during busy times, such as the holidays, back-to-school season, and other peak promotional periods, can deter some customers from even entering a store to browse. However, if time-savvy shoppers spot mobile point-of-sale systems, self-service kiosks, or other self-checkout options scattered throughout the store – and no long lines – they’ll be much more likely to step inside. And when they’re ready to check out, the experience will happen at a much faster rate.
2. Greater Distribution of In-Store Foot Traffic
Retailers that use line busting strategies in store will likely experience a greater distribution of foot traffic. If customers can make purchases at various points through the store – either with sales associates carrying mobile point-of-sale devices or through a self-service kiosk – they’ll be less likely to congregate in a particular spot.
More widespread foot traffic around the store means a greater likelihood of additional sales, especially if shoppers spot items they wouldn’t have seen by the checkout counter.
3. More Time for Sales Associates
By relying on mobile point-of-sale systems and self-service checkout platforms located through the store, sales associates will gain more time to spend with customers. Associates can then use this extra time to make personalized item recommendations, answer questions, and restock inventory on the sales floor.
Key Line Busting Strategies for Retailers
Retailers can capitalize on the top benefits of line busting by executing on the strategies below, which provide further convenience, time saving, and opportunities to make sales.
Mobile Checkout
Retailers can equip their sales associates with mobile checkout solutions to help customers check out anywhere in the store. Instead of instructing shoppers to stand in long lines leading to the checkout counter, associates can weave throughout the sales floor with devices containing contactless payment solutions. This makes it very simple for customers to complete transactions via phone-to-phone payments like Tap to Pay on iPhone – without having to leave their spot.
Mobile checkout ultimately results in more engaged staff and greater employee satisfaction, thanks to more one-on-one interactions, faster payment options, and shorter wait times.
Self-Checkout
In addition to promoting mobile POS options, brands can also target shoppers who prefer self-checkout experiences. These include checking out through the retailer’s mobile shopping app or via self-service kiosks placed around stores.
Consumers who have downloaded the retailer’s app can scan their items with their phones, check out within the app, and then leave the store with their purchases. Not only does this offer more convenience to shoppers, but it also offers many benefits to brands. A seamless mobile app experience enables retailers to more easily collect customer data to later enhance in-app personalization and promotes higher loyalty program usage.
It also results in more app downloads, which leads to additional opportunities for consumers to shop with the brand in the future. To raise awareness about in-app checkout options, retailers can place signage with instructions and QR codes to download their apps around the store.
Brands can also invest in self-service kiosks to station around their sales floors. In addition to on-the-spot checkout options, these kiosks can also give consumers personalized item suggestions and upsell various services, which frees up time for sales associates.
BOPIS and Curbside Pickup
Brands should also leverage BOPIS (buy online pick up in-store) and curbside pick-up options to target time-strapped consumers. By highlighting BOPIS and curbside pick-up options on both online and in-app product pages, retailers can inform customers that they can avoid in-store lines completely.
Shoppers who have time to visit the brand’s nearest location to retrieve their items can select the BOPIS option to eliminate wait times. Meanwhile, consumers looking for the utmost convenience can leverage curbside pick-up to get their orders delivered right to their cars.
Ship-to-Home
In a similar vein to BOPIS and curbside pickup, offering a ship-to-home option via self-service kiosks, the mobile app, or mobile POS systems lets customers avoid long in-store wait times. It also enables them to check out on the spot with inventory that may not be available in that store.
For example, if they need a different size that’s not in stock, they can still complete the sale while the product is fresh in their mind and order the desired size to be shipped directly to their homes. This ensures that the retailer does not lose the sale while also providing the customer with a seamless experience.
Must-Have Line Busting Technologies
Retailers seeking to bring their line busting strategies to life should employ two specific technologies: mobile POS systems and mobile shopping apps.
Mobile POS
A mobile POS system is essential for retailers’ brick-and-mortar locations. It ultimately offers unbeatable convenience for customers, as it enables them to make purchases anywhere in the store. The result is a seamless checkout experience.
Mobile POS systems also enable sales associates to leverage customer data – such as their size and style preferences and even past purchase history – to provide personalized recommendations. This is especially useful for retailers employing line busting strategies, as shoppers may not all check out at the main counter, where some brands feature smaller items that can be added to purchases at the last minute. Instead, sales associates with mobile POS devices can cross-sell and upsell products or services to give customers a truly individualized experience.
Mobile Shopping App
A native mobile shopping app is one of the most important technologies in a retailer’s commerce toolkit. Not only does it let customers shop anytime and anywhere, it also serves as a useful in-store shopping companion. Consumers can enable a location-based store mode feature in the app to easily retrieve pick-up orders, scan products for pricing, access real-time inventory, request help from a sales associate, and check out once they’re ready.
Line Busting: Offering More Convenience and Shopping Options
Ultimately, line busting offers massive advantages for retailers looking to boost their profits and improve the customer experience. While line busting boasts many perks, its convenience for both sales associates and shoppers is unparalleled.
Leveraging technologies like mobile POS systems and self-service kiosks enables store staff members to better perform their job duties while providing customers with plentiful shopping options. Additionally, providing customers with a plethora of checkout and payment options gives them more flexibility to shop however and whenever they want, which can result in more frequent transactions.
To discover mobile POS and mobile shopping apps and start line busting today, speak with one of our experts today.
