Futura boosts the focus on customer experience in-store and online at RBTE 2016 - Stand No 556

Futura Retail Solutions, which numbers leading UK and international lifestyle brands like Cath Kidston, Saltrock and Oliver Bonas among its biggest users as well as many smaller start-up brands, will put the focus squarely on boosting customer experience in-store and online at this year’s RBTE on 9-10 March at Olympia.

RBTE 2016

Futura will showcase their suite of web service based API’s, supporting real time live data feeds for product and stock information, order processing and customer data, with click and collect, gift card redemption and other features to provide a seamless customer experience, whether online or in-store. Using this technology Futura currently provide seamless links to Saltrock’s third party warehouse solution and to their website, helping to improve management control and streamline stock allocations and merchandise planning.

With so much emphasis on omni-channel and web integration Futura is also reminding retailers not to forget the importance of the in-store experience, as it’s here that retailers have most opportunity to win hearts and minds. Queue busting remains a major focus as customers who desert the high street are likely to be far less loyal once online.

Futura will be demonstrating their cutting edge EPOS solutions on mobile devices, like the Toshiba tablet currently being piloted instore by Oliver Bonas, to give faster look up and better customer service.

The suite of Web Service capabilities will streamline operations and improve the online experience with fast real time response for stock and item information, customer creation and search, order creation, modification and payments, gift card sales, redemption and points balance, plus click and collect, and click and reserve. It will be a complete solution with everything effective omni-channel retail requires.

Customers like Saltrock, Oliver Bonas, 73 Retail, Linens Direct and Frosts Garden Centres are already benefitting.

Timberland Email Receipt

For many retail brands the integration of bricks and mortar with e-commerce stores to provide that all important ‘omni-channel’ experience remains challenging,” explains Futura’s marketing director Tina Royall. “Our new suite of Web Service based API’s enables real time electronic communication between head office systems and e-commerce platforms with live data to provide up-to-date and accurate item and stock information wherever it resides in the business.”

“At the same time sales and customer data are managed consistently and without duplication to provide that all important single view of customers across multiple selling platforms, in a centralised database, giving the retailer the information they need to deliver a great customer experience”.

New features on show will be a fully enhanced customer data entry screen with integrated post code look up, providing staff with an intuitive ‘wizard style’ process for customer creation, all designed to increase speed, reduce customer duplication and improve data quality. Customer look-up and recognition with sales history and other data can be improved, increasing the options for more positive in-store interaction.

 

 “Successful retailers continue to be those who focus their energies on delivering the very best customer service and understand what customers want. As retailers battle for brand share online there’s a real danger that the instore experience is neglected”, Tina Royall believes. “So as well as improvements to omni-channel integration we are also making it easier to improve the instore experience with mobile stock look ups, speedier customer capture and emailing receipts.

Luke Underhill, Founding Director, of 73 Retail added: “As exclusive UK franchise partners for Timberland the Futura retail platform provides a rock solid retail solution. Adding yReceipts functionality not only improves the customer experience, but encourages immediate interaction and feedback with immeasurable value both to us and our retail partners.”