NEW YORK -- So what does a little robot that reads QR (quick response) codes and talks about how a blouse will mask the “lumps and dumps” of a person’s figure have to do with convenience stores?
Not much on the surface. Yet the endearing little store assistant on the trade-show floor at last week’s National Retail Federation (NRF) Show—obviously programmed for the department store or apparel environment—may offer c-store operators something more: inspiration.
Thinking outside the convenience-store “box” can often be a challenge. C-store technologies are often tied to legacy systems, pump controllers and supply-chain realities that keep outside ideas at bay. As a result, retailers deciding whether to go to a cross-channel technology show like the NRF Show in New York last week may feel hard-pressed to spend the time and money, especially when the c-store-centric NACS Show comes every fall.
True. Technologies like the show-floor robot have more obvious applications to the browsing, department-store consumer and not the in-and-out convenience-store customer. Even the general session and workshop speakers at NRF all seem to come from areas outside convenience, everything from auto parts to online grocery delivery.
Yet Chris Hunter, vice president of merchandise pricing, analysis and customer satisfaction, AutoZone, Memphis, Tenn., addressed issues of tiered pricing while on a panel on promotions. Using a technology analytics solution, he found out he could actually raise the price of the higher-end product in that category while tinkering with lower-end products to achieve higher turns and profit.
Jodie Kahn, chief consumer officer, FreshDirect, Long Island City, N.Y., spoke in her panel about finding new ways to engage customers through Google searches.
And Terry Lundgren, chairman, president and CEO of Macy’s Inc., Cincinnati, emphasized the importance of constantly addressing the in-store experience.
Today’s customer--whether they walk into a department store or a convenience store or summon Siri in their cars--is exposed to every aspect of retail, from specialty shops to big boxes, Amazon to GrubHub. Figuring out how the c-store fits—not just in a vacuum, but in the total retail picture—has to be the ultimate goal.
Angel Abcede, who writes the Mobile 2 Go blog, has covered technology in the convenience-store industry for more than two decades. Share your thoughts with Angel at aabcede@winsightmedia.com.
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