ABSTRACT Long queues are experienced in retail stores as customers have to form a line at the checkout stand to make payment for merchandise purchased. High costs of operations are thus experienced due to the large number of employees needed to ensure smooth running of the business enterprise as a minimum of two employees are required on each counter to facilitate scanning, receiving payment and packing of the purchased goods. This research work seeks to address this problem by proposing a mobile self-checkout system using a combination of barcode scanning technology, mobile money integration and card swiping technology. Once a customer 's account is activated either after a card swipe or mobile money top up, he or she is able to make purchases while scanning and adding items to the trolley with checkout been automatically done by the system …show more content…
Mobile shopping is achieved through downloadable smart phone applications, mobile web applications and mobile ready POS or in-store smart client software applications. Mobile shopping systems can be used by retailers to achieve both in store and outside sales; marketing functions like location based messaging for merchandise promotions, advertising, mobile coupons and loyalty programs; proximity and non proximity payment functions in and outside the store; order management, customer feedback, customer follow ups and mobile phone based reporting and performance management; avail real time product information to the consumers on the move; provide product comparisons, give updates on upcoming deals or offers (Chen,
The Australian supermarkets and grocery stores industry is very keen on inculcating technology in their day to day operations and also for their back end support. A good example to illustrate the gap in technology between the Malaysian and Australian supermarkets is the Self-Checkout Counters, they have been in Australia for quite some time and are now evolving but for Malaysia this is a new concept altogether. The Australian Companies are investing more and more in technology to make the shopping experience easy, refreshing and fun for its customers. Currently Coles, one of the leaders of the industry in Australia is working along with IBM to install radio tags on each item and this will drastically reduce the checkout time (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/technology/news/smart-phone-to-avoid-queues-in-supermarkets/story-fn7celvh-1226410624726). This integration of technology to attract more customers and make their shopping experiences better will be very crucial for them to gain more market share (IBIS 2016), thus Giant have to focus on this from the very
In recent times it has been well documented and reported that the way in which retailing is changing. Alongside the former methods of ‘’bricks and mortar’’ stores, modern day retailers must now ensure that their goods and services are available by means of various streams, including websites and mobile apps. (Benady, D. 2014) But it is not only retailing which have changed; the consumer is becoming savvier and increasingly sophisticated. Consumers are expecting more from retailers and now expect a ‘’seamless shopping experience’’ however way in which they may interact with the retailer. (Benady, D. 2014)
Combining queues have proven not to be a good technique for managing queues in grocery stores and supermarkets. Studies have shown that even though combining queues have been successful in some service organizations, these techniques have proven to have negative results in grocery stores. Among the factors that cause delays of customers who are in line at the checkout counter in grocery stores is management’s attempt to combine queues. Contrary to common calculations, there are reasons for believing that combining queues, especially queues of customers in checkout lines in grocery stores, may at times be counterproductive. Rothkopf and Rech (1987) in their seminar had one participant citing the practice of combini...
Now let us step to the other side of the Merchant counter as a consumer and realize how RFID can benefit the average person. Have you ever felt impatient when standing behind someone in line at the grocery store who insisted on paying by check? Well, get ready to get agitated at the slowpoke of the future—the techno challenged person using a credit card. Contactless cards, already used in Asia for several transit and payment systems, have been introduced to the United States via pilot programs sponsored by American Express and MasterCard. Thes...
Also the checking out process has been technologically advanced as it was observed that iPhones and iPads are used on the sales floor to see what items are in stock at the location or other locations and to help customers in making a purchase. Using these items help with the communication among staff and customers. After making a purchase, the associate that assisted them will more than likely follow up with a personalized thank you note and invite them back to the store. Customizing the product for the customer also increases the use of technology. The customer chooses what product they want and they ask an associate to engrave their name on it, making it their own personal
Increased Visibility of a particular brand on the shelf increases their success rate. Therefore many of the major stores are promoting their own brands by giving them a larger shelf space which is bigger then their market share. This reduces the visibility of other branded products at the same time.
- Lack of staff in the store (reason for having a long line in the counter.)
In today’s world, a Smartphone has become essential part of daily life. There was a time when transactions happened through barter system. Thereafter was the emergence of notes and coins. And presently, the world is moving towards the “Digital Wallet”. Due to technology, mobile users can use their Smartphone to make money transactions or payments by using applications installed in their phone. Digital wallet system is an essential part of electronic commerce. E-commerce provides the capability of trading on the internet. A digital wallet is a virtual service used as a substitute for physical cash. The present study tries to study the various factors that can affect a consumer’s
With the growing concerns on the equality of persons with a disability, people become more aware on the provision of barrier free environment in publicly accessible premises. Lack of ramps, uneven flooring, narrow corridors and absence of tactile guide path are only some of the examples of the physical barriers for these people. Hong Kong government has been taking an initiative role in formulating legislations and providing codes of practice so as to safeguard the interests of the persons with a disability. Along with the government efforts in raising the awareness of society on the issue, media, statutory bodies and advocacy groups also have an active participation in fostering the interests of their concerned groups of disabled people.
The year is 2014, the markets are changing constantly, and they always have to meet the needs of new consumers as well as old consumers. Mobile telephones have been in the retail and wholesale business for quite some time, and are only evolving from here on out. There are things that these cell phones can bring us that are major benefits in our everyday lives. Cell phones bring us maps, radios, address books, and even flashlights now. Cell phones have taken shape from a huge portable device to a more convenient thin device that can fit in your pocket. With time in any consumer market, the consumer adapts to the technology that makes their life easier. The constant innovation of cell phones has led us to smart phones, and these smart phones are capable of putting certain businesses out of the market. Businesses that engineered PDAs in the past were met with challenges because smart phones are able to match their productivity. Land lines have become useless since everyone can afford a mobile device now. Listening to music has also switched from a traditional CD Player/MP3 Player to an everyday smart phone.
In today’s era “INTERNET” is playing a significant role in our daily life. People can walk through the internet to one who is actually living on the different side of the planet, can send mails round the clock, search information & even buy things online. With this invention of internet there is a shift in traditional way of shopping. Now there is no need to open a physical store. One can be active at any time and place and purchase products and services. The number of users of internet is increasing day by day which means that online shopping is increasing. Various characteristics of online shopping is making it more convenient for the customers, as compared to traditional way of shopping such as the ability to view and purchase goods and
The checkouts used in modern supermarket chains are all capable of EFT and are therefore all considered EFTPOS. In the next few years checkouts or ‘tills’ in all retail shops will use the ICC Barcodes The goods found in supermarkets are labelled with barcodes used to identify specific items on a central database. When the good is scanned a request is sent from the checkout to this main database where the request is handled and the appropriate information returned to that terminal and the correct amount reduced from the stock of that item. The bar codes are formed of lines of different widths and as each line represents a number the resulting code is the information sent to the main computer.
Computer technology has had a significant impact on retail stores. All but the smallest shops have replaced the old-fashioned cash register with a terminal linked to a computer system. The terminal may require that the clerk type in the code for the item; but more and more frequently the checkout counter include a bar-code scanner, a device that directly reads into the computer the UPC printed on each package.
E-Commerce is a type of industry where the buying and selling of products or services is conducted over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. Electronic commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. It also includes ‘M-commerce’ which makes use of various mobile devices or smart phones. It means "the delivery of e-commerce capabilities directly into the consumer’s hand, anywhere, via wireless technology.” The various services available on M-Commerce are Mobile Money Transfer, Mobile ATM, Mobile ticketing, Mobile vouchers, coupons and loyalty cards, News, Stock Quotes, shopping apps, Mobile brokerage etc. Launching of Google Wallet Mobile App is one of the recent developments.
The integration of a variety of information systems into business operations is necessary for growth in the dynamic business environment. These information systems can be minimized and fixed into mobile devices such as smartphones. The use of smartphones can play an important role in supporting business processes and operations, developing strategies for competitive advantage and decision making. These smartphones allow employees to be linked to the office, its data and resources, without being in the office. The use of smartphones for business processes can make the business more efficient and effective. They make it easier for co-workers to communicate among themselves and facilitates better communication between the business and its employees, customers, suppliers and even other businesses, and makes it possible in real-time. For CPS Energy and Lloyd’s Construction, although they were doing well, they realised that they could do much better. They needed to find new ways to further cut costs and maximize profitability. They both decided that the best way to do that was through the introduction of smartphones in their business operation.