HP Innovation Journal Issue 13: Winter 2019 | Page 33
What’s In Store for Retail Tech
AARON WEISS
VP and GM, Retail Solutions Business Unit, HP
BRAD TRACY
Global Retail Segment Manager, HP
The worlds of retail and hospital-
ity are getting more competitive,
with global brands entering more
markets and online competitors
fiercely vying for customer atten-
tion. Businesses that can anticipate
the fast-paced changes by under-
standing customers through their
shopping and purchase behaviors
and deploying technology to improve
the in-store experience have a much
better chance of gaining and retain-
ing customers.
Consumers are channel-agnostic,
combining “bricks and clicks” and
engaging with brands, products, and
services according to personal pref-
erences. Some want to interact with
a product in store before purchasing.
Others want to purchase online and
pickup in person—increasing demand
for space allocated for curbside pick-
ups. Still more customers choose
online purchases and want choices for
delivery. Predicting the future of the
retail and hospitality industries is diffi-
cult and inexact, but there are ways to
future-proof it with smart technology.
It could mean extensive mobility and
expanded self-service to empower
customers and speed up transactions;
virtual reality to inspire imagina-
tions and entertain customers; or
even augmented reality to enhance
product customization. Shoppers are
85% more likely to frequent stores
that feature real-time, personalized
offers and are 75% more likely to
shop in places that deploy self-serve
kiosks and interactive screens. 1 The
best-positioned retailers will lever-
age the latest technology to provide
service when and where a customer
wants it, and exactly how they want
it. Whatever your vision of the future,
it is critical that retail technology not
only deliver a return on investment,
but also be designed to adapt to
constant changes in the business
landscape and keep delivering in the
long term.
Unlike other products, which need
to be updated continuously, the HP
family of long lifecycle point-of-sale
(POS) solutions minimize disruption
once implemented, with devices
intended to carry retailers years
into the future. While some busi-
nesses are implementing mobile
technology, others know they want
these capabilities but haven’t quite
decided what it will look like. A con-
vertible retail system like the HP
Engage Go—which can remain fixed
or be undocked by an associate for
mobile use—offers businesses the
functionality of a fixed POS system
with the flexibility of a mobile device.
It ensures that retailers are agile and
adaptable, with the technology to
execute new plans. The HP Retail
Solutions portfolio—including the
Engage One, the Engage Go, and the
Engage Flex—is designed with the
flexibility to meet current and future
business needs and remain compet-
itive for years after implementation.
These HP devices use the 8th genera-
tion Intel ® chipset, which is optimized
for Windows 10, and modern pro-
cessors that meet current needs and
are robust enough to match future
processing demands to better serve
consumers as business needs evolve
and system demands grow. New,
adaptable technology—like the HP
Engage Go—also allows the associate
to meet customer needs wherever
they are in the store, providing a more
convenient and engaging experience.
Sensors, cameras, and other devices
integrated into retail and hospitality
environments can be employed to
gather data on customer preferences
and shopping behavior, track inven-
tory availability, observe traffic flows,
or present helpful information based
on shopper demographics. The vast
amount of data can be overwhelming,
but it’s key for businesses to make
sense of it by turning that data into
actionable insights. The HP Engage
Flex line, which offers high-powered,
incredibly reliable edge computing
capabilities, helps corporate and
frontline employees analyze inventory
data, determine the optimal number
of employees, and figure out how to
appeal to a target demographic for
retail sales or which offerings to prior-
itize for hospitality customers.
We can’t guarantee what the future
will look like, but we can foresee the
ever-present need for greater comput-
ing power and increased automation.
HP is committed to delivering the
technologies that enable business
to keep up with consumer demand,
delivering a roadmap that positions
retailers for success in the future.
1. HSO, “The store of the future—creating the
ultimate shopping experience” infographic, 2018.
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