Pets at Home announced it is launching ‘Sales Assist’, a MobileFirst iOS app developed by IBM to enhance customer experiences in store.
The app, which forms part of Pets at Home’s omnichannel strategy, will be used on iPads and implemented across 440 stores around the country. The app comes as a means to make it easier and simpler for customers to purchase products based on previous preferences from past shopping trips.
Pets at Home has a large network of stores and different brands online which receive high levels of regular traffic. The app will provide more than 3,000 employees with access to the company’s product.
IBM is working to improve shopping experiences by providing digital technology which customers can interact with, allowing them to select and purchase a wide range of products available in stores.
“Today, how retailers engage with customers — whether online, in-store or a hybrid environment – is being disrupted driving a critical need for brands to create digital experiences that meet the evolving needs of the any-channel, always-on consumer compelling digital experiences” said Gareth Mackown, Europe Mobile and Apple Leader at IBM.
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“Mobile is leading the way for improving customer engagement. By empowering Pets at Home’s colleagues with insight, product information and transactional capabilities through their Apple devices, Pets at Home is creating a stronger brand affinity with its consumers, blurring the boundaries between digital and physical consumption and working to ensure that each customer leaves the store with all of their pet care needs satisfied.”
Key features of the app include using it to select alternative items or a range of goods according to product searches chosen by the customer. This will allow employees to make suggestions and offers according to what is available in a particular store, and make specific orders tailored to a customer’s needs.
Employees will be able to have access to wider insights of what each customer likes to purchase for their pets, and therefore have an advantage of making more sales immediately according to the customer’s preferences. This will in turn speed up the process and experiences of shopping in store.
The app aims to enhance mobility as it supports retailers in store, allowing them to have easy access to a customer’s recent purchases and searches according to what they have selected on the online catalogue the app provides, and therefore make future recommendations, and also provide a more ‘personalised’ retail experience.
Customers are able to choose from a range of options using the app, and it also allows them to make transactions which include having their goods delivered to their workplace or home address. This could simplify shopping experiences for customers, as they are provided with options on demand.
