Pay by phone technology is changing point of sale display marketing. With advancing pay-by-phone or device technology, businesses need to rethink their point-of-sale terminals, signage and displays. When newspaper headlines trumpet a time when shoppers in New Zealand will be able to leave their wallets at home, it’s clear that there are big changes ahead for retailers.

2017 has seen a large increase in the number of customers who have taken up banks and mobile companies’ new pay-by-phone technology, heralding a revolution in how stores approach their point-of-sale display, terminals, and signage.

Free apps such as Apple Pay, Android Pay, and ASB Virtual let shoppers use their phones just as they have become accustomed to using their contactless cards, creating a more seamless buying experience. Although big-ticket sales still require the shopper to input a pin number or thumbprint, for purchases less than $80, users don’t even need to unlock their phones meaning that the actual moment of buying has become less interactive with staff.

While retailers get to grips with the new technology, this fresh way in which consumers handle and part with their money will have a big impact on how bricks-and-mortar stores think about layout, display and signage within the retail environment.

So what should New Zealand retailers be considering in the light of this point of sale display revolution? And how can Mills Display help create a store environment in which the modern shopper is both comfortable and informed?

The Phone is now integral to the Shopping Experience

For years now, shoppers have become more and more used to researching potential purchases while out shopping by using their mobile devices. Price comparisons, explanations, alternatives and detailed information is now at their fingertips rather than being found via a conversation with staff or by reading information on packaging and shelving.

By adding the action of payment to the long list of a phone’s uses, technology companies have made the mobile device (and hence social media sharing and online searching) integral to the shopping experience – and retailers need to tap into this experience to keep shoppers interested.

• Displays and signage can now let shoppers know where to search online for product information.
• Display units can group together products to suggest potential uses (e.g matching clothing, menu items or interior design and furniture) to promote online sharing.

Point of sale is now a swifter experience

Having a single station for payment and information worked into a store layout as the final piece of the shopping experience makes little sense when point of sale display time is such a minimal exchange – especially in stores where customers are expected to browse and test products before making their purchase decision. Having information stations throughout a store’s layout or having staff on hand to act as ambassadors for the stock is now more important than having them in store just to take payment.

• Point of sale display and signage need to talk more about information and testing products to give shoppers a better idea of what is on offer.

The Way shoppers are controlled at POS has changed

Even in supermarkets or smaller high street-style stores, the speed of the final buying transaction has increased to the level where shoppers are spending far less time in queues. Self-service checkouts combined with contactless payment via cards or phones create different challenges for queue control and a different way of thinking about the shoppers’ choice between baskets and trolleys.

• Fast and self-service point of sale display systems require extra attention for bagging areas, basket display stands and queue control.

Marketing and Display at POS has changed

By moving through POS faster, there’s also less time for shoppers to browse point of sale display marketing which means many of the types of products usually found here can move to end-of-aisle or other high-traffic locations.

• Traditional point of sale display solutions can be moved to other high-traffic areas of the store – such as information counters or departments where shoppers queue for personal service (eg. deli counters).

Your customers’ profiles could change depending on how they pay

A BNZ spokesman talking about their Android Pay technology that was launched in December told the New Zealand Herald that more than 90% of contactless transactions were for $80 or less and that 40% of new users were aged between 20 and 29. In short, although this “wallet-less society” is likely to become the norm, at the moment it is very much seen as a convenient way to pay for a younger generation of consumers. Depending on their regular customer profile, retailers therefore may need to consider a two-tier Point of sale display system that caters to both traditional and younger tech-savvy shoppers. You can also consider marketing displays tailored to the different customers depending on how they choose to pay.

• Signage and displays need to clearly communicate payment methods throughout the store to avoid confusion at point of sale.
• Alternative point of sales display systems can be designed to target specific customers.

Stay up to date with the latest Point of Sale Display Trends

If you want to keep up to date on our new point of sale display products, items and systems, or you’re interested in finding a customised solution to a particular point of sale display trend or challenge, you can get more information by downloading a catalogue, emailing us at sales@millsdisplay.co.nz, use our online contact form or by talking to one of our salespeople using the Live Chat in the bottom corner of your screen.

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There’s little that gets the internet and blogosphere humming quite like a new food presentation trends (OK, there’s always Hollywood divorces and Oscars mistakes – but you’re hardly likely to come to Mills Display for your fix of Tinseltown tittle-tattle!). So back to food, food retail and food display… and it’s clear that the ongoing popularity of food-as-entertainment, food television, meals-on-the-go and boutique, local providers has shown that the New Zealand food retail sector is still booming.

At Mills Display, we have years’ worth of food presentation experience working in every link in the food chain.

From manufacturing and transport, to retail and restaurant. And that means that we’re not only keen to stay on top of fresh global trends, but also to help roll them out in the New Zealand market to help boost an economy that thrives on growing and creating the best products and then serving them up to homegrown consumers and the ever-increasing numbers of tourists.

So what’s caught our eye recently – and how can you tap into the Mills Display team’s enthusiasm for food presentation and display solutions to help your business boom?

Food Presentation Trend 1: Novelty

The sushi donut – “is here and it’s blowing the internet’s mind”

Already this year we’ve seen the birth of the sushi donut – “they’re here and they’re blowing the internet’s mind”, according to USA Today – and a school lunch service in New Plymouth has sparked a few headlines with its “frushi” mashup of sweet rice and fruit. In other words, the consumer doesn’t mind whether they’re in a store or a restaurant or a school canteen, they are equally as happy to jump on board the novelty train.

Ever since the cronut took the world by storm in 2013 – and turned New York bakery owner Dominque Ansel into a food celebrity – businesses all over the world have looked to create novelty signature dishes in an effort to go viral and attract fame (and a little fortune). You don’t need an onsite industrial bakery or ranks of food scientists working in development laboratories – just a bit of flare, some imagination, and the right tools. Then simply put them on display and try to talk Seven Sharp or Breakfast into featuring them on television!

Food Presentation Trend 2: All-in-one Menu Designs

Grocery delivery companies, online shopping and firms offering all-ingredients-in-one-bag meals have certainly changed the landscape when it comes to food retail, presentation and display in New Zealand. But for stores that need to compete with these new players, there are plenty of ways in which the shopping experience can incorporate shoppers’ new expectations.

For example, grouping displays around set menus or organising ingredients around a week’s worth of meals can help reduce customers’ browsing time as well as boosting your own authority around your products. Themed displays around geography (Mexican or Indian foods, for example), or novel uses for homegrown Kiwi products (local cheeses, meats or wine-matches, for example) can also play into the hands of time-poor shoppers.

Food Presentation Trend 3: Less is more

The star-studded South Beach Food Festival in the US attracts some of the biggest names in the world of food and hospitality and they’re always keen to push their latest ideas for what’s hot and on trend. Among the predictions for a resurgence in items such as ramen noodles, saki, ancient African grains and regional Indian dishes, one of the comments that caught our eye was from Jose Andres, the chef-owner of ThinkFoodGroup and the man credited with bringing the concept of small-plate dining to the US.

Jose predicts “that more and more dishes will have less and less ingredients – the four-ingredient dish is the next big thing!” In order for this to work, retailers need to think about spotlighting their key, star ingredients and providing a good story and pedigree for what’s on offer.

Food Presentation Trend 4: Boutique Producers

For a few years now, New Zealand consumers have been developing a keen taste for understanding where their food is coming from and this has sparked a rise both in boutique producers and in stores creating food presentations and displays that play into this “think local, buy local” theme.

As well as the wooden barrels, crates, block and stands that can really help give any food display that “farmers’ market” feel, there are plenty of other natural and natural-look products (from wicker baskets to melamine slates) to help create a cohesive design for any food presentation.

Food Presentation Trend 5: Food on the Go

What certainly hasn’t changed over recent years is how time-poor we all are – and that has led to a huge jump in the amount we snack, or eat on the go, as opposed to sitting down with friends and family. While at the one end of the spectrum, the slow food movement is calling for braising and roasting less tender cuts of meat, there’s also a huge market for ready-made and prepared food that can be eaten on the go.

Deli counters are turning into one-stop shops for working lunches, while well-designed produce counters and displays can be used to push healthy snacks.

Get in touch for more information

If you want to keep up to date on our food presentation and display products, items and systems, or you’re interested in finding a customised solution to a particular trend or challenge, you can get more information by downloading a catalogue, emailing us or by talk to one of our salespeople on Live Chat.

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The Gen Z Shoppers or “future consumers” favour shopping instore over online, according to the latest research by AMP Capital. “Ultimately, they’re the future consumers who will influence the direction of retail…”

In its annual retail practice report, the global investment manager found that 87 per cent of Gen Z shoppers like or love shopping in store compared to 79 per cent who like or love to shop online.

AMP said future shoppers – adult Gen Z Shoppers – are the next generation of shoppers who are between 18-22 years of age, already earning an income and one step away from starting their full-time careers.

“Ultimately, Gen Z Shoppers are the future consumers who will influence the direction of retail.”

The Gen Z Shoppers report said that the future of traditional shopping in bricks-and-mortar stores remains strong but retailers need to adapt their in-store experience to continue to engage with their changing consumers, particularly the tech-savvy future shoppers.

“The research highlights the importance of developing fun, social experiences in-store and the opportunities that emerge once brands and retailers align their online and offline offerings,” said Mark Kirkland, MD of AMP Capital Shopping Centres.

According to the report, 53 per cent of Gen Z Shoppers feel more confident when shopping with others compared to 27 per cent of current shoppers, while 61 per cent of Gen Z Shoppers research while in-store compared to 36 per cent of current shoppers.

Meanwhile, Male future shoppers represent a ‘whole new ballgame’ according to AMP.

Last year, the RRP report found that men love shopping and that this year, 46 per cent of male future shoppers have said they are more interested in staying ahead of popular trends than 36 per cent of their female counterparts.

Male shoppers prefer to shop in groups, with most stating that shopping is a social experience (51 per cent) versus only 36 per cent of male current shoppers.

The research found 56 per cent of male Gen Z Shoppers are more confident when shopping with others compared to 29 per cent of male current shoppers.

“The continued popularity of shopping in store provides a positive outlook for retailers,” said Kirkland.

“It’s important that, as an industry, we constantly evolve to adapt to the current trends that engage our future shoppers in order to stay relevant.

“It’s vital that retailers and shopping centres engage with the digital world to deliver a seamless online and offline experience that will create new and exciting avenues to connect with their customers.

“Trailblazing Australian retailers such as Mecca Maxima and Culture Kings have captured the attention of future shoppers by creating a personalised customer experience that’s exclusive to instore.

These are just a few representations of the future of retail although we look forward to seeing more bold ideas from retailers within this innovative space.”

The report also found both future and current shoppers are both highly engaged with global issues and value strong ethics and companies with a purpose that goes beyond just selling.

Approximately 70 per cent of both generations prefer brands that give back to society, while 59 per cent of future shoppers agreed they would pay more for sustainable products compared to 48 per cent of current shoppers.

“It also provides useful insights that can be shared across our industry, inspiring innovation and creation of engaging experiences that attract both current and future Shoppers and ensure the continued success of our sector,” said Kirkland. Article source: insideretail.co.nz

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