The pandemic has significantly disrupted business in almost every industry and has forced companies to adhere to new public health and safety protocols such as social distancing, sanitization, masks, temperature checks and so on. At times like these, retail signage for covid 19 has to be adjusted in a way in which businesses can carry out these measures along with offering innovative customer experiences.
Tools such as thermal detection, customer queue apps, and antimicrobial touch interfaces are helping digital signage vendors and businesses to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and help protect their customers and employees.
Wayfinding Screens for Retail
Digital screens have been used for wayfinding in malls and other public places for some time now. But during the pandemic era, LED displays can guide people on how to navigate the mall by avoiding contact with others. Also, for example, if some shops or areas of the mall are closed for movement due to the sanitization process maybe, the entrance wayfinding screen of the mall can display these details so customers can take a detour in the meantime. Real time updates like these to inform shoppers of such changes is really helpful in controlling movement within the mall.
Larger stores within the mall can also use digital signage to control footfall and maintain social distancing inside their store. With the help of occupancy management technology, the screen at the entrance of the store can provide a real-time view of the customers browsing inside the store. If maximum capacity is reached, the screen can indicate the same and customers can either wait or return later.
Kiosks
Covid-19 has given birth to wellness kiosks – a contactless means of measuring temperatures, sanitizing hands, providing face masks, and other public health messaging. Digital signage wellness kiosks are an all-in-one solution that offer the necessary tools to help reduce the spread of infection as recommended by the World Health Organization.
Public Health Messages (Visually communicate health protocols)
Every big and small business is entitled to follow social distancing and hygiene. Businesses trying to resume normal activity levels have to undoubtedly comply with these frequently changing health guidelines. Digital signage is the best way to deliver this information in an accurate and timely manner.
Workplaces and public places can display information regarding how to wash your hands, how to wear your mask, how to measure six feet for social distancing, and so on to create better customer and employee experiences. Digital screens placed at entrances and exits can highlight the safety measures being taken – sanitization videos, images displaying social distancing, and so on. Knowing that customer/employee health is of importance gives them a sense of comfort in spending more time there.
Automating the information process
Innovators of technology have come up with new types of digital health and safety protocol solutions that combine sensors with video display and other things. For example, occupancy management systems and wellness kiosks help retailers with critical information to ensure social distancing and other health and safety practices are being enforced, without requiring manual staff to monitor these things.
By automating the information process with interactive retail displays, person-to-person product demonstration and sampling can be replaced, cashier-less checkout is possible and omnichannel ordering options are there. As a result, sales associates are summoned only when really needed (such as to get a specific shoe size).
Creating experiential retail spaces
Rather than just buying items from a store, retailers offer customers a chance to buy a unique shopping experience. With innovative technology that makes way for health and safety concerns, experiential shopping allows customers to easily engage with a product and entertain themselves with it. In fact, consumers may end up engaging with products they never intended to purchase, simply because they were impressed with the brand’s display and activities. Such unique experiences increase customer loyalty towards a particular brand.
Creating digital connections
Digital technology can be used to create a connection with customers, without the need of personal contact.
- In-store product engagement is possible with mobile and online content.
- Shopping apps are useful for product discovery and loyalty rewards.
- QR codes can be used to provide stock information of every item present on the shelf.
- Mobile apps provide cashier-less checkout.
- Using customer’s mobile device as a remote control for larger interactive displays.
- Personalized shopping experiences can be provided on mobiles through Bluetooth technology.
- Connecting with customers is also possible through social media platforms.
Contactless shopping
Contactless displays mean you don’t have to touch the screen but can still manage to interact with it through QR scanners. Let’s take an example of a customer wanting to find the shoe section of a store but doesn’t want to touch the display and interact his way around. All he has to do is scan the QR code to his smartphone and the interactive map will be replicated on his mobile device, allowing him to safely navigate the routes and obtain other information by touching his personal smartphone screen. Another way to interact is by speaking to the display and with the help of AI and voice recognition, the display can provide information accordingly.
Interactive store windows
Interactive store windows are a recent introduction to the retail industry that has been really successful in attracting and engaging customers. This concept has an amazing stopping power because the window is a blank screen at first but is activated when you walk past it and it begins to interact with you. These screens are particularly useful in present day when a store has reached its maximum capacity and customers have to wait outside, they can interact with the window in the meantime. By scanning the QR code onto your phone, you can use it as a remote control to browse through the products available inside the store.
