Getronics, a global IT services provider, has announced that Clarks is enjoying improved customer satisfaction following the successful deployment of iPad technology in over 590 Clarks stores across the UK, a promising investment in refining their in-store customer experience.
The technology, used in conjunction with bespoke accessories and applications designed by the shoe retailer, in a collaboration with Design Works, enables staff to measure the size of children‘s feet, whilst delivering an interactive and memorable experience for both parent and child.
The project introduced iPads to replace electronic foot gauges, which have traditionally been used to fit children‘s shoes. The combination of 170 years of shoe fitting heritage with this state-of-the-art innovation sees Clarks step up to meet their customers‘ fast-evolving digital expectations. Notably, the deployment of this new technology in-store ensures that Clarks are providing a seamless and cohesive customer experience across multiple channels, both online and offline.
Mark Cook, group CEO at Getronics, said:
“Technology plays an integral role in designing retail environments today. Catering to the expectations of digitally savvy children who are growing up with tablet devices at home and in the classroom is critical to differentiating the in-store experience.”
To support the iPad deployment, Clarks worked with Design Works to create its own customer app, featuring animated characters Jack Nano and Daisy who entertain and guide the child through each simple step of the shoe measurement process.
Emma Bateman, Head of Transformation at Clarks, also commented:
“The shoe fitting experience has now evolved from a purely functional process to something that is both fun and interesting for children, their parents and staff alike. The consumer‘s in-store experience depends not only on the technology, but also on interaction with our staff.”
Clarks has worked closely with Getronics to develop a system that would assist in-store employees, allowing staff to comfortably serve the customer whilst maintaining an enhanced one-to-one dialogue. A simplified process enables the staff to focus on attending the consumer‘s needs and matching, or better still, surpassing their expectations. Research conducted last year has already found that consumers have an improved shopping experience with the iPad food gauge, and that it enables store teams to build greater rapport with children in store.
A key requirement of the project was ensuring that consumers were not disrupted by the implementation. Getronics conducted in-depth survey visits to identify the specific requirements for each store and has worked with individual store managers to draw up tight deployment schedules that avoided peak times of trade, such as ‘back to school‘. Following the preliminary surveys, bespoke plans were drawn up to make sure the implementation was carried out as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Bateman continues: “Since implementation, we have seen a reduction in the time it takes to measure children‘s feet and customers regularly express a preference for the new system.”
