In the past, trade shows were important events that allowed professionals within broader industries and particular niches to come together to network and learn about new trends and technologies.  Then the pandemic came and hit the $2.5 trillion trade show industry hard as shows and conventions were cancelled and postponed from March 2020 until the COVID vaccines became more widespread the following year.

While trade shows have come back since the pandemic, they do not have the same impact they once did.  Low attendance from vendors and attendees makes it difficult to justify the investment as vendors are making minimal return from trade shows which is causing investors to pull their funds.  When vendors attend trade shows, they must pay for their displays, travel, and shipping supplies, and spend several days at the show while getting very little back from their investment.  For vendors, it makes little sense to attend trade shows given the post pandemic state of the industry.

The lower attendance of vendors at trade shows also makes them less worth the time for other professionals there as attendees.  For instance, retailers who attend trade shows looking for new technology to help make their processes more efficient may only encounter some of the vendors in the industry that can provide this technology.  Retailers are also listening to the same pitch from vendors as the technologies are rather similar, making it difficult to differentiate between the vendors and understand how each can best serve their specific needs.  These vendors also all attend the same trade shows which means that retailers are seeing the same people and getting the same pitch at every show.

Trade shows were once a good way for people within a specific industry to learn new information and trends, and network with potential partners, but post pandemic, this is no longer the case.  When it comes to the perceived effectiveness of trade shows, the emperor has no clothes on.  Rising costs and falling attendance, along with increasing use of technologies like Zoom that allow people to connect digitally, are making trade shows not worth the investment in time and money.

Efficient Retail Solutions with ECS

At ECS, we understand the frustration retailers may feel when they are getting the same pitch from multiple vendors offering similar technology, withvery little information about what makes each vendor unique.  It is important for retailers to know that they are choosing the right vendor that will help them improve their communications with their customers at the point of sale to increase revenue.

ECS offers a unique software solution to help retailers improve their communications through signage and digital displays.  ECS5 is a cloud-based software solution that integrates pricing, promotional information, and planogram and inventory data so that retailers can effectively manage each of these aspects from a single place.  With ECS5, you can manage your media canvas of print and digital media as well as your inventory and planogram.  Using ECS5 will drastically reduce the amount of time store employees spend designing, printing, and placing signage and shelf tag labels which frees them up to provide better customer service.

With many software solutions available, ECS5 stands out due to the ease of use and the power it has to integrate many different capabilities that can be managed from a single dashboard.  Here are the ways in which ECS5 stands out from similar technologies:

Integration for Consistency

When it comes to managing customer communications, including digital displays, paper signage, and shelf tags, many retail stores have a separate system for each.  The problem with managing each form of media with a different system is that it is time-consuming and increases the risk of inconsistencies across channels.

One of the advantages of ECS5 is that it seamlessly integrates the communication infrastructure you are already using into one solution.  From the ECS5 dashboard, you will be able to manage the design and implementation of digital displays, print signage, and shelf tags and ensure accurate, consistent communication across all channels and reach your customers from the point of sale to the shelf edge.

With ECS5, you have the capability to create digital signage and displays, multimedia content including images and videos, shelf tags, and print signage quickly and easily.  Digital signage and multimedia displays can be implemented instantly to TV screens and other displays while the printing of shelf tags and paper signage can be automated.  ECS5 also integrates inventory and planogram information so that only shelf tags for items in stock will be printed, cutting down on waste.  Changes in pricing and promotions can also be automated and implemented as soon as they take effect.

Integrating ECS5 into your current infrastructure saves your business money and avoids unnecessary duplication of your tasks.  The ability to manage all of your communications from one dashboard will not only improve efficiency and accuracy, but also save your business time and money by allowing your employees to focus more on customer service.

More Than Just Digital

Retail stores of all types use a blend of digital and print signage to convey their communications to their customers.  ECS5 allows you to manage your digital and print signage from a single source.  The Media Manager within ECS5 allows for the quick creation of print and digital media which helps keep communications accurate and consistent across both mediums.  You can also automate the printing of signage and shelf tag batches so that the signs are printed when they are needed.

ECS5 has the power to integrate planogram and inventory information.  This allows store employees to quickly check inventory from any device and the inventory information automatically updates as items are sold and new stock is received.  The integrated inventory and planogram data also prevents the printing of shelf tags for items that are out of stock and the tags are printed according to the planogram information so they can be quickly placed on the shelves.

The other advantage of ECS5 is the analytics capability to track your progress with your promotional campaign in real time.  This allows you to monitor the execution and effectiveness of your campaigns and adjust and refine based on the analytics.

The seamless blend of digital and print signage, planogram and inventory information, and analytics to monitor your campaigns into a single source solution will drastically improve the efficiency and accuracy of your messaging which creates a better customer experience and leads to more sales and increased revenue.

Contact ECS

Retailers do not have to go to trade shows and hear the same pitch to find new technology that can make their processes more efficient.  At ECS, we help retailers improve the efficiency and accuracy of their messaging with the integrative power of ECS5.

Contact ECS to learn more about ECS5 and how it can benefit your business.