Most of the time, customers come to a grocery store and other retail stores with an idea of what they are going to purchase.  However, customers do not always a stick to their plan and may end up buying additional items or something completely different than what they originally wanted.  Some of the additional purchases customers make are what would be considered impulse buys.

These unplanned purchases made on impulse, such as when a customer grabs some candy to add to their groceries while waiting in line to check outcan add up for significant extra revenue.  Retail stores can encourage impulse buys with the effective use of dynamic multimedia displays to entice their customers.

ECS Global Inc. provides software solutions that can help retail stores and other businesses effectively manage their customer communications, including pricing and promotions, from a single solution.  ECS5 is a cloud-based software solution that seamlessly integrates inventory information,planogram data, pricing and promotions,, media design, printing and digital signage, so they can be managed from one dashboard with any connected device.

Automating Communications with ECS5

From the ECS5 dashboard, you can manage your communications, including pricing and promotional messaging, and send that messaging to the desired medium, including TV displays, electronic shelf labels, kiosks, and other digital displays. This messaging can also be sent to  connected printers for shelf tags and colorful point of sale print signage. The Media Manager within ECS5 allows you to design print signage and digital displays. The designs can be quickly adjusted to reflect changes in pricing and promotions and updates can be made  instantly to TV screens and digital displays.

ECS5 seamlessly blends print and digital signage so that both can be managed efficiently from the dashboard.  Dynamic digital signage involving images, videos, and animations can be created with the same Media Manager used for digital signage, and you can automate the digital displays to cycle between different displays and adjust automatically when there is a change in the pricing or promotion.

Consolidating the management of your customer communications into one solution makes processes more efficient and eliminates inaccuracies.  Employees can spend less time managing the printing and placement of signage and more time helping customers which saves your business time and money.

How Digital Displays Increase Impulse Buys

Retail stores have always encouraged impulse buys with print signage informing customers of seasonal promotions and by placing impulse items near the cash register so customers will see them while waiting in line.  The ability to create and implement dynamic digital displays with ECS5 can help you further encourage impulse buys from your customers.

Unlike with print signage, digital signage and displays allow you to incorporate dynamic images, animations, and high quality videos   that grab the attention of your customers.  You can design multiple displays that cycle on the same screens and even create different displays for different locations and simultaneously implement them from the same dashboard in  .  Digital displays with high resolution images and HD videos are sure to entice customers with impulse buys.

By using ECS5,  you can also react quickly to current weather, sporting events, holiday seasons, and other external factors to display relevant special offers.  Using weather reports for example can prompt special offers to display on multimedia screens such as snow shovels before a snowstorm or sunglasses on a sunny day.  These digital displays can be designed and automated within ECS5 so that relevant promotions will continuously appear on the right multimedia screens within one location and across multiple locations, leading to an increase in impulse buys.

Even if your digital displays only cause every few customers to add an extra item to their carts, that can add up when you consider that this will happen to multiple customers within your store on a given day and across multiple locations.  Effectively utilizing digital signage and displays and automating them to offer relevant special promotions can significantly increase revenue for a great ROI.

Why use ECS5?

ECS5 efficiently blends all forms of communication, including print signage and shelf tags, digital displays, and electronic shelf tags, while also integrating product data from your inventory and planogram.  You can also harness the mobile capabilities of ECS5 to connect mobile devices and printers which allows employees to check inventory and prices, update promotional displays, and print shelf tags and signage from anywhere in the store.  You can also send your communications to all store locations or select stores for specific offers.

ECS5 consists of the following key elements the bring together all communication channels within one solution using one instance of data and logic:

• Print high impact, colorful signage: You can design, print, and update shelf tags and colorful print signage using the Media Manager within ECS5. Adjusting existing signage designs to reflect changes in prices and promotions makes replacing the signs quick and efficient.
• Integration with external systems: ECS5 can work within your current IT infrastructure so you do not have to make any changes.
• Blended communication: The Media Manager within ECS5 allows you to design and implement print signage, electronic signage, and digital displays for multimedia screens. Digital displays can be implemented immediately by sending them to the appropriate multimedia screens.
• Integration with planogram and inventory: Planogram and inventory data can be integrated into ECS5 which allows you to manage your planogram, check inventory, and automate the printing of shelf labels so you won’t waste materials printing tags for items no longer in stock.
• Mobile capabilities: You can connect a wide range of mobile devices to access ECS5 including smartphones, handheld devices, and mobile printers. Shelf tag and signage printing can be done efficiently on the shop floor using mobile printers.

Businesses that have implemented ECS5 experience an excellent ROI as effective communications and colorful point of sale signage can increase sales, including impulse buys.  Contact ECS Global Inc. to learn more about the wide-ranging capabilities of ECS5.