After a challenging 14 months, the UK is finally back in business. All non-essential stores have reopened and shoppers are flocking back to the high street. Across the country, spending is significantly higher than it was this time last year. At the same time, internet sales have fallen by 12%. This suggests that the appetite for in-store shopping is alive and well.
The outlook is positive, but there are still tough times ahead. The high street lost 11,000 stores in 2020, along with 180,000 retail jobs. In total, non-food retailers lost £22 billion.
Whatever your business, you’re bound to have felt the financial impact of the pandemic. For the next few months, every penny will count. As you get back on your feet, you will have to find new ways to reduce spending and increase profits. This is where VoCoVo can help.
All of our products are designed to save you money. They do this in four main ways: reducing travel time, increasing task efficiency, speeding up the checkout process and allowing you to unman certain desks and counters. Let’s take a look at each in turn to work out just how much money you could save.
1. Walk less, get more done
Anyone who has worked in retail will know that you spend a lot of time on your feet. In fact, retail colleagues take more steps per day than almost any other professionals. Whether you’re crossing the store to answer a customer query or visiting the stockroom to check on the status of an order, this is all time that could be put to better use. VoCoVo cuts out unnecessary walking so you can focus on the job at hand:
- Headsets allow colleagues to contact the stockroom without leaving their position
- Newer colleagues can ask for help without having to search for a manager
- Two-way call points allow you to answer customer queries remotely
Our research shows that VoCoVo can reduce daily walking distance by 1.4km per colleague. This saves you an average of £442 per week per store, or £22,995 per year.
2. Make every moment count
Throughout the day, colleagues waste time in numerous small ways. Most of these are through no fault of their own- they simply don’t have the technology they need to work efficiently. VoCoVo streamlines daily tasks so that colleagues can get more done:
- Headsets allow colleagues to answer customer questions while continuing to work
- Keypads let checkout colleagues call for assistance without holding up the queue
- Telephony integration allows colleagues to answer customer calls without leaving the shop floor
Our system can save you 105 minutes every day by improving task efficiency. This translates into a saving of £111 per week per store, or £5,749 per year.
What does a satisfied customer look like in 2021? Download our report to find out:
3. Serve more customers in less time
One of the lasting effects of the pandemic will be a widespread customer preference for self-service checkouts. 60% of shoppers used self-checkouts more during the pandemic. 79% plan to continue doing so in the future.
- Our headsets let colleagues authorise self-service purchases from anywhere within sight of the checkout.
- By placing a call point in this area, you can free up colleagues to perform other tasks rather than being tied to the checkouts.
- Removing one colleague from the self-checkouts can save you a whopping £36,504 per year.
4. Put colleagues where they are needed most
It’s not just self-service areas that can benefit from a call point. They also allow you to unman Click & Collect and customer service desks during quieter periods. Colleagues can get on with more pressing tasks, returning to the desk only when a customer needs them.
Unmanning one of these desks could save you £594 per week per store, or £30,888 per year.
How much can I save in total?
None of these savings take place in isolation. With VoCoVo you will save money in all four ways at once, resulting in a total potential saving of £96,136 per year. Not bad for a system that pays for itself in 3 months.