Apparel chain rolls out in-store wireless CRM

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By: Wise Marketer Staff |

Posted on September 13, 2005

Apparel chain rolls out in-store wireless CRM

In the USA, big-and-tall men's clothing retailer Casual Male has begun testing a wirelessly-networked CRM system that puts customer and product information in the hands of store staff using Wi-Fi-enabled handheld computers.

The Connected Retailer wireless CRM system, provided by NSB Group, uses Symbol Technologies' MC50 enterprise digital assistants (EDAs) to provide the retailer's sales assistants with a clearer view of each client's needs and preferences, throughout the 496-store chain.

In line with its goal of personalised service for its frequent shoppers, Casual Male wanted sales staff to be able to see and update clients information (such as collar sizes and trouser leg lengths) while serving them in the store.

The technology The NSB POS software operates at the retailer's head office, and is kept online across the retailer's wide area network. Sales associates can query the CRM database, which is updated in real time, to learn more about their customers by viewing contact and address information, clothing sizes, personal preferences (e.g. their favourite sports teams), previous transactions, and even returns records.

The EDAs are equipped with integrated wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) cards, and are based on Intel XScale 520Mhz processors and Microsoft's Windows Mobile 2003 SE operating system.

Loyalty scheme to come Eventually, as Casual Male fully implements the CRM system alongside a full-scale loyalty programme, sales associates will be prompted by various sales triggers based on each customer's loyalty status and previous shopping trends.

Dennis Hernreich, CFO for Casual Male, said: "By giving our sales associates the tools they need to interact more knowledgeably with our customers right up front in the shopping process, we should improve the overall customer experience in the stores."

Better retention Hernreich added that sales associates are now able to suggest products based on known shopping habits and preferences, and update shopper profiles as each customer is served. Ultimately the system is expected to provide a consumer-oriented platform that improves in-store conversion rates and customer retention.

For additional information: ·  Visit NSB Group at http://www.nsbgroup.com ·  Visit Casual Male at http://www.casualmale.com