Endless aisles – The future of retail shopping
The retail landscape is more competitive and demanding than ever.
Managing inventory is increasingly challenging, and customers expect a wide product selection that is available anywhere and at any time.
Letting your customers leave empty-handed is no longer an option.
Studies show that customers still prefer shopping in-store and interacting with brands.
However, physical stores have limited shelf space and can only stock a finite number of products.
The solution? Endless aisles.
Endless aisles
Endless aisles are also known as ‘buy-in-store, ship to customer’ and are basically the opposite of click-and-collect systems.
They involve allowing customers to order items online while they are in-store.
Shoppers purchase items that aren’t available in-store at that moment, and will instead have them shipped to their homes a few days later.
This effectively means your business “carries” all the products you have available online – even if they’re not available in-store at that moment.
We unpack the benefits of endless aisles, below
1. Hold less inventory
If you run a business that has online and offline stores, endless aisles enable you to sell your full product catalogue in person without needing to stock each item at every store location.
This makes just-in-time inventory strategies more feasible, and lets you keep extra stock in your warehouse, at larger store locations, or with third-party fulfilment centres.
2. Build customer loyalty
By offering more selection at your brick-and-mortar locations, you decrease the chance of customers shopping elsewhere.
Research shows that 37% of in-store shoppers will visit a different store if the item they’re looking for is out of stock, and almost half will abandon the purchase entirely.
Endless aisles help you capitalise on the buyer intent that brought them into your store.
Educating your audience about your online offerings also increases the chance they’ll become online shoppers in the future.
3. Reduce online returns
Online return rates are significantly higher than those for physical stores because online shoppers can’t interact with the product before buying it.
Endless aisles solve this problem as customers can check the product’s quality in-store and decide if it’s right for them – reducing the likelihood of returns and exchanges.
Example: Jessica Kats, an e-commerce and retail expert at Soxy, noted a significant reduction in returns and exchanges after implementing endless aisles.
Customer satisfaction and retention metrics surged, with about 27% of in-store shoppers choosing this option, jumping to 41% during the holiday season.
4. Enhance the shopping experience with showrooming
Showrooming allows shoppers to browse items in-store and complete their purchases online.
Techniques like QR codes and email carts bridge the gap between physical and digital shopping.
Nearly 60% of consumers expect retailers to dedicate more floor space to experiences than products by 2025. Investing in showrooming can help meet these expectations.
5. Order fulfilment
Retailers don’t need stock on hand to operate an endless aisle.
Drop-shipping out-of-stock products directly to a customer’s address maintains a continuous customer experience and provides access to endless inventory without the need for warehousing.
About PricePoint IT
PricePoint IT makes endless aisle shopping a reality with the right tech products and more than two decades of experience in retail and technology.
We help retailers bridge the gap between online and in-store to sell anywhere and anytime.
We are renowned in the fashion, footwear, and specialty retail sectors for helping retailers trade leaner and faster, manage tight inventory, and operate more efficiently in-store and online.
Our suite of modular retail tech solutions includes:
- Inventory management and POS
- E-commerce integration
- Advanced reporting and analytics
- Merchandise Planning and Buying Tools
- RFID technology
- Marketing & Loyalty Solutions
- Integrated payments
Partnering with PricePoint IT offers the following additional benefits:
- Customised workflows. Full flexibility – We tailor workflows to meet your unique business challenges and goals.
- Flexible Integrations – We boast a wide range of certified apps and APIs that connect seamlessly with your existing systems and platforms.
- 24/7 Hour Local Support – A local tech team in your pocket, whenever you need support or a chat.
- Minimal Downtime – Minimal disruption when you switch your POS or expand your tech stack.
Explore our new website to learn more about how endless aisles can drive your business forward.
Get in touch for a demo of the products in our tech suite.
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