Matt Bullock
31 January 2012
According to YouGov, retailers are losing millions of customers due to long queues in stores. However, rather than forcing shoppers to wait in a queue for an available register to open up, retailers can connect with mobile wallet technology providers to accept a variety of payment methods in-store.
Customers no longer have the patience to wait in long lines, when online stores enable instant purchases. Therefore, to keep physical stores afloat and complementary to online efforts, retailers can accept electronic wallet payments using Near Field Communications technology. By swiping a mobile device near a scanner, a customer can purchase an item in the store, from the retailer's online store, without waiting in line. The swipe instantly charges the electronic wallet for the purchase, allowing the consumer to bypass queues, which increases customer satisfaction, Smart Planet reported.
YouGov conducted a survey of U.K. shoppers to prove this point, finding 59 percent of consumers are not prepared to wait in long queues, and 32 percent get annoyed with the wait and prefer to purchase online if a queue is long. In addition, 18 percent of respondents said they would purchase from another retailer if a queue in a store was too long.
Retailers can connect their online stores and bricks-and-mortar stores using this payment option. It may also put pressure on retailers to stock stores with the same items offered online, which is not always the case. For example, Debenhams recently introduced a new line of sportswear from Nautica in 21 of its stores and online. The clothing will be available for purchase March 5 from its online store and March 12 from retail outlets throughout the U.K., Retail Gazette reported.
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