One of the key takeaways from NRF is that modern shopping and modern retail are no longer just for big companies. Smaller businesses can leverage Microsoft technology and innovation from partners like HP and Panasonic to offer a more fun and engaging shopping experience to their customers and better empower sales people at the point of sale. We’ve seen smaller retailers modernize the shopping experience with things like tablets that help store associates better romance products and services, apps that connect customers’ online, and in-store shopping experiences and modern point-of-sale devices.

For example, our customer Rooms To Go wanted to improve customer service on its showroom floor. It deployed a touch-enabled app called MiRTG on tablets for its sales associates, and the mobile computing platform allowed associates to stay with customers throughout the shopping process, rather than leaving them waiting to retrieve information from locked down workstations at kiosks. Rooms To Go has seen first-hand how more mobile and attentive service drives sales, increases productivity, and improves the customer experience.

Bringing technology into stores allows retailers to engage customers in new ways and build loyalty. We see a big opportunity for smaller retailers, and below I’ve highlighted a few key scenarios that can help increase customer service and sales. Let’s dive in.

Integrated Cross-Channel Presence

Nowadays customers expect their shopping experience to be consistent whether they are physically shopping in a store, online, or on a mobile device. As a result, merchants need to think of how to create an integrated experience across these three channels. This is an area where technology can help.

Imagine a world where sales associates can access a customer’s online shopping cart when he or she walks into the store; or where they can quickly tap into the customer’s buying history to better understand his or her preferences and make recommendations; or where they can help customers contrast and compare items from a mobile device.

This is how Microsoft is helping small businesses. With our partners, we’ve built apps that connect the shopping experience across online, mobile, and in-store. We offer devices that help store associates provide better customer service. In addition, by using data and the Internet of Things we bring insights from online shopping to the in-store experience. We believe the retail experience of the future will take personalization to the next level—and Microsoft is here to help.

Modern Point of Sales Solutions

As the shopping experience becomes more modern, so does the point of sale (POS). Modern POS solutions are becoming more powerful, allowing retailers to better understand their customers and provide more customized services.

Microsoft has joined forces with PayPal to bring PayPal Here, a modern POS solution, exclusively to Microsoft Surface. PayPal Here for Surface is a complete POS solution designed to increase productivity and improve customer experiences for small business owners, independent retailers, and sole proprietors. Because Microsoft Surface has the power of a full PC in a mobile design, SMB retailers can use one device for both POS and business operations, rather than having to transfer data from the tablet they use for POS to the PC they use for business management. You can read more about the new app for Windows 8.1, new accessories, and an SDK now available for developers here.

The Habit Restaurants, a rapidly growing business specializing in burgers, sandwiches, and other fresh, made-to-order fare, provides an excellent example of how a business can implement a modern POS solution to increase productivity and overall customer satisfaction. The Habitat chose to deploy Windows 8 touch tablets equipped with the latest Intel® Atom™ processors to run its POS on in order to enhance the customer experience by shortening wait times for receiving food orders at food trucks and restaurant locations. As a result, the company increased employee mobility and reduced wait times for customers by 30 to 40 percent. This is a big deal during lunch hour, and it gave the restaurant chain a competitive edge, setting a new record for drive-through sales.

It’s a great time to leverage new technologies to get ahead. The best part is that these technology solutions are available today. Find more information about how Microsoft can help and other news announced at NRF this week, like Path Tracker, Shelf Tracker, and MediaCart here.

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