Taking the Customer Retail Experience to the Next Level with 5G In-Store Wi-Fi

How can 5G in-store Wi-Fi enhance your customers’ experience, and better position you in the competitive retail landscape?

The latest internet technology, 5G, has hit the headlines yet again over recent weeks as Vodafone UK switches on a compact antenna to bring greater connectivity, speed and reliability to Britain.

This could be the significant change that your retail business needs to bring shoppers back to the high street, elevate customer experience, boost customer loyalty and drive revenue. 5G arrived in the UK in May 2019, and while its now supported all four major cellular networks, it should be noted that it is not as a widespread as its predecessor.

While consumers have been hesitant in their return to brick-and-mortar stores, there has been a slow but steady recovering since the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Retail organisations are now having to rethink the customer experience and how they can make that visit more enjoyable and rewarding.

By providing cutting-edge technology such as 5G in-store WI-FI, retailers can do exactly that, offering the same streamlined, stress-free shopping experience customers enjoy online alongside enhanced face-to-face in-store interaction.

In this article, we’ll be discussing what 5G Wi-Fi is, how customer shopping habits are changing and how 5G technologies can help take the customer retail experience to the next level.

Changing customer behaviours

The COVID-19 pandemic flipped the script for the UK retail landscape, with ‘stay at home’ orders forcing customers to embrace the digital space as their primary shopping opportunity. and now customers feel comfortable with the online shopping experience with around 80% of the UK population making e-commerce purchases. Even if they do visit a physical store, it’s often to simply see the product and compare prices with your competitor.

However, retailers have adapted to this change, adopting newer technologies and practices to augment the in-store experience with online. This approach has been nicknamed ‘phygital’ as these lines continue to blur between the two. A good example would be a kiosk for collecting or returning items in store. The customer is able to visit the store in person yet leverage a simulation of the online experience.

Customers now demand certain digital features when shopping in-store such as stronger and faster Wi-Fi and a more streamlined shopping experience. This will allow them to search for products and offers, read reviews, compare prices online and make their purchase while beating those long queues.

With around 43% of customers already using their smartphones when shopping, the need to adapt is clear. If retailers want to survive this new ‘phygital’ shopping era, they should provide a fast, simple and seamless digital experience using 5G Wi-Fi for retail.

What is 5G technology?

Before we dive into the benefits of 5G in-store Wi-Fi, let’s take a moment to look at exactly what 5G Wi-Fi technology is.

In a nutshell, the fifth generation of mobile network technology, delivering faster data speeds, lower latency and increased capacity when compared to previous generations.

This means it will connect people reliably across the world without a lag for more enhanced connectivity, and power the Fourth Industrial Revolution (i.e., Industry 4.0).

What are the benefits of 5G In-Store Wi-Fi?
5G in-store Wi-Fi presents these digitally minded customers with the same convenience and benefits of shopping online, attracting them back to the High Street and enhancing their overall shopping experience.

They can connect to compare prices and details, search for product information and reviews and then checkout faster using self-scanning apps or in-store connected devices so they can make faster and stress-free purchases.

Wherever they are in-store, the customer can stay connected and share their experiences on social media by sharing pics, updating their status, and even tagging your store.

At the same time, UK retailers can also benefit from this enhanced 5G digital technology and use it to streamline their click-and-collect and return processes, reduce staffing requirements, create a faster checkout experience, understand their customer’s shopping patterns and boost customer loyalty.

The advent of 5G has also seen retailers taking further steps to increase the security of their network offerings to protect customer data and retain that all importance confidence in their brand and the safety of the in-store customer experience.

How can retailers maximise the benefit of their 5G in-store Wi-Fi?

Here are some tips on how you can enhance the customer experience in-store, including leveraging the benefits of a 5G-enhanced Wi-Fi network.

Offer free Wi-Fi to customers

By offering fast and reliable Wi-Fi to customers for free, they can carry out their product research and make purchases from their smartphones without having to drain their data allowances. Providing this extra value will help you boost your brand image and encourage them to return.

Ensure your website is mobile-friendly

Every retailer should ensure that their website has a smartphone-friendly version that loads quickly, is extremely user-friendly and allows them to access all the information they need. Ensuring your website is easy to navigate and user-friendly is vital to keeping customers empowered and engaged.

Tell mobile users about your free 5G Wi-Fi, mobile site, or app

When you adopt free in-store 5G Wi-Fi or similar, make sure you tell your customers about it. Display posters that share the information and tell them exactly how to download your app or access your mobile site.

Keep 5G Wi-Fi access simple

Many retailers choose to ask for a customer’s details before allowing them to access the free in-store Wi-Fi. This is an excellent way to boost your marketing strategy and offer additional discounts and promotions. However, avoid asking for too many details and instead stick to the customer’s name and email address.

Offer incentives and promotions

Encourage people to visit your store and use your free 5G Wi-Fi by offering discounts or freebies when they use their smartphones in-store. This could be a free coffee, extra discount or a similar offer that helps them stay longer on your premises and take advantage of what your business has provided.

Summary

If UK retailers are to stay competitive in the digital age and adapt to the ever-changing needs of modern customers, they need to offer them more.

By adopting 5G in-store Wi-Fi, retailers can provide a faster and more efficient shopping experience, take the customer retail experience to the next level, and help ensure the survival of the UK high street. Leveraging 5G delivers the option for a free in-store Wi-Fi experience, one that is mobile friendly, secure and carefully balanced to deliver the right messaging and advertising.

But it’s not only the customer who will benefit. With 5G, retailers can optimise their use of metrics, improve click-and-collect, streamline their processes, cut staffing costs, and stay ahead in the increasingly competitive retail space.

Discover how you can adopt 5G Wi-Fi and enhance customer retail experience.

Contact our friendly team at Renovotec for further help or to book a visit to our innovative, multi-vendor Renovotec Innovation Centre (RIC) in Newton-Le-Willows.