Technology planning for physical retail stores

Plan store technology around a task that needs to improve. Define the shop-floor problem, check the information and people involved, then trial a manageable change. A tool is useful only if the store can support it and act on what it shows.

Planning Process for Physical Store Technology

Set goals and a digital strategy

Choose technology that supports the store's business goals. business.gov.au lists common goals as increasing revenue or profit, making better use of assets, improving business processes, offering a new product or service, speeding up tasks, helping staff connect and communicate, and improving staff skills.

A digital strategy is a plan for using digital tools to meet those goals. It sits alongside the business plan and covers how the store connects with customers, promotes its products and improves how it runs. business.gov.au suggests the strategy also set out how business and customer data will be protected and how to track what works.

Start with the store's work

Walk through a trading day with people who receive stock, serve customers, change prices and close the store. Ask where work stops, gets repeated or depends on someone remembering an exception. Observe the task as well as asking about it: a long queue could involve a slow lookup, an unclear handover or a payment problem.

Write a short problem statement: who encounters the difficulty, at which step, how often, and what happens next? Separate observations from suspected causes. If the cause is uncertain, gather a baseline before choosing a product.

What the Australian retail picture shows

In a 3 September 2024 article, SOTI cited Australian Bureau of Statistics data showing that retail sales had remained stagnant since the beginning of that year and declined 0.4% in March. The article said cost-of-living pressure was shifting spending, and retailers were responding with better inventory visibility, customer buying history and accurate delivery information.

In research cited by SOTI in 2024, 30% of Australian shoppers had considered shopping with a different retailer for a better in-store technology experience. SOTI also reported that the number of devices in global organisations had increased 37% in the previous year. Separately, it noted that retailers use apps, handheld point-of-sale devices, mobile printers and barcode scanners.

SOTI warns that deploying mobile devices in isolation will not improve the customer experience; retailers must support them with the right software, management and processes, and have visibility of how devices perform and what data they collect.

Australian Retail Technology Trends (2024)

Follow the information behind the task

A shop-floor tool may depend on information maintained elsewhere. A stock lookup needs a product identifier and a dependable stock record. A collection screen needs an order status that agrees with the parcel staff will hand over.

For each proposed tool, trace the path from the source record to the person using it. Name who changes the record, how quickly an update needs to appear and what staff do when the display and the physical situation disagree. Keep customer messages within what the data can support: an approximate stock indication should not guarantee that an item is on a particular shelf.

Data Flow for Shop-Floor Tools

Compare options against one outcome

Describe the required task before asking suppliers for demonstrations. Compare a process change, an existing system setting and a new purchase against the same desired result.

Ask suppliers to show the awkward cases that occur in this store. Check which features, permissions and integrations are included in the proposed configuration; a general product demonstration does not establish that they will work in your store.

List the must-have and optional features before researching products. Work out each option's total cost of ownership — the upfront cost plus running costs over the tool's life span. business.gov.au notes free or low-cost tools can improve processes and save time.

Review what the store already uses and cancel subscriptions it does not need, and check for duplicate tools that do the same job. Choose tools for what the store needs now rather than what it might use later; open-source software, free plans or bundled subscriptions can cost less.

Technology Options Compared Against Key Outcomes

Include access, privacy and security

Check the shopper's route to help, including signage, reach, readable instructions and a staffed option when a digital interaction cannot be completed. Assess a proposed device in its intended position.

If a tool collects personal information, determine what is needed, who can access it and how long it is retained. Protect staff accounts, plan software updates and decide how important information can be recovered after an incident.

Trial, then decide

Choose one task and a limited setting. Agree on a baseline, a result to measure and conditions for stopping or changing the trial. Include ordinary trading and likely exceptions, and record whether staff can still complete the task when the tool fails.

Decide whether to keep, revise or remove the change. Record what improved, what still required manual work and the ongoing cost. A successful trial supports a further deployment decision; it does not establish that every store layout or team will get the same result.

Pre-Trial Assessment Checklist