Pets at Home has upgraded its fleet of in-store iPads with IBM’s Sales Assist iOS app.
The iPads – or Pet Pads – are used to help store staff improve customer experience and convert sales on the shop floor by providing access to the retailer’s product database.
The IBM iOS app will be used by more than 3,000 colleagues, across Pets at Home’s 440 stores nationwide.
“At Pets at Home, we’re investing in innovative new technology to reinvent the retail experience for our customers. We want our consumers to be able to learn about and order the right products across every channel, and mobility is at the forefront of this transformation, “said Chris Holyland, eCommerce director at Pets at Home.
“By customising Sales Assist, in collaboration with IBM and Apple, we are providing our consumers with access to an even bigger range of goods regardless of location. The unique tool allows our colleagues to confidently show product information, ratings and reviews from the shop floor, opening up opportunities to foster higher brand engagement and ultimately provide our consumers with the experience they expect.”
Pets at Home is using the IBM cloud to link Sales Assist with the company’s applications and data.
Gareth Mackown, Europe mobile and Apple leader at IBM, added: “Today, how retailers engage with customers -- whether online, in-store or a hybrid environment – is being disrupted driving a critical need for brands to create digital experiences that meet the evolving needs of the any-channel, always-on consumer compelling digital experiences.
“Mobile is leading the way for improving customer engagement. By empowering Pets at Home’s colleagues with insight, product information and transactional capabilities through their Apple devices, Pets at Home is creating a stronger brand affinity with its consumers, blurring the boundaries between digital and physical consumption and working to ensure that each customer leaves the store with all of their pet care needs satisfied.”
Earlier this year, Pets at Home upgraded its in-store connectivity to improve the performance of its iPads. Partnering with Claranet, the retailer rolled out a new wide area network (WAN) to over 400 retail stores and 340 vet surgeries across the country, after realising the old network was struggling to cope with the strain caused by the roll out of iPad devices.
