Innovating the Checkout: Redefining In-Store Ordering Experiences

In- store ordering, also known as endless aisle solution, unifies inventory management systems, allowing retailers to present a holistic view of available products. This means in-store customers gain access to an extended inventory beyond the physical store.  

To bridge the gap between online and in-store shopping, an endless aisle approach employs in-store kiosks and dedicated mobile apps. These platforms empower customers to explore, order, and access a broader product range with ease, while increasing customers loyalty and reducing in-store sales losses. To learn more, read our article.

Brief

Ann Summers, a leading British brand in adult lingerie and sex toys, reached out to our team to implement an in-store ordering strategy on their existing Salesforce Commerce Cloud (SFCC) storefront, and integrate this technology with their payment terminals.

Challenges

• Discrepancies between online and in-store inventories
• Lost sales due to limited in-store stock
• Negative impact on the customer experience

Our Solution

During the exploration phase, we discovered that although the terminal device lacked a native browser to access the SFCC storefront, it could support an Android app. In just one day, our team developed an Android app capable of browsing the SFCC storefront and placing orders through the terminal.  

Ann Summers undertook a product demo to test our solution, and our team progressed to complete the full solution which included building a dedicated In Store Ordering website with an accompanying Android App, that can now be accessed through their terminals.

The product was initially launched in December 2023 through a pilot, following implementation of our solution, in January 2024 it has now been adopted in 85 of Ann Summers stores.

Result

The development of an Android app to access the SFCC storefront allowed Ann Summers to unify inventory management while capturing lost sales opportunities.

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