German Jeweller and watchmaker chain Christ has introduced digital receipts in all its stores. The company implemented a solution from Austrian specialist Warrify. It is set to personally address more of those customers who previously remained anonymous. Melanie Kordel, CRM Manager at Christ, and Warrify Co-Founder and Managing Director Simon Hasenauer presented the project at the Retail Technology Stage at EuroCIS in Dusseldorf. The event was moderated by Björn Weber, publisher of The Retail Opimiser.
Above all, Christ decided on the Warrify solution to be quick to market with the solution. The project was launched at the beginning of October last year and has gone live in all outlets after eight weeks during the seasonal sale. The implementation was realised so quickly because the out-of-the-box solution could be connected to the GK checkout software via APIs.
A lost opportunity
Printing receipts is far from sustainable and produces vast amounts of paper waste every day. Simon Hasenauer describes the physical receipt as a lost opportunity. Most customers who leave the shop with a receipt remain anonymous. They leave no data behind and are unreachable for later offers. In contrast, the digital receipt enables the retailer to address such customers individually in a personalised way via all channels. Christ customers can receive the digital receipt not only at the checkout, but also in its online shop or when they pick up online orders in a store. In the future, digital receipts will also be offered at mobile checkouts, which Christ plans to roll out later this year.
Christ has distributed displays and stickers throughout the sales area, each with a QR code. Customers then scan this code, which is always the same for everyone, with their smartphone while shopping. The system assigns an additional identifier to connect it with an individual person. A unique QR code then appears on the smartphone display, which will later be scanned at the checkout. After the payment process is completed, the digital receipt automatically appears on the customer’s device.
Anonymous shoppers become VIP customers
Christ already uses the digital receipt to get customers out of anonymity in various ways. Coupons can be generated to go with selected items, motivating shoppers to make their next purchase. Via a link in the digital receipt, shoppers can directly apply to become Christ VIP customers and use the advantages of the in-house customer loyalty system. Google reviews of their purchase are also easily enabled via the receipt.
Digital receipts are intended to inspire shoppers to explore other product lines and brands of the Christ Group. They also serve as links between the retailer’s various channels. Store customers are encouraged to also visit the online shop —online customers are motivated to also look around in a store. Corresponding incentives are offered for this purpose. As before, users of the digital receipts can also remain anonymous if they wish. They nevertheless open up extended marketing opportunities for the retailer.
Not a sure-fire success
Melanie Kordel reports on six months of experience with the system. She emphasises that its introduction is not a foregone conclusion. Clean communication is crucial, she says. The procedure is not yet so well established among consumers that they ask for it proactively. To become successful, it was crucial to first familiarise the staff comprehensively with the system and to convince them of the advantages of the digital receipt. They were then motivated to proactively point out the new option to customers.
In addition, Christ has included the digital receipt in its store KPIs and rewards successful outlets accordingly. These are encouraged to share their best practices with others. The ease of use for the customer also contributes to faster dissemination. Neither prior registration nor an app is required.
Christ has already planned next steps. In the future, product recommendations will be displayed to match the purchased item. Customer experience after the purchase is to be coordinated across all channels. In addition, digital receipts will be linked to the Apple Wallet. Personalised push messages and geo-targeting will then also be possible. Ideally, the digital receipt will be linked to the payment method in the future. This will automate the process and make scanning the QR code superfluous for card payers.
