Retail Technology Trends Shaping the Future: Part I
By Chris Jensen
Aubuchon Hardware determined that reducing their POS transaction time by one second would save the company $45,000 in payroll annually.
Technology is changing fast, and high-performance retailers achieve that status because they are willing to invest the time and money to test new technology systems.
At Orgill’s spring dealer market in Orlando, two retailers gave presentations on their company’s ecommerce successes: Tyler Musselwhite, marketing coordinator of McGuckin Hardware in Boulder, Colo., and Will Aubuchon, ceo of The Aubuchon Company, a Century Club retailer with more than 100 locations in New England and upstate New York.
Read on to learn how McGuckin Hardware and Aubuchon Hardware are maximizing their efficiency and customer service by adopting game-changing technology, shifting toward digital and boosting their online presence.
Will Aubuchon highlighted how investing in the frontline starts with adopting the right technology systems.
Case Study: McGuckin Hardware
McGuckin has had an ecommerce site for a long time, according to Musselwhite, but they launched a Unilog-integrated website in May 2020. “We wanted to create a unified experience for customers. Because of that launch, we were able to offer curbside and in-store pickup,” he said. “We’ve seen positive response and benefits of putting products we curated in front of customers on our ecommerce site. Ecommerce sales are still only 1 percent of total store sales.
McGuckin now offers 70,000 items enriched and online, with 243 new items added a month. “We are integrating a monthly circular on both print and digital platforms. We’ve shifted more toward digital but still send out 160,000 direct mail,” Musselwhite said.
