The retail store is undergoing a fundamental change. Shifts accelerated by technology and the COVID pandemic have made business-as-usual untenable for retailers. Technology-related infrastructure investments in the store have heightened importance as retailers seek competitive differentiation and omnichannel integration of the customers’ buying journey. The retail edge has become a critical element to drive new modes of customer engagement, operational efficiency, facility security, and business insights.
Retailers are counting on their edge infrastructure to make the customer buying journey seamless and fast. From self-scanning and automatic checkouts to dynamic displays that change based on intelligence on shopper preferences, a variety of store technologies rely on edge computing resources to delight customers and foster loyalty. Retailers are increasingly seeking automation using advanced computing approaches. When automated, logistics, facility energy management, and equipment maintenance can reduce operating costs and increase store uptime. As retail stores evolve, more and more automation and controls technology will reside locally at the store.
In addition to customer experience upgrades and operational improvements, store safety and security have risen in importance with the challenges brought about by the pandemic. Technologies to perform remote monitoring, loss prevention, and surveillance have been improving and can now be powerful with local edge-based real-time data processing. Additionally, a variety of technology-driven business insights are helping retailers understand store traffic patterns and the effectiveness of promotional campaigns.
Considerations for Retail Edge Infrastructure Selection
With so many critical technologies underpinning store operation, retailers need edge infrastructure not hampered by latency. Further, enough compute power must exist at the edge to perform tasks driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning. All this infrastructure should also accommodate operating environments, network topologies, and footprint restrictions that stores typically present.
Supermarkets, big box stores, fast food restaurants, convenience stores, and malls constitute the major retail formats. Each of these formats has different infrastructure needs based on the type of merchandise available to the customer. However, a few aspects are common to all retail designs – payment systems, security, cameras, access controls, inventory management systems, and facility management systems are the main elements. All these systems rely on edge infrastructure that is robust and reliable.
Arrow and Dell Technologies OEM Solutions have compiled a comprehensive approach to retail edge infrastructure selection, including a full accounting of the various retail edge applications and infrastructure considerations. Download the ‘In-store Retail Transformation’ eBook to learn about edge solutions for your application.
