The world is a very different place compared to two years ago. Consumers now have new concerns and needs, leading to permanent changes in the retail and commerce landscape. Every retailer knows that customer satisfaction, added convenience, and a competitive price are the only differentiators in today’s market. One of the ways companies are staying ahead of customer expectations is by using RFID in sales and marketing campaigns.

Omnichannel experiences and intelligent customer journeys remain a marketer’s primary concern. For brick-and-mortar operations to compete today, ecommerce platforms that integrate seamlessly with products while remaining accessible on any device need to be a part of the sales strategy. Knowing a customer’s buying history, understanding their needs, and creating journeys that support these experiences are vital for growing revenues. 

Tracking consumer habits in relation to each product enables you to leverage RFID in marketing strategies and optimize customer experiences for greater profits. 

Quick Takeaways:

• RFID helps manage stock and keeps your customers informed, avoiding negative customer experiences when a product isn’t available at a specific location. 

• You can use the data you generate from your RFID systems to design better omnichannel customer experiences and personalized journeys. 

• By deploying RFID, you can track your entire fulfillment process and provide customers with different options, including regular purchases, curbside pickups, or home deliveries.

How to Use RFID in Sales and Marketing  

After the last year, customers have the ability to shop across multiple different digital channels with a myriad of fulfillment options. Retailers now need to provide customers with a convenient and safe method to get their goods, while ensuring order accuracy , timely delivery, or prepackaged curbside pickup options. 

Consumers expect minimal effort to go through the entire journey and want access to your services from any gadget. Although analysts thought brick and mortar retailers would become obsolete as ecommerce took over, the reality is that consumers prefer both options. Implementing RFID in all your retail operations (physical and digital) allows organizations to streamline marketing and sales journeys for all their customers. Here are four ways you can use RFID in sales and marketing to exceed customer expectations.  

1. Stock Placement and Replenishment with RFID in Sales

Now more than ever, retail operations have to deal with consumers checking availability online before deciding to visit a store. Inaccurate inventories and stock management can lead to disappointment that creates a negative experience, which most customers won’t forget. If someone visits your store after checking for a product online and has to leave without making a purchase, you’ve let them and your company down. 

RFID tags that track every single product, from distribution to purchase, can keep your ecommerce information up to date and avoid stock shortages at your retail locations. Instead of a customer showing up at a store and asking for a product they saw online only to find out it’s not available at that location, you can direct them to the right outlet from your website. Integrating your inventory management system with your omnichannel sales and marketing software keeps customers informed, your stock replenished and delivers the convenience customers expect nowadays. 

2. Using RFID in Marketing for More Convenient Experiences

RFID technology generates a wealth of reusable data from your daily operations. Every single movement of inventory from when you accept delivery until you deliver it to a consumer provides valuable insights. Analyzing this information let’s you use it to design new experiences for your customers based on how they’ve interacted with your company in the past. 

Technologies like NFC and RFID give your marketing teams the information they need to create personalized journeys for every customer. Marketing certain products to individuals online or in stores increases sales and creates a unique experience that keeps customers loyal to your brand. If you have the customer’s contact information and permission, you can use their purchase history to notify them about specials and any other promotions you have planned for your stores. 

3. Tracking the Fulfillment Process with RFID

Most consumers can accept delays if you keep them informed about developments in real-time. Fulfillment is likely the most important part of the customer’s entire journey. When a customer places an order, you should do everything in your power to deliver according to the original arrangement. When something does delay the process, you want a system that informs you and allows you to pass that information on to the customer as soon as possible. 

By tracking every order from source to destination and having insights into your delivery processes, you can manage consumer expectations and build brand trust. Adding an RFID tag to your products gives you an easy way to track every item throughout each process in your organization and update your omnichannel sales, marketing, and fulfillment systems. In the coming years, this will be one of the key differentiators between you and your competitors. 

4. Designing Omnichannel Customer Experiences with RFID

RFID is a way you can give your customers options. Some may want to receive a delivery at home at a certain time or prefer a curbside pickup instead. Your omnichannel experience design should work efficiently with your fulfillment processes. The more convenience you provide your customers, the more value they will place in your company and service. RFID keeps track of every single item entering and exiting your supply chain during each stage of the process. 

You can inform the design of your omnichannel experiences by leveraging historic data and prevent costly mistakes or agitating customers if you can’t fulfill an order. With more RFID retail solutions becoming standard and logistics now depending on the fast and efficient response to global developments, your business can benefit from implementing the latest technologies for all your sales and marketing operations. Retailers need to adapt to consumer trends and RFID product tags provide sales and marketing teams with unique insights about every single element of the consumer’s journey. 

Learn More About RFID in Sales and Marketing at RFID Journal!

We ran a digital summit in May this year. The event educated attendees about the latest use cases from end-users of radio frequency identification systems, the internet of things (IoT), and other omnichannel sales and marketing tools available. 

To learn more about the latest developments of RFID in sales and how you can use your product information to improve your marketing strategies, listed to the on demand recording of  RFID Journal’s Digital Summit here.