Samsung Electronics America, today at the NRF BIG Show 2016 announced new solutions designed to empower retailers in real-world environments, from attracting customers at the storefront to driving business efficiencies in the back office. Samsung will be showcasing its retail solutions in four settings depicting the customer life cycle including Attract, Interact, Transact and Back Office. Technology ranging from commercial displays to tablet based POS will be shown in the Samsung booth #2062 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center from January 17-19.

“As online shopping continues to grow in popularity and millennials emerge as the most populous generation, retailers face the challenge to provide custom, seamless in-store experiences for today’s connected shoppers,” said Ted Brodheim, vice president of vertical business at Samsung Electronics America.  “Samsung is committed to meeting retailer’s most pressing needs and providing technology that drives engagement and sales.”

According to a Forrester report, brick-and-mortar retailers will use digital technology to personalize shopping and create immersive and engaging in-store experiences that are hard to replicate at home. “The future will belong to retailers that create new sources of customer value through digital experiences while delivering operational excellence…The digital technologies that succeed will be those that create value saving time, making the shopping experience easier and enhancing the pleasure of shopping.”*

Samsung will bring to life its comprehensive portfolio of digital technology solutions through four retail vignettes showing the customer journey including Attract, Interact, Transact and Back Office.

Attract: Enticing Customers at the Storefront and Online

Samsung’s outdoor SMART displays and mobile engagement solutions attract customers outside of the store, driving them into the retail space and providing retailers with key insights to offer engaging and informative in-store experiences. Samsung will highlight customized solutions including:

• Industry Weapon Mall Wayfinding – In collaboration with digital signage software provider Industry Weapon, this solution leverages the Samsung OH46D, an all-weather display ideal for outdoor shopping and the Samsung OM55D, a semi-outdoor display designed for store windows where content can be read in direct sunlight. Retailers can design, schedule and publish multi-media content across multiple Samsung devices.
• Skava Tablet Check-in App and Associate Tablet – Customers can schedule appointments from their phone to drive face to face engagement with associates in the store. Retailers can deliver seamless personalized experiences through beacon triggered notifications and manage appointments on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S2 tablets. The solution is intended for luxury, high end retailers and department stores where customers are looking for personal shopping, makeovers or for a gift registry. Transactions can be tracked and tied to loyalty programs.

Interact: Engaging and Informing Customers In-Store

Samsung will also demonstrate how retailers can leverage technology to create custom and engaging in-store experiences that result in increased engagement and sales, including:

• Coloredge Digital Mirror Merchandising – A cosmetics gondola outfitted with Samsung’s new 32” LCD Mirror Display will show how to drive deeper engagement in store with RFID triggered content connecting customers to brands. In addition, a 55” Samsung LCD Mirror Display can be used in fitting rooms to trigger branded content. With digital content provided by visual marketing firm Coloredge and fixtures provided by retail fixture specialist Stylmark, the solutions merge the physical and online store experience to provide more information, improving the shopping experience and increasing engagement.
• eyeQ Video Analytics – Retailers and brands can create customized experiences and analyze the characteristics and personality of shoppers. A camera detects characteristics, creates a profile, and adapts the content to be most engaging for that shopper including product recommendations to increase sales. The solution tracks shopper movement and responds to different content or merchandising. A dashboard with live analytics of traffic and engagement in the booth will also be showcased. Retail marketing agency TPN who works with retailers and brands to create connected retail experiences, collaborated with eyeQ on digital strategy, customer experience and personalized content.

Transact: Streamlining POS

Samsung’s innovative POS solutions streamline the transaction process, allowing retailers to more efficiently ring up transactions, track sales and view analytics. They permit staff to be mobile and address customer needs from anywhere on the showroom floor, including:

• Stationary Point of Sale – This solution includes a payment terminal, cash drawer, mounted cash register and receipt printer in an enterprise grade enclosure by Armor Active. Driven by eMobilePOS software from e-Nabler that interfaces with back end ERP systems and anchored by a Samsung tablet, this POS solution also features Samsung Pay redemption on the payment terminal.
• KOAMTAC Mobile Point of Sale with KDC500 mPOS Companion – The KDC500 mPOS Companion provides both mobile point of sale capabilities and an inventory management scanner. Complete with a barcode scanner, magnetic strip and EMV reader, it can be mounted to any Samsung smartphone or tablet case. This flexible and user-friendly solution can be used in a retail environment for payment transactions, line-busting and backroom operations.
• Samsung Pay – Samsung Pay, the most accepted mobile payment system that works at the majority of merchants today, will be demonstrated with the new gift card feature. Samsung Pay now supports 50 popular merchant gift cards as well as a gift card store that enables users to buy gift cards from supported merchants for themselves, friends and family with the Samsung Pay app. Samsung Pay is simple, safe, accepted almost anywhere customers can swipe or tap their card, and can expedite the shopping experience.
• Hipaax TaskWatch Associate Notification System with Samsung Gear S2 – A “hands free” salesforce can be connected with real-time information that enable them to deliver exceptional customer service. Associates can receive notifications for operational tasks and can also assign tasks to other associates from their Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch. With TaskWatch, customers receive attention when needed and supervisors have visibility into real-time operations.

Back Office: Driving Operational Efficiencies

Samsung offers a number of solutions to help retailers manage staff, inventory and analyze purchasing activity, including:

• Adobe Experience Manager Screens – Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) Screens provide a collaborative content authoring and management solution to create in-store interactive content for retailers. Fully integration with the Adobe Marketing Cloud AEM Screens enables seamless omni-channel experiences that are personalized and connected across web, social, print and in-store channels. A retailer can use this in the corporate office to create branded content and collateral for stores or seamlessly make updates to content and push to multiple store locations.
• SOTI MobiControl – This solution is available as on-premise, SaaS or cloud. Retailers can manage mobile devices, barcode scanners, digital signage, mobile point of sale devices and wearables from one unified dashboard. The SOTI MobiControl platform also delivers secure management for applications, content, kiosk mode, geofencing and remote helpdesk.
• Mobile Manager – Mobile merchandisers and district sales managers can use the new Samsung Galaxy TabPro S Windows tablet as a productivity tool when travelling to different retail locations or on the sales floor. A store manager can use custom end user software to review sales figures with an associate or update inventory.

Samsung also offers a range of products for corporate retail management, including multifunction printers, smartphones and wearables. Samsung’s full technology portfolio for retail is available through Samsung distributors and resellers. For more information about Samsung’s solutions for retailers, please visit http://www.samsung.com/retail.

* The Future of the Retail Experience, Forrester Research, Inc., August 2015.

Additional Resources:

• Website: http://Samsung.com/retail
• Blog: https://insights.samsung.com/category/industries/retail/
• Twitter: @SamsungBizUSA
• LinkedIn: Samsung in Retail
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SamsungBizUSA
• Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/SamsungBusinessUSA

About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.

Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), is a recognized innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology.  A wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SEA delivers a broad range of digital consumer electronics, mobile products and wearables, wireless infrastructure, IT and home appliance products. Samsung is the market leader for HDTVs in the U.S and one of America’s fastest growing home appliance brand. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com.

Samsung Electronics announced that Samsung Pay, the most accepted mobile payment system that works at the majority of merchants today, now supports 50 popular merchant gift cards as well as a gift card store that enables users to buy gift cards from supported merchants for themselves, friends and family directly within the Samsung Pay app starting today. Samsung Pay allows you to purchase, store, pay with, and share gift cards right from your Samsung phone.

Samsung Pay supports 50 popular merchant gift cards including Babies“R”Us and Toys“R”Us, Bass Pro Shops®, Domino’s®, eBay, GameStop®, Nike, Regal Entertainment Group and Staples in partnership with Blackhawk Network. More gift card options will be added to Samsung Pay in the coming months. In addition to using these cards in stores across the U.S., Samsung Pay also supports the purchase of select gift cards—for yourself, friends and family—directly within the app itself.

“With the support of 50 major retail gift cards and the launch of the in-app gift card store, Samsung Pay is bringing consumers an easier way to use gift cards ,” said Injong Rhee, EVP of Samsung Electronics, Global Head of Samsung Pay. “People love gift cards, but how many of us have gone to pay for something only to realize we have a gift card sitting around somewhere at home? With Samsung Pay, you can easily carry your gift cards with you everywhere you go and not have to worry about a card going unspent.”

“Another feature that is unique to Samsung Pay is the ability to buy gift cards and gift them to friends within the Samsung Pay app itself. We hope this will provide greater flexibility, access and choice for Samsung Pay customers heading into the holiday season.”

Samsung Pay supports many of the country’s major banks and continues to expand its partnership ecosystem. Click here for the full list of financial partners that support Samsung Pay.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up, scan their fingerprint and pay.
• SAFE: Samsung Pay uses tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments. And, as terminals are upgraded to EMV, that security is leveraged, too.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay is compatible with the majority of existing and new terminals, including most magnetic stripe, EMV and NFC terminals*. That means Samsung Pay works at more places than any other mobile payment service.

We are visual creatures. We experience our surroundings through our eyes and make decisions based on what we see. This especially rings true in the business world, which is why Samsung Electronics has meticulously crafted a wide range of integration-ready signage solutions to support organizations of every size. Although Samsung continues to expand its services in this area, it has already left an indelible mark on five industries. Read on to see how.

Retail

Competition from non-traditional retail sources, such as online and mobile shopping outlets, and the new social media influenced shopping habits of millennials and the middleclass, have forced retailers to differentiate themselves by creating a more enhanced in-store experience. In an era of digital hyper-saturation, retailers must meet customer needs by simplifying the store experience, diversifying marketing and facilitating two- way communication.

Such was the case with Sport Chek, Canada’s largest retailer of sports equipment and apparel. Noting that 80% of the retailer`s customers were under the age of 40, the company attempted to appeal to this digital-savvy demographic by installing numerous interactive screens throughout their flagship store in Toronto.

The vibrant images and content arrangement features of Samsung’s displays made customers want to spend more time in the store, and cemented a positive perception of the brand. As such, Sport Chek was able to create a retail environment unlike any other in North America, resulting in unprecedented sales.

Corporate

Corporations gain market share by readily adapting to ever-changing business conditions, particularly in the realm of IT infrastructure. Utilizing up-to-date communication and operation systems ensures effective internal collaboration and timely delivery of relevant information, as well as improves overall corporate performance.

To meet these evolving needs, corporate managers must provide a flexible communication system that supports dynamic collaboration, give employees easy access to real-time information and retain clients by presenting a visually impactful and compelling brand message.

Seeking to influence in-house creativity and enhance operations to take their company mission to the next level, Geico S.p.A., the automotive industry’s leading international producer of automated paint plants, worked together with Numero 10, a Samsung partner, to build and manage high-definition Samsung video walls. To increase collaboration between employees and clients, they also installed Samsung’s 65” interactive multimedia e-Boards in their executive offices, main meeting halls and training facilities.

Not only did Geico grab the attention of current customers and potential clients, but also cultivated internal communications and promoted a fruitful exchange of inventive ideas with the videoconferencing capabilities of the e-Boards.

Entertainment

With internet connectivity allowing for more convenient media consumption, more consumers are transitioning away from large public venues, moving instead to personalized in-home entertainment systems. In response, the entertainment industry has to reinvent its methods to get consumers out of their living rooms and into entertainment venues.

In order to meet consumer demands, entertainment facilities must capture customers’ attention with vibrant imagery, create convenient and intuitive promotional information, and establish a platform which enables customers to interact with the venue in a more personal way.

Slate NY, a popular New York City sports bar and events venue, attempted to accomplish this by installing a cutting edge video wall to create an impactful audio-visual experience for guests. Samsung’s 55” UD Series Direct-lit LED displays provided Slate NY with an elegant solution, offering a virtually seamless viewing experience when installed as a video wall.

Following the installation, the venue saw a 25% increase in foot traffic for popular sporting events, as well as a spike in event bookings. Slate NY intends to further leverage the video wall through the integration of custom graphics that will transform the venue’s atmosphere to fit club nights and other special events.

Hospitality

“Digital natives,” tech-savvy consumers who value mobility, flexibility and on-demand media access, are a growing demographic targeted by the hospitality industry. So much so that they are expected to be the main user of hospitality displays by 2017. As such, hotels and resorts worldwide have had to evolve to enhance guests’ experiences with more digital amenities while maintaining a modern interior design.

Hong Kong’s Peninsula Hotel serves affluent business and leisure guests and builds loyalty through impeccable service, elegant décor, and modern in-room technology. The hotel sought to efficiently transform its guest rooms with nearly 700 elegant Samsung hospitality displays which delivered full-HD video content with user-friendly, intuitive controls. Additionally, the displays comprised seamless integration with guests’ mobile devices, allowing them to feel more at home.

These interactive, information dense displays upgraded the luxury hotel to the foremost level of in-room entertainment and have been so successful that Samsung has been chosen as the technology standard across Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels Limited’s hotels worldwide.

Transportation

As individuals are driving less and the general public’s attitudes toward public modes of transportation are becoming more positive, the transportation industry is seeing an increase in the number of travelers across all segments. To continue along this steadily positive growth trend, transportation centers such as airports and train terminals will need to invest in innovative digital infrastructure to maximize capacity while minimizing operating costs.

To modernize how travelers access information, the industry has turned to digital signage solutions, which can be tailored to fit the individual needs of a wide range of transportation segments.

Samsung’s SMART Signage utilizes database integration to display real time departure/arrival information to cater to passenger needs and enhances the travel experience with interactive, passenger-oriented content and self-service capabilities. Additionally, Samsung’s displays promote brand awareness with a contemporary, visually compelling passenger terminal, sure to appeal to the growing demographics utilizing public transportation.

As industry trends evolve to meet the demands of the public, so will the way we consume them. It is certain that Samsung`s display solutions will advance with such trends, continuing to improve and enhance the way the world does business.