With scanning technology becoming so widespread in businesses, many people take the ways that barcode scanners impact retail for granted.
Retail stores continue to find new ways to engage customers and build better customer relationships, even or especially during COVID-19. According to Small Business Trends, there are at least five things customers want from a retail store. These include personalized customer service, online/offline integration, the use of mobile technology, loyalty rewards, and store financing. What might be surprising to store management is that many of these things, and much more, can be pursued using a simple barcode. After all, the barcode has long been used in retail and the possibilities for its use continue to evolve and grow.
The Benefits of Barcode Scanners for Retail
The ways that barcode scanners improve retail include:
Inventory management: Many businesses track an item's progress and location by scanning its barcode at different points in shipment.
Accuracy: Scanning a barcode has better accuracy than manual data entry when handling an item from shipment to sale.
Efficiency: Since it takes a simple scan to read an item, barcode scanning has faster results than entering a number.
Cost: Thanks to barcode fonts and reasonable scanner costs, many businesses can afford barcode technology.
Flexibility: Barcode scanners can read 1D or 2D codes and evolve over time through technological developments. You can also combine scanner types to speed up inventory management or checkout.
After the invention of the barcode, the retail industry changed forever. Barcodes can also transform your business through the above benefits and more.