John Lewis

The John Lewis self-service point allows customers to browse the website to look for extra stock and either order it for home delivery or pick it up the following day from a store of your choice.

The John Lewis self-service point was really simple to use. I thought this was a great feature to have in the Oxford Street store as they had lots of large furniture on view which could be easily ordered through one of these points for home delivery. John Lewis plans to double the number of their stores with these self-service order points in them.

Diesel

I really liked the Diesel ‘iPad bar’. When I sat down, a sales assistant came over to ask me what I was looking for and whether she could help me find an alternative in store. The kiosk allowed me to search the website for items that were not on sale in this particular store or if they did not have my size. I could also pay for the products and order them for home delivery.

I thought the iPad’s were a clever way to ensure that I spent my money with Diesel even if they didn’t stock what I was looking for. I could have easily have left the store in search from an alternative from a competitor.

New Look

New had an ordering point behind the till where customers could order for home delivery or collection from a store. The order point didn’t allow me to browse the website but sales assistants were on hand to give me help. New Look plan to integrate these self-service points in 600 stores nationwide.

Argos introduced their click and collect system more than a decade ago and now accounts for £1 billion a year in revenue. It will be interesting to watch how retailers differentiate themselves from competitors using these in store self-service ordering points.

For more information on MICROS Systems please call 0207 813 4434 or email uk-ecommerce@micros.com

I compared apps from some of the retailers we tested to see the different ways we were able to use them.

Topshop

We looked at the Topshop app and discovered we could use it to do a number of things. We could use the app to order products for home delivery whilst on the move as well as to scan products in store. Surprisingly, we were only able to order products through from two thirds of the apps we tested.

Topshop has clearly designed their app to be an extension of the in store experience whether the customer unable to get to the store but looking to buy or in store and need more information on what they are looking at.

Accessorize

Accessorize have taken a different route and instead of being able to shop through the app, the customer is able to virtually accessorize themself. The customer can take pictures of themself using the app and then overlay images of products.

Lush

Lush have developed a special product feature called ‘emotional brilliance’, which is designed to help customers choose the best product for them based on their mood. The customer picks three colours that represent their mood and then the colour wheel suggests the right products for them based on this information. Customers aren’t actually able to shop directly from the app and are told to visit the website to make a purchase.

The Games Workshop

Most of the app’s were free to download however, The Games Workshop app was £7.99. The app acts as an extension of the game and provides extra features, such as sound effects, to help bring the game alive.

This is an example of how an app can build the brand experience and add value both in store and at home.

Apple

Apple have many features and benefits that are not seen on other apps. Customers are able to book product demonstration appointments with members of staff in the store and can also use the app to pay for products in store.

It has been interesting to see the different ways that retailers are using app’s to connect with their customers.

For more results from our research please download the Digital Store White Paper.

The Ship is a very busy pub on the banks of the Thames in Wandsworth. We were lucky with the weather on the day we went along, so we were able to sit outside in the beer garden.

We picked up a menu and even though the pub was busy we found ourselves a table in one of the outside booths.

Once we had chosen our lunch went up to the barbecue kiosk where all the food is prepared in the outside kitchen.

Up at the till they ask you what you would like to order and then instead of asking for a table number or where you are seated, they ask you to tap in your mobile number into the system using the device below. Your number then appears on the till register for you to check.

When your order is ready The Ship send you a text message to let you know and then you can go up to the barbecue counter to collect your order.

I showed my order receipt to one of the chefs and took the delicious burgers back to our table.

The service was very fast and we were impressed by how simple and hassle free the ordering process was. The system eliminates confusion with table numbers and seating plans as well as freeing up the waiting staff who looked busy serving in the inside restaurant.

If you’d like to know more, e-mail us at mfuksales@micros.com or call 01753 501607.

The innovation starts in the Hotel La Tour reception. Guests enter a beautifully designed lobby area and are greeted by staff at a reception desk, with four stylish kiosks positioned alongside.

Each of the four kiosks has a touchscreen, a payment device, a passport scanner for overseas visitors and a slot for dispensing and reading the room key. To begin, the customer chooses if they want to check in or check out:

It then asks how you would like to check in, either by name and postcode or name and confirmation number:

Having chosen, you type in your details:

The system retrieves your details from MICROS OPERA and you confirm your name (obscured below) and the details of your stay:

It then checks if you agree with the terms and conditions of the hotel and it asks if you would like to receive marketing updates from Hotel La Tour:

Other legal requirements are met by asking for the guest’s nationality. This ensures that overseas customers are asked to scan their passport in the slot beneath the touchscreen.

The hotel is also able to ask guests if they would like to book a table for dinner in their restaurant. Guests can select the number of diners and book a time. This information is then fed directly into the point-of-service system in the restaurant.

The guest can then request a newspaper:

And finally the guests authorise their payment cards using the payment device:

The kiosk issues your key and a receipt showing your room number. The hotel told me that on average self check-in on the kiosk takes less than two minutes, and check-out takes a very impressive 20 seconds!

What also impressed me about the reception area at Hotel La Tour is that it suits everyone. I was expecting to walk in to an area without any staff and that’s absolutely not what Hotel La Tour is about. Staff are on hand at all times and actively help customers using the kiosks. The sight of a reception desk manned by hotel staff is actually very reassuring – the kiosks are there if you want to use them but if you don’t, then it’s no problem.

You then make your way to your room where the door is opened by swiping your key. There are no paper door hangers at Hotel La Tour – the guest simply taps the control panel inside the door to ask ‘Do Not Disturb’ and an icon outside turns red to alert the staff. The room key also allows you to control the temperature of the room:

Inside, the phone by your bed allows you to control the lights and tells you what the weather is like in Birmingham amongst other things. The hotel is keen to promote awareness of the environment and making it easy for guests to switch off lights and adjust the room temperature can help to conserve energy.

What the team at Hotel La Tour have achieved is extremely impressive. Their aim was to create a ‘modern classic’ hotel and that’s what they have done – high quality furnishings and excellent personal service convey the ‘classic’, while the technology delivers the modern twist. It’s a lovely place and I highly recommend it.

We found that although 44% of restaurant and pub chains offer some sort of delivery or takeaway service, only 12% allowed us to order online.

One of those chains is Wagamama (who are a MICROS customer). I love Wagamama’s food but I don’t always want to go and sit in there at lunchtime, so a takeaway service is absolutely perfect for me. I decided to put it to the test to demonstrate how it works for the consumer.

Once you’ve decided to order take-out on the Wagamama website, you are prompted to enter your postcode to find your local store.

It then asks for the time you would like to collect, the earliest being within 45 minutes of ordering. I chose to pick up from Kingsway, Holborn at 13.30 (ordering at 12.25).

I then picked my order; I found this screen very useful, with the option of quick ordering and splitting your order by person:

I continued to checkout where I entered my card details and it asked me to give my order a name to make it recognisable if I want to order again at a later date.

The confirmation page was informative, giving me an order reference number, order details, reminder of collection time, restaurant address and directions on a map:

I was also sent a confirmation email:

I then arrived at Wagamama and my order was ready exactly on time, 3 minutes early to be precise!

I really liked Wagamama’s commitment to eCommerce in-store as well. Wi-fi was advertised on both placemats and leaflets and a take-out menu was available to browse while you waited which was a handy size to keep in your bag:

My meal also came in a re-usable eco bag which was a great touch:

They’re a customer and I’m biased of course but I’d give Wagamama 5 stars for their online and in store experience. A great example to other retailers of what integrated systems can achieve – a great experience for the customer and extra revenues for the business.

We received 5 emails from Kiddicare updating us on the status of our delivery. The first email we received was the confirmation for registering to the online store.

This email heavily promoted the Kiddicare online community. I thought was appropriate for the target audience as the Kiddicare blog has lots of parenting advice and tips. The link to the community section also directed the customer to FAQ’s about delivery and returns.

The second email they sent us was confirmation of our purchase.

It reminded us of the product we bought, the delivery service we had chosen (next day) and the delivery address we had provided. They also provided contact information for customer services.

They then sent an email letting us know that the order had been dispatched from their warehouse.

This email contained a link to where we could track our product. The link directed us to an Interlink Express tracking page where we could see the status of the order.

The day before the order was going to be delivered we received an email from Interlink (the courier) via Kiddicare to confirm that the order would be delivered the next day.

This email contained options with links to change the date of the delivery and to track the order. We were also encouraged to tweet about our delivery experience. We were also sent a text message with the same information, in case we did not check our emails.

On the morning of the delivery date we were sent another email from Interlink via Kiddicare which assigned us a delivery time slot of one hour.

We were told the order the order would arrive between 13:22 – 14:22. I thought it was great to be told this information in advance! It meant that I didn’t have to wait around all day for the delivery as I knew when it was arriving. I also received a text message letting me know my designated delivery hour. I thought this was a great way to avoid missed deliveries as people are always checking their phones.

Viewing the delivery process from the customer’s point of view, I thought Kiddicare really excelled in their delivery communication and I had complete confidence in them that my order would be delivered to me without any hassle. I would definitely shop with them again as the service, enhanced by the delivery communication, was brilliant.

Larger retailers are more likely to offer next day delivery to customers. 81% of the retailers from the IMRG Top 100 Hitwise Hot-Shops list that we tested offered this service, an increase of almost 20% since last year.

We grouped all of the retailers into 11 different industry sectors and found that all of the B2B retailers we tested offered next day delivery as a delivery option. Sports (SPO) retailers were the next most likely to offer next day delivery with 80% offering this service, followed by grocers and supermarkets (GRO) with 78% and electronic retailers (ELE) with 75%.

For both retailers in general and larger retailers from the IMRG Top 100 Hitwise Hot-shops list, the most popular charge for next day delivery is between £5-£5.99. This was the same as last year. However, the number of retailers offering next day delivery for free has dropped by 5% from last year and the number of retailers now charging £5-£5.99 for the service has increased by 4%. This may suggest that retailers are cashing in on the customers demand for a fast delivery service.

Out of the industry sectors the grocers and supermarkets were the most likely to offer next day delivery free of charge. B2B were the most likely to charge over £15 for next day delivery and 60% of the gift sector offered next day delivery for under the average charge of £5-£5.99.

As well as next day delivery, it seems that retailers are still dipping their toes into the world of same day delivery for those customers who really can’t wait for their order. The number of retailers offering same day delivery has been gradually increasing year on year. This year 6.4% of the retailers we tested offer same day delivery but it was often only available to London postcodes. Fashion retailers are leading the way with this service as 10 out of the 112 fashion retailers we tested had this service as an option.

Download the MICROS Online Retail Delivery Report 2013 or for more information call 0207 813 4434 or email uk-ecommerce@micros.com.

1. Speed of delivery

More online retailers are offering next day delivery. Over two thirds (68%) of retailers now offer this service. However, there has been a 5% drop in the percentage of retailers offering this service for free, showing that retailers are cashing in on the customers demand to receive their goods fast.

2. Communication

The percentage of retails displaying customer service email addresses and phone numbers has decreased since last year. However, we made customer service calls to every retailer that had a helpline and found that 7 out of 10 of our enquiries were answered and resolved quickly, which was an improvement from last year’s results. More retailers this also sent us text messages during the delivery process to alert us of the date and time that our order would arrive.

3. The value of good service

Our research shows that standard delivery is being used more nowadays as leverage for promotional activity. A fifth of retailers offered standard delivery for free and many more used it to push up the cost of the customer’s basket by setting a free delivery threshold in order for the customer to receive free delivery on their purchase.

4. International growth

Two thirds of the retailers we tested now offered to deliver to countries in Europe and beyond. Delivery prices abroad vary significantly as retailers test the elasticity of these markets.

For all the results please download a copy of the MICROS Online Retail Delivery Report 2013. For more information on MICROS and the services we provide, please call 0207 813 4434 or email uk-ecommerce@micros.com.

In our 2013 Restaurant eCommerce Report, which will be published next month, we found that 32% of the restaurants and pubs that we tested had an online store.

13% were only selling gift vouchers but we were interested to see that 19% were selling a range of other things. Here are some of the products we came across:

Nando’s – selling food and condiments such as their crisps and table sauces:

Ed’s Easy Diner – selling clothes including baseball caps and also CD’s listing Ed’s jukebox favourites.

Carluccio’s – have a section selling tickets for a range of events including cooking classes or themed evenings at their restaurant.

Wagamama – are selling their own cookbook along with utensils which customers use in the restaurant.

Shakeaway – have a separate URL dedicated to their online shop. Clothes are the main options with caps, winter hats, aprons and t-shirts all available:

They even have a ‘window wobbler’ for your car letting everyone know you are a Shakeaway customer:

Our 2013 Restaurant eCommerce Report will be available to download FREE from www.micros-ecommerce.com/research/ in early May. If you’d like to know more about our services for restaurants and pubs, which include web design and eCommerce, please contact us at www.micros-fidelio.co.uk/en-GB/Contact.aspx

Les Trois Rois decided to extend their existing bar area and open a luxurious new Cigar Lounge. The new lounge would provide an environment for guests to enjoy a selection of the finest cigars, wines, spirits and food within an enclosed conservatory to abide with the smoking laws.

The challenge that they faced was how to allow guests to order food and drinks from the Cigar Lounge when the law strictly prohibited the hotel bar staff from entering the room. At the same time, they did not want to inconvenience the customer by forcing them to come out of the Lounge every time they wanted to order refreshments.

Working together with MICROS, Les Trois Rois decided to find a way of using technology to overcome the challenge of providing drinks and meals to customers in the Cigar Lounge. To allow customers to place orders without having to leave their seats, each table has an iPad. The iPads display menus for drinks and food, presented as with a paper menu card. The iPad also allows the customer to view high-resolution images of the refreshments that are on offer. This is an added bonus according to Caroline Jenny, Marketing & Communications Manager at Les Trois Rois; “As a five-star superior hotel, we pride ourselves on the quality of our food. Using an iPad as a menu, we have the extra advantage of showing the customer the beauty of our dishes in great detail.”

The iPads were fitted to the tables within the Lounge. “It was clear that an iPad would be the ideal device for us to use in the Lounge, as they have a high quality design and our customers would be familar with using them,” says Caroline Jenny. “By fitting them carefully into the tables, we have ensured that they are neatly presented and unobtrusive.”

Once a customer has placed an order on the iPad, the details are sent straight to the bartender, who then fixes the drinks and arranges for the food to be prepared. When the order is ready for collection, the bartender clicks and the iPad in the Cigar Lounge vibrates or plays a melody, thus

alerting the customer that their order is ready. The customer then simply goes to the door and takes their items from the collection point before returning to the Lounge.

The solution was delivered by MICROS using their myCentral platform. The application allows centralised menu information to be enhanced for iPad use and presented to customers in an attractive way that is also easy to navigate. Orders are taken and fed directly nto the designated MICROS RES point-of-service system for swift and accurate fulfilment.

Guests can place multiple orders during a visit to the Lounge, which are added to a single tab. When the customer decides that they want the check, they simply make a request using the iPad. As they leave the Lounge the bill is waiting, allowing them to make payment using the method of their choice. “We are really pleased with our iPad ordering solution,” concludes Caroline Jenny. “It has allowed us to overcome the challenge of serving the customers in our Cigar Lounge in a way that offers a very high quality service to the guest. We’re very happy with the work that MICROS has done to help us achieve this.”