EuroCIS 2024 – Analogue shopfitting meets digital solutions: The Store Makers from umdasch presented innovative concepts for symbiosis at the point of sale
EuroCIS, the international trade fair for retail technology, took place in Düsseldorf from 27 to 29 February. As one of the leading providers of integrated shopfitting solutions, umdasch The Store Makers were there to present their latest developments for optimising retail processes.
As usual, EuroCIS 2024 was dominated by the latest trends and challenges in retail technology. The range of topics covered by exhibitors could hardly have been more diverse: from payment solutions and AI pricing tools to Omnichannel and connected retail, supply chain software and electronic shelf labelling (ESL). The spirit of innovation was palpable on all three days of the show. New technologies, such as artificial intelligence, are already opening up many new opportunities for the entire industry. "For our umdasch digital team, EuroCIS is of course one of the trade fair highlights. The who's who of the industry provides insights into current developments and highlights the 'hot topics'," says Manuel Pilz, Head of Sales Digital Solutions at umdasch The Store Makers.
Digitalisation at the point of sale has many facets
Consumers today expect a seamless and personalised shopping experience that integrates and connects all available channels. As a retailer, it is important to use digital touchpoints to showcase your products in a way that not only attracts attention but also generates interest. On the other hand, the use of digital solutions for retailers is also about process optimisation and, as a result, cost savings. Optimised processes can also make an important contribution to sustainability.
As one of Europe's leading shopfitting companies, it is therefore all the more important for umdasch The Store Makers to be aware of the constantly changing demands of the market and to play an active role in shaping them. To achieve this, umdasch is increasingly focusing on the interplay between analogue shopfitting and digital solutions. "The digitalisation of the point of sale today means much more than just a few screens and the installation of digital price tags," explains Manuel Pilz.
According to him, process optimisation, cost savings and brand presentation are the three core issues. "This usually involves solutions and expertise that are not visible to the consumer at first glance. These include the intelligent networking of different touchpoints, the collection and, above all, the use of data, or simply ongoing maintenance - to name just a few". For a company like umdasch, with its roots in traditional shopfitting, this also means thinking ahead and combining this area with digital solutions.
As co-exhibitors on the stand of the self-checkout experts and Umdasch Group participation shopreme, umdasch The Store Makers demonstrated how the interplay between analogue shopfitting and digital solutions works and what benefits the digitalisation of the point of sale brings for customers and retailers alike. At the same time, EuroCIS demonstrated how synergies within the Umdasch Group are being used to further develop the sector.
New opportunities with digital solutions
The digital professionals from umdasch Digital Solutions presented touchpoints such as digital signage, electronic shelf labelling (ESL) and the umdasch eXperience Platform, a cloud-based interface for various point of sale applications. These technologies enable retailers to significantly simplify their processes and engage customers in innovative ways. For store staff, simplifying processes means more time for other, more important activities, such as customer service. It also means making certain activities easier and more effective. For example, connectivity means that content on digital touchpoints can be adapted across stores with little effort. As in the case of the Dealer App developed by Store Makers, centrally controlled content such as promotions or advertising can be customised for each store.
Connecting digital solutions also means that they communicate with each other. For example, if a retailer adjusts prices, they automatically change at different touchpoints and the corresponding promotional prices are communicated in an appealing way, for example via screens. This is exactly what the umdasch eXperience Platform, which had been visually presented at EuroCIS, does.
Data generation, data collection and data use are key drivers of effectiveness at the point of sale. For this reason, the umdasch Store Makers presented the Smart Bakery Box at EuroCIS, which has been further developed since EuroShop 2023. Visually indistinguishable from a standard bakery box from the umdasch Bakery Box series, the smart component is located below the presentation trays for small baked goods. A weighing sensor system built into the box measures the weight and can therefore deduce the remaining number of pieces by making changes. In the background, a software interface provides additional information about the freshness of the goods via a dashboard and determines how much pastry to replenish and when, based on daily data. Upstream and downstream processes, such as the operation of ovens, are then triggered automatically. This is a game changer for retailers, as it greatly simplifies stock determination. And so the Smart Bakery Box brings economic benefits, such as reducing food waste through anticipatory demand planning, and the added environmental benefit of energy-optimised operation.
Presentation of a realistic shopping situation with self-checkout
The integration into the shopreme demo store at EuroCIS demonstrated how the interaction between umdasch The Store Makers solutions and the jointly developed Matrix and Vector self-checkout solutions can be realised in a realistic shopping situation. These offers provide retailers with the opportunity to optimise the checkout area, reducing queues and simplifying the checkout process for customers. The intuitive user interface makes shopping as easy as using an app.
In addition to its user-friendly design, the Matrix self-checkout's particular advantage for retailers lies in its connection to the shopreme ecosystem, allowing them to benefit from standardised analytics, remote age verification, a specially developed employee app and much more.
For Robert Hauptmann, Store Consult & Solution Development at umdasch The Store Makers, EuroCIS is a place where innovations become visible. He adds: "Our Smart Bakery Box and the exit solutions matrix and vector, which we developed together with shopreme, show how analogue shopfitting and digital solutions can merge to create a seamless customer experience - while also providing significant benefits for the retailers themselves."
Great atmosphere and inspiring innovations
The Store Makers from umdasch are very positive about EuroCIS 2024. The trade fair was an excellent opportunity to present innovative concepts for the retail of the future to a broad trade audience and to make valuable contacts. The feedback from visitors was consistently positive and confirmed the high quality and relevance of umdasch's solutions. "The interest in our digital solutions such as the umdasch eXperience Platform shows that we have our finger on the pulse of the times and confirms our work all the more," says Manuel Pilz.