How printing and digitally-enabled solutions can change the way Philippine retailers work in a post-pandemic world

As the world is now slowly starting to open up and ushering the post-pandemic era, the retail industry is faced with the new responsibility of balancing both their physical and digital stores and keeping up with each of their unique needs and concerns.

Global technology leader Epson is focused on helping businesses through highly innovative products and digitized solutions. Throughout the pandemic, the company worked on addressing these challenges by offering customized solutions through their existing product lines. This is to further enhance customer experience and help implement smooth online transactions, order and delivery management, and work-from-home productivity.

Supporting digital transformation for business owners post-pandemic

Reinventing retail for the post-pandemic world calls for innovative technology that is accessible and easy to use. Epson’s next generation POS technology allows for easy implementation of contactless customer engagement and a smooth migration to cloud-based solutions. The web-based technology allows users to connect multiple devices—from laptops and desktops to bar code scanners, from smart phones to printers—and to store and share information on the cloud. This minimizes downtime, assures data integrity and security, enables accessibility and connectivity.

Epson TM-L90LFC Liner-Free Thermal Label Printer

Within Epson’s wide range of POS Intelligent Solutions that can be utilized by retailers, the mobile POS (mPOS) printer range is compact, cost effective, reliable, and can help users further improve their omnichannel strategies. In addition, with the rise in food delivery, curbside pickups and online food orderings, Epson also has an order labelling solution, the TM-L90LFC, to help business owners manage their orders accurately and efficiently, and to ensure that the right order reaches the right customers.

Through Epson’s Intelligent Solutions, retailers are able to provide their customers with a consistent shopping experience across mobile, web and in-store channels.

Ensuring seamless retail operations through printing solutions

As retailers begin to reopen their physical stores, they must account for the overall safety of their employees and customers, as well as the sanitation of the location and equipment.

For employees, this means keeping them equipped with the right tools and gear such as PPE and face masks. For physical stores, it is crucial that social distancing is maintained, contact is limited, and face masks are mandatory. Warning signs and reminders printed and displayed throughout the store play a significant role in ensuring that these conditions are followed, and that everyone is kept safe.

For customers who are expecting a seamless experience, retailers must be sure to improve operations to increase customer satisfaction and heighten brand awareness for both physical and online stores. This entails paying attention to even the smallest of details—upgrading both QR-code and printed menus, enhancing long-standing and high-quality product labels, and utilizing easy-to-access and contactless payment modes.

With these added concerns, it is vital to find the right solutions that can accommodate what the retailer needs and what the customer wants. Epson offers a wide range of commercial printers that focuses on store and office retail solutions.

Epson SureColor SC-F7270 Dye Sublimation Textile Printer

Epson’s SureColor F-Series specializes in textile printing, particularly on direct-to-cotton based materials and dye sublimation printers for polyester and polyester blend fabrics—most suitable for customizing personal protective equipment, garments, and face masks for store employees and frontliners alike.

Epson SureColor SC-S80670L Eco-Solvent Signage Printer

The Epson SureColor T-Series and SureColor S-Series printers produce signages that can customize branding, displays, and reminders that are clear, durable, and easy to read. Meanwhile, the Colorworks and L-Series Desktop Printers are perfect for printing single-use marketing materials and menus, product labels, and QR codes for virtual menus and contactless payment.

Epson LabelWorks LW- Z900FK

These varied printing solutions from Epson can help retailers guarantee that safety, protection, and overall experience are prioritized within their establishments and that staff and customers alike can remain at ease.

Utilizing digital solutions to increase productivity and collaboration

While many retailers have started to open up their physical branches, most employees are still given the option to slowly shift to the hybrid setup or continue to work from home altogether. This potentially brings to light another challenge—maintaining employee productivity and collaboration regardless of location.

To help retailers take the first step into staying connected and shift towards digital transformation in the workspace, Epson offers its line of scanners that can easily digitize essential documents, as well as archive them for safety, convenience, and ease of use in the future. For receipts, official documents, and financial records, Epson scanners can help a retailer easily convert their files into any digital format. This takes out the frustration of having to search for hard copies and provides employees with easy online access to the information they need, thus ensuring less downtime.

Embracing smart technology to ensure business growth

The benefits of utilizing smart technologies and digital solutions in retail are many. They help keep employees and customers safe and protected, create meaningful brand experiences that customers will remember. This will eventually lead to business continuity and growth.

An ideal partner in ensuring a safe, secure, and connected experience for all, Epson has an expansive portfolio of digital solutions that helps businesses prepare for the future of retail.