The importance of being convenient…why you need Concept’s E-Commerce solution

It’s hard to think of a bigger influence on the world of commerce than technological innovation: the shift to digital, the rise of mobile shopping trends and the continued shift in favouritism from brand loyalty to service loyalty. For any business to grow it must consistently reach new customers and communicate effectively with existing ones. But doing this from a physical location alone is not always as easy as it might seem. Here is where an E-Commerce solution can prove invaluable…by allowing your business to increase sales and break free from the chains of a traditional storefront. Concept Software Systems produce and sell software solutions to businesses and corporations of all sizes, improving and enhancing their inventory management, tracking purchases and operations management – and also putting us at the forefront of the E-commerce revolution.

According to Statista, E-commerce revenues are expected to grow to 4.88 trillion USD in 2021 - with Javelin Strategy predicting mobile commerce alone to be worth 320 billion USD by 2020. This fast growth and the relatively low market share means there are still enormous opportunities to be found on the global marketplace offered by E-commerce. Convenience is the key to all this.  Today’s customers can “walk” through an entire store in moments without worrying about crowds or opening hours. Using a search system, they find exactly what they need with instant access to product specs and alternatives.

Smartphones and tablets are now shopping baskets, with legacy retailers using them to try and catch up with the original e-commerce giants. This has resulted in exponential mobile commerce growth - over 13% on last year according to the Criteo reports. According to the 2015 e-commerce Mobile stats, their influence can be seen in both off- and on-line sales with 62% of the smartphone users surveyed making a recent online mobile purchase and 80% of in-store shoppers using a mobile phone to browse product reviews, compare prices or find alternative store locations.

So, what does this mean for the Hospitality and Tourism Industry? Any hotel or resort has a wide range of services and products to sell, spa products and treatments, golf tee-times and equipment, academy clothes and accessories…with an online store you can achieve what matters most to modern consumers – convenience.

This is where we can help. Concept has recently added to our online solutions an exciting new E-commerce solution – The CSS Online Shop – that comes fully integrated with Concept POS & Gift Card Management. This complete platform lets you manage and sell articles in Concept Inventory through Concept Online, coordinated with existing warehouses and articles in your Concept Point of Sales & Back Office modules. With Gift Card Management you can sell online services as part of a Gift Card previously created in Concept POS. This can be sold online and activated automatically, its status updated each time it is redeemed through online booking at Concept Golf and/or Spa.

The benefits are obvious – imagine your golf store open for business worldwide, 24/7, 365 days a year. New products can be added instantly without having to worry about instore display and floor space. Excess stock and promotions can be easily communicated to your customers with an online showcase. The last few years have seen technology evolve the way a modern golf course operates making it a simple step to add an online store to a website – with many courses taking advantage of their off-season by perfecting their on-line set up.

According to a recent International Salon Spa Business Network article, online sales of beauty products now account for 15% of the entire annual revenue of the health and beauty industry.  Even the more specialist Spa and beauty centres are now seeing the advantages of selling online. They know that they can engage and enrich brand loyalty and equity, with clients preferring to frequent a spa that stocks brands that they know and love. Also remember, your client probably doesn’t visit the spa every day, and if they need a product before their next appointment, they will probably buy it elsewhere.

They know that they can engage and enrich brand loyalty and equity, with clients preferring to frequent a spa that stocks brands that they know and love. Also remember, your client probably doesn’t visit the spa every day, and if they need a product before their next appointment, they will probably buy it elsewhere.

It’s time to see the changing world around us and adapt to it – it’s time to find the online platform you need to engage and communicate. With the CSS Online Shop we know we’ve found a way to do just that.

Contact us today to find out more.