PC World is launching a
"text and collect" service using SMS technology to allow customers
to check product availability and make reservations on the
go.
The text option adds to the electrical retailer’s existing
in-store, online and telephone shopping facilities and is designed
to offer customers another way to buy.
Phil Walker, PC World multi-channel director, said that
with more than three-quarters of the UK population owning a mobile
phone, and more than 23bn texts sent last year, the SMS facility
would open a new and growing sales channel.
"The technology allows us to offer our customers an even greater
choice and even more flexibility when shopping,” said Walker.
Customers text "collect" plus a postcode and a product number to
check the availability of a product in up to three of their closest
stores. The system responds with availability, allowing the
customer to text "reserve" back to the retailer to hold the
product, sending the customer a reservation number.
The implementation of the SmartAgent eSMS technology from
Numéro was
conducted by business change consultancy Advocus and gained
positive customer feedback during trials. It allows PC World to
quickly add new product lines or delete old ones from the system,
as well as extend it to new stores as they open.
The technology integrates with the existing web services created
for PC World’s e-commerce site, using the same process to look
up the customer's nearest store or check stock availability as is
used for its online application programming interfaces (APIs)
linking into back-end store and stock databases.
PC World was able to complete implementation within four weeks
by re-using this existing technology infrastructure and in-house
customisations.
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