Written by Eimear McWilliams
Tech group, inurface media has launched new digital equipment to capture and retain customer attention, as retailers prepare to open their doors post-lockdown.
The latest development is the Traffic Management Signage System, which the business said will ensure the need for less staff on doors or floors of premises.
Its aim is to efficiently manage the flow of people in and out of stores with a traffic light system, and communicate directly to the customer, through personalised digital signage.
By collecting data such as the number of occupants in shops, the gadget can also estimate a waiting time for those queuing outside.
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inurface is based in England, with clients including Subway and Stena Line, and it has engineered other products to ease consumers back into the shopping world.
One such item is a thermal monitoring system that uses a cloud-based system to accumulate people’s temperatures, which can then be accessed by managers both on and off site.
This will allow alterations to be made by businesses to maintain high levels of safety.
Another innovation is the sanitising station which doubles as a real-time messaging service, dependant on the environment and client.
This will allow shoppers to receive information such as if there are larger crowds in premises, so that they can stay connected and updated, easing anxieties about mixing in busy stores.
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Josh Bunce, founder and CEO of inurface said: “The UK’s retail market is made up of a patchwork of businesses, big and small, and it is vital that post COVID-19 we don’t lose this unique mixture of retail options and the environment they are capable of creating.
“While supporting the big fish might be where the big money is, as a company inurface started small and grew with the support of others.
“It is because of this that it is vitally important to me that I do all I can to support as many people as I can by providing them with the appropriate technology solutions and the knowledge my business can provide alongside.
“My hope is that UK business will recover, maybe even stronger than before, but for that to happen we need engagement, determination and for people to embrace the options to help make it happen”.
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Eimear McWilliams is an NI-based freelance journalist and reporter. Follow her on Twitter here.