The Retail 2.0 integration of Tablet Central provides product information via the touchscreen on the rear of the display, or by lifting an item from it’s resting position. Once you have the product information on the screen, you can scan a QR code with your phone to get the product information to review later, review recommended accessories for the product, even compare several devices against each other with consistent specification data to assist shoppers in making a purchasing decision.

Tablet Central – Retail 2.0 Gallery

TigerConnect centers feature multiple interaction methods – customers can either pickup a phone and the corresponding product information will appear on the screen; or they can select a phone on the touchscreen interface to obtain full product information.

In order to assist consumers in narrowing down their choices, we integrated a comparison feature, allowing the consumer to select up to 14 phones at a time and compare their specifications side by side, dropping out selections as they “weed them out.”

Keep watching for new Retail 2.0 developments and the ongoing rollout of TigerConnect centers in a TigerDirect or CompUSA Retail Store near you.

TigerConnect Photo Gallery

There are many options in external hard drives these days, but with Retail 2.0 you know you are going to get the right one the first time!

Shoppers can access product information including videos and other assets, explore the options for both PC and MAC compatible drives, see available colors, even interact with 360 views of the product, simply using their finger.

Closer view:

Western Digital Retail 2.0 Fixture 2011

The merchandisers were developed by Systemax for AMD and Western Digital (WD). The AMD unit provides an interactive PC configurator that makes component recommendations based on in-store availability, while the WD unit features a touchscreen display and offers educational product videos.

Like previous interactive systems deployed within Systemax’s CompUSA and TigerDirect stores, the new merchandisers provide the company with customer data based on shoppers’ interaction with the units.

Marketing and strategic initiatives VP Lonny Paul said the displays are more productive than traditional end caps, which do little more than hold inventory.

The displays were rolled out to 25 percent of Systemax’s 46 U.S. and Canadian retail stores in December, and should be installed system-wide within the next two months.

Elsewhere, the company opened its first TigerConnect in-store mobile shop at its flagship Miami location, and has four more on the way, and will open its second Chicago-area TigerDirect.com store and call center later this quarter in Vernon Hills, Ill.

Source: TWICE

That firm – Systemax – is out to prove wrong all of the people who said that retail tech stores were dinosaurs, soon to be replaced by the growing consumer preference for buying online. So far, Systemax is getting the last laugh.

In their last quarterly report, Systemax reported 14% growth in total sales on a record $862 million in U.S. dollars. Make no mistake about it: both CompUSA and Circuit City would have been breaking out the caviar and champagne if they had seen quarterly growth rates anything close to that when they finally went under.

Asked by this columnist whether “brick and mortar” electronics retailing is headed for the graveyard, a company representative stares at his questioner for a moment then actually growls. “There will always be a place for retail stores,” he says with a certainty that leaves no room for doubt.

If you go to a CompUSA store today, the experience is now different. In front of each TV on sale is a keyboard that allows a shopper to check for product reviews, get information from the TV’s user manual, and even check competing prices via the Web. And the benefits work both ways. Not only does the shopper get information about what they are interested in buying, Systemax can also track which products are getting the most attention too. That’s valuable knowledge in the competitive and fast moving world of consumer electronics.

The store’s floor staff are fully commissioned, another interesting difference from some of their larger competitors. “We want our sales associates motivated to be out on the floor meeting customers, not sitting in the store break room yacking about last weekend’s ballgame,” says one company official.

Amid signs that Wall Street is starting to take more of an interest in what Systemax is doing, the company has been moving cautiously. They tested their Retail 2.0 marketing concepts in Florida, and have been slowly reopening CompUSA stores in large cities like Houston and Chicago. If you want to see a Systemax-branded store in action in the Bay Area, forget it. There aren’t any yet in California, and company officials flatly refuse to comment on any expansion plans for the largest state.

Their caution is probably with good reason. Despite Systemax’s recent success in acquiring two failed chains and generating respectable sales, they know they are up against the biggest of the “big box” retailers in WalMart and Best Buy, plus the ever-present attraction of online shopping. Whether you shop with your fingers or your feet, it remains to be seen if Systemax’s efforts to combine both will keep you coming back for more.

Source: Examiner.com

The Retail 2.0 concept rolled out two years ago at CES and has since been deploying elements of it throughout all CompUSA and TigerDirect stores. Retail 2.0 is a sales and marketing strategy that marries online technology and tools to in-store merchandising displays. The displays are designed to give consumers the rich-media information they need to choose the right products and to deliver stocking, supply-chain, sell-through and analytical information to the retailer’s sales floor and corporate offices.

The new kiosks build upon those capabilities by offering richer information and tools to the consumer, retailer and manufactures. While the two kiosks have a different look, they accomplish similar tasks.

AMD, for example, approached Systemax to create a kiosk that would help the processor maker increase its sales into the PC system builder market. By clicking different sections of the kiosk’s touch screen, shoppers can receive recommendations as to which processors, components and accessories are most compatible with the system they are trying to build or upgrade. The kiosk is designed to help shoppers of all tech levels, from novice to expert.

At the end of the session, the kiosk can print out a list of suggested components and prices, which the consumer pass along to a sales person for help. (CompUSA and TigerDirect will also add the components to the system for free.) Since the kiosk is tied into the store’s main system, it can immediately tell the associate what components are in stock or the closest store that has them.

“All the information is localized so we can leverage it all in real time,” said Lonny Paul, vice president of marketing and strategic initiatives at Systemax, at 2011 CES. Those improvements to Retail 2.0 have helped increase the “buy up” of AMD processors and related components because consumers can readily see the additional benefits and features of the more expensive products, Paul said.

The Retail 2.0 back-end system has also been enhanced to improve merchandising and sales’ analytics. Store managers, for example, can tell how many times a product has been lifted from a display, which helps retailers and manufacturers optimize product positioning and forecasting.

“Retail 2.0 provides all the benefits technology to the consumer, while we get the benefit of becoming much better marketers,” Paul said.

Manufacturers and vendors can also manage their own information on the kiosk screens, pushing out new or updated information without having to go through the retailer. That constant flow of updated information straight to the kiosks also helps sales associates self-educate themselves on the latest products and technologies when customer traffic is light.

Sytemax will also implement its latest Retail 2.0 solutions in the new TigerConnect mobile divisions, beginning this quarter within its TigerDirect flagship store in Miami. The kiosks will help consumers find the right device, carrier and accessories to fit their lifestyle and budget, Paul said.

Systemax will continue rolling out more Retail 2.0 innovations within CompUSA and TigerDirect stores throughout the year, he said.

“You have to drive by each of our competitors to get to us. So we have to give consumers a reason to shop with us. It’s all about differentiating,” he said, adding that the strategy is working. “Our same-store comps are up, while everyone else’s is down. There has to be a reason for that.”

Source: Dealerscope

By providing crucial product information available online while shopping in-store, the VEC extendsthe Internet-based Retail 2.0 store concept, which allows shoppers to access price and product information — and even browse competitors’ Web sites — from in-store display screens adjacent to the product. The VEC and the future of Retail 2.0 will be discussed during a webcast on Saturday, Aug. 28, at 2:00 p.m. EST at www.retail20.com/amd.

Source: TWICE

The store is currently in ‘soft open’ mode and will be having a grand opening celebration shortly, once the store is 100% together and ready for prime time.  We are still stocking some shelves and getting used to things, but we didn’t want to make you wait – and simply opened the doors while we get settled in.  Plus, the store is fully outfitted with ‘Retail 2.0’ a all-new concept in retailing that brings the convenience of the Internet right to you inside the retail store. 

You’ll find that the TVs, laptops, desktops and monitors simply ‘call out’ their features as you walk by, plus everything has a keyboard attached, so you can dive in to get full product specifications, manuals, customer reviews and more – plus surf your favorite websites and even compare our prices against other competitors.  Just like at home!

Come on down and say hello to the new staff, including our manager Scott Schlutow at the Chicago TigerDirect.com retail store – and check out all the great deals you count on everyday online – right in your hometown!

Check it out today!

The new store is located at:

1600 Interstate 20 W

Arlington, TX 76017

Check back for more details on the Arlington Texas opening or click here for more information on the Arlington location.

Stop by and check it out at 9521 Viscount Avenue in El Paso, Texas.