Now more than ever digital channels are critically important for retailers, however this creates the challenge of an ever more complex customer journey across multiple online and offline touchpoints.  The one thing that consumers expect is a consistent brand experience regardless of their choice of touchpoint.

Enter NFC.

There are over 2 billion NFC enabled devices being used today*, most of them smart mobile phones, meaning that the infrastructure and ability to interact with an NFC tag is already there.  NFC enables a brand to create a dynamic, personalised experience at the tap of a tag with the knowledge of whether the item has already been purchased or not.  For the consumer this means the experience prior to sale can be linked to online influencers or to a social network of choice.

The ability to tip the purchase decision into your favour can be supported with NFC.

At point of sale the same mobile device can be used for payment and collection authentication upon receipt.

After sales, NFC plays its’ part in keeping consumers connected to the brand, whether this is through running competitions or hosting a social channel for owners of particular products. The amount of time that brands seek to win from consumers can be increased even outside of the brand’s environment.  Gamification, Information, Sustainability Projects and How to Recycle your Garments are all themes that can be driven into the experience, all the time raising brand awareness and in turn, its’ value.

This exposure, consistency and ease of interaction is critical if brands want to grow their loyal customer base and become more relevant in the daily shopping experience.

For more insights on NFC and how Checkpoint can help please get in touch, [email protected].

* IHS Research and global statistics.  81% of smart phones were NFC enabled in 2019, with 3.2 billion in circulation.