PCR August Big Interview With Samsung’s Business Development Manager, Henrik Hansen

PCR speak with Samsung’s Business Development Manager, Henrik Hansen, about the modern-day retail experience and the display trends of tomorrow.

Now with the rise of footfall to physical stores nearly returning to somewhere near to pre pandemic levels. It’s high time that retailers take steps to ensure the retail experience is worth leaving your home for. Something that the latest tech is a major part in achieving as Henrik Hansen Samsung’s Business Development Manager explains.

How important is display and demonstration screens at point-of-sale in retail spaces?
Exhibiting product in retail spaces is an essential part of drawing customers in-store. An interesting way of catching attention is through an interactive trigger, combined to present dynamic content. A trigger such as Lift-and-Learn technology will demo key features, specs and fun product facts in an interactive way. This is absolutely key and increases the chance of a sale, whilst also increasing the dwell time that people spend in store, especially if the retailer attracts them with lively display content. Demo screens in-store are generally great for retailers, advertisers and brands too.

How does Samsung compare to its competitors in retail display?
We offer a good selection of display solutions, which includes hardware, software, fully loaded CMS platforms to state-of-the-art device management solutions. We are able to provide retailers with one of the broadest portfolios of quality displays, all the way from 13inch non-touch and touch to 98inch LCD displays and our LED solutions are customisable to the customer’s needs. We find that experience and expertise are valued by the consumer and these are the biggest factors considered by retailers in selecting a display provider. We pride ourselves in offering retailers a trusted and experienced team from ideation conception, support of rollouts, through to the final delivery.

What support do you offer retailers to capitalise in the market?
Samsung can support retailers with software that demonstrates ‘proof of play’ in line with the content they show. It helps guide retailers with capitalising on their investments, compare sales and results in store, or at the till. Design is also a key aspect in how Samsung supports retailers. We actually have a designer of LED in our team and we offer their expertise and counsel free-of-charge, should they need anything bespoke. There’s also a European showroom, which features the majority of our displays line-up, and we assist retailers by allowing them to use our screens to test their content. It allows them the chance to amend and adapt the content to fit the right displays. Proof of concept is also something we offer for certain projects, whether it be short-term sample provision or something more long term.

Following the pandemic and the trend for online shopping, how can retail owners utilise products to attract customers back into store?
Retailers have needed to adapt dramatically to a seamless omnichannel customer format due to increased online shopping, driven by the pandemic and shopping restrictions. More than ever, retail spaces need to ensure they’re welcoming customers in-store and engaging with them first-hand, thus coaxing them offline and into stores. We feel this is a big topic currently.

It’s become vital to collect information and shopping habits when engaging with customers, and it’s somewhat key in building the future of marketing. Samsung KX is a leading example of how experience is integral in gaining potential customers, whether it be through hands-on time with product, or the chance to speak to Samsung representatives directly, but in a non-transactional environment. It’s an emotive example of brand and customer living the journey as one. An omnichannel experience at that.

Having worked with major retailers and brands, it’s apparent they’re more focused on ‘experience centres’ and much less with the outmoded flagship stores, the latter is fundamentally about buying goods at the end of the day. With an ‘experience centre’, we have a place where consumers undergo something entirely different and unique. It certainly builds on that brand loyalty, combined with a point of sale. KX located in King’s Cross, London, might entice a sale directly there, but it might also lead to a purchase online afterwards.

Brands are very much finding ways to bring consumers in-store, which is a big part of the strategy. Despite advancements in technology and the online world, engagement with brands and product physicality is something we feel is key.

What are some of the latest trends you’re seeing in the retail sector?
I believe that social displays interacting with shoppers are a trend that will only get better and better. They allow customers the chance to share posts, tag the store, and build upon that brand loyalty. There’s a continued interest in Lift-and-Learn solutions, which activates product specific content on screen when a product sample is touched and picked up. It continues to be a great way for customers to explore products and is a popular choice for stores, as it can be used to promote not just the product, but also in-store deals that might otherwise be missed by the consumer. Moreover, this is a growing trend because as I mentioned before, it serves the retailer in collecting info on which products have been picked up the most versus sales conversion.

What are three main uses for Samsung Display products in a retail space?
High Brightness window screens are essential in drawing shoppers’ attention and increasing footfall to the store. The screens in-store are used to engage shoppers, show promotions and product information, which all serves as part of the customer journey. I’ve mentioned how these screens, when used with Lift-and-Learn solutions can become a powerful tool to collect valuable data to analyse ROI. These screens can also be used for showing things like a QR code to allow customers to sign up for membership loyalty benefits, or specific promotions, and receive details about future deals. A good example is a cosmetics store, where you can book a beauty appointment by scanning the QR code on the screen. The customer will receive confirmation for the time of the session on their phone. After the session, they’ll receive a list of products used during the beauty/makeup session, so they can then decide to buy in store, or buy online at a later stage. Screens have become an integrated part of Omnichannel fulfilment, and a tool for collecting the data to plan future marketing and sales activities

What are the main points to remember when creating an enticing retail space and environment?
Setting out to create an inviting retail space, I would like to think of it more as a customer experience venue that engages with its audience, tells the story of the brand and builds on brand loyalty. It should be a destination you would visit to be inspired. Consideration of the total shopper experience is vital from the outset, including how digital signage should be integrated in bringing to life the omnichannel strategy. Be creative too. Let the screens become part of the design plan. Utilising LED is one way to make this happen because it’s customisable in size and aspect ratio.

If you were a retail owner, which Samsung Display product would you use and why?
For retail environments, I would opt for the QHB series with UHD resolution, and 700 nits brightness. These are suited for the typical retail space with lots of ambient light. The QHB series is produced for 24/7 operation and will perform year after year with crisp images, and sufficient brightness to make an impact. Certain brands and stores require lots of inventive and practical light or even light spots designed to highlight shelves for promotional items, such as Story Telling Units, Launch Pad Screens and Campaign Screens. They’re situated next to featured products, with a spot light directly on them. They perform their role in drawing attention in a subtle way. In these environments, a screen with 700 nits is required, and I recall how some of the brands I work with ultimately decided to go with Samsung’s QH series after testing other screens.

What Samsung Display products are selling well, or do you predict to sell well this year?
Out of Samsung’s full suite of display innovations, The Wall is certainly one of our main products we predict will sell well at retailers this year. Not only does The Wall look incredible and possess amazing capabilities from Black Seal Technology, Ultra Chroma Technology and improved installation, but it’s notably gaining traction and making waves in the retail industry. We are already on the third generation of The Wall and we’re continuing to introduce a variety of models.

Our 8K display is another key product we offer. At Samsung, we’ve continued to develop AI-driven upscaling, and there’s now no compatibility issues with playing 4K content. This brings retailers a vibrant and optimised 8K image without actually needing 8K content in place. We know many can be frustrated by the motion blur when attempting to play lower resolution content on a higher resolution screen. We feel Samsung has a good solution for retailers in this respect.

In terms of other display screens, we’ve seen larger retailers adopting the 37inch stretch display. Not only does this provide a reliable, renowned quality display but an excellent product to sit in-store and capture shopper attention.

Impactful first impressions are ever-more crucial for retailers, especially as stores are opening up again following the pandemic. As a result, our super bright display screens are proving a popular choice for retailers wanting to attract shoppers back in-store. When placed in the front window the display has an extremely high-brightness that’s visible whatever the weather.

What are the most impressive tech features of Samsung Display screens and how are they beneficial to retail owners?
Samsung has been a leader with superior image quality for years. But secondly, most of our range contains an embedded system on chip, which means the media player is built in to the display. The result is no extra hardware, less cables, less potential sources for error, lower maintenance costs and lower power consumption overall. You can imagine this can be an attractive prospect for stores. On top of this, Samsung Remote Management solution allows you to have control of all displays remotely. You’re able to troubleshoot without the need of sending out a service technician, meaning less on-site service calls, less downtime and lower TCO.

Can you share your top 3 tips to draw attention to a product in a retail space?
From stopping passers-by in their tracks and drawing them into stores, it’s vital for retailers to make an impactful first impression in order to generate footfall, and that all starts with the window front. Our storefront window displays have been designed with that in mind, providing super-bright screens that cut through the daylight, taking the place of traditional sales posters, all while drawing the consumer’s attention and getting them into the store.

Storytelling though content is another way. Our 8K displays are a great way for retailers to tell a story while promoting products in incredible levels of detail, and with four-times the number of pixels of 4K.

Again, it’s now really important for retailers to add engaging and interactive elements to otherwise static retail displays, and this is achieved through Lift-and-Learn offerings. With a dynamic display that combines product, screens and sensors, it will provide shoppers with an educational first-hand experience and informative video content. This encounter will either convert into a sale in-store, or at least leave a definite impression on the individual.

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