Always at hand and able to reach and serve new customers, digital tools are revolutionising the convenience market. During 2017 there have been many examples of such developments.  

1. Camelot digital signs 

Camelot credited its digital investment with driving an 8.3% spike in sales of National Lottery tickets last year. Online and in-store developments have been brought together with an estate-wide PoS update. 100,000 new pieces of PoS and 28,000 store visits were carried out by Camelot in the summer alone, ensuring digital developments were understood and fully utilised by retailers. The investment helped the company deflect criticism over service issues.

Did you know? Camelot’s National Lottery contract has been extended to 2023.

2. Beer Hawk trade website 

Beer Hawk stocks more than 400 beers, making it an invaluable resource for retailers looking to take advantage of the growing craft and specialist beer market. Beer Hawk has also made available a set of tools on its site to help educate retailers and demystify a complex market. Sommelier category support, ordering and delivery options and an ‘ask a beer guru’ function that allows retailers to put their burning craft beer questions to an expert have made this site essential.

Did you know? There are now over 1,400 breweries across the UK.

3. Ubamarket 

CEO Will Broome was tired of having to wander in no particular order around his supermarket when Ubamarket was conceived. The app gives shoppers a mapped journey around your store and lets them take advantage of tailored promotions. With retailers trialing the system since 2016 and more stores on board in 2017, Ubamarket has a good chance of becoming ubiquitous in 2018. The question is, will you be one of the early adopters?

Did you know? Ubamarket’s updated 2.0 app has just been launched.

4. Zapper 

E-payment and loyalty app Zapper is another app offering convenience to shoppers. Data from the company’s trials shows that in the first month, 12% of users had spent £40 or more. When compared to the success rates of previous marketing tools, early signs are that Zapper could make a big difference to many retailers’ promotional, marketing and pricing strategies. It is a step closer to tailoring shopping to an individual’s habits. 

Did you know? Zapper is also available for the restaurant and taxi industries among others.

5. PayPoint One EPoS Pro 

PayPoint’s EPoS add-on brings data management technology that has helped both symbol stores and tech-minded unaffiliated stores, making data more accessible to all. It now offers retailers ordering and news management tools and allows retailers to keep track of their waste and accounts Retailers have had their battles with PayPoint but for those retailers who embrace this technology, there are clear advantages.

Did you know? PayPoint oversees 818million transactions annually.