This project is the answer to Grupo Éxito's constant search to modernize and adapt to the new market dynamics by taking advantage of AV technology.
Richard Santa
In Colombia, Grupo Éxito is a company of high recognition due to its wide chain of department stores and supermarkets under different brands.
For some years it began with the renovation of its warehouses in a project called the hypermarket of the future, under the concept of Wow, through which it seeks to bring together the best of the physical and virtual world in one place, to provide its customers with a shopping experience connected to the digital world, agile, comfortable and differentiated.
Tekus was the Colombian company in charge of integrating the digital signage solutions that are part of the hypermarket of the future. Roger Escobar, representative of Tekus, told AVI LATINOAMÉRICA details of the project.
For the development of this concept it is mandatory to deliver to visitors a dynamic and modern communication making use of screens, videowalls and information kiosks, currently the person in charge of communications and digital pop of the screens has under his control about 500 screens among which are:
• LG 32" 43" 55" and 65" industrial monitors with Web OS.
• 6 videowalls controlled with Own Windows Players.
• 130 ELO information kiosks with Windows operating system.
• 70 RGB matrix screens with unconventional formats managed with own Windows player.
• 15 x 86" ultra strech displays
• 10 Industrial Tablets with Android OS (Pastry Catalog)
"All these devices integrate the solution for digital signage that Tekus has developed and that connects to the cloud to keep communication updated, content management is done directly by the client from the platform that can be accessed from any browser on multiple devices," said Roger Escobar.
Intervened spaces
The screens are installed in the different food areas, such as market kitchen, food trucks, fast food, delicatessen, delivering digital menus that communicate directly with the Grupo Éxito pos system and update prices without the need for logistics processes. They are also located in the textile area, in order to deliver advertising on launches and promotions of own brands.
As for the information kiosks, these allow you to consult prices by reading barcodes and integrate directly with the registered customer base, thus allowing that when scanning the identity document is consulted on the screen, accumulated points, available promotions, frequent purchases, generate shifts of attention, among others.
In the box section there are screens that indicate the number of the next box available for billing and along the aisles of the warehouses there are more screens that deliver commercial information and also take care of the call of shifts, in the areas of customer service the screens mix the commercial information with the call of shifts and in the section of fresh products Fruver, butcher and bakery screens with ultra strech formats are located that are integrated into the gondola or the refrigerator as the case may be.
The Representative of Tekus explained that "For the meat section we developed the first order reception kiosk where buyers build their meat order with the conditions they prefer, portions, weight, packaging, special cuts and all the customization that they have always done with the added value that you should not wait for the butcher to enlist all the meats of the order simply finish your order and when you are ready you will receive a notification to your email and an SMS to your cell phone indicating that your order is ready to be picked up."
The extension of the warehouses with wow format is between 6,000 and 10,000 square meters that receive approximately 12,000 visits per day.
Constant evolution
This project is the answer to Grupo Éxito's constant search to modernize and adapt to the new market dynamics. Therefore, they have renovated many of their stores under the concept of omniquality, making it easier for customers and visitors to spend more time in the warehouse, with coworking areas, gastronomy and fresh products.
"There was no digital system before. The person in charge of pop, had to communicate with the warehouses 1 to 1 to update promotions or give instructions for the assembly of new forms that can take time to arrive or be damaged in transport, "said Roger Escobar.
Now, the Tekus solution integrates any type of screen that has Android, Windows, Web OS operating system or that has an HDMI input and an internet connection.
"We deliver to the client a personalized domain from which they enter the platform and in this they find a dashboard with all the players, an initial space of 10GB to load the content they want to show on their screens, the playlists that compile the contents and an administrative area in which they can program when and where a message will be seen if required or can also integrate new screens to their network or create product catalogs for kiosks," he added.
Among the technologies integrated in this solution are:
- LG SM5 series screens, UH5 with Web OS
- Player Windows T11 Windows 10
- Android T95 Android 8 Player
- ELO Kiosks
Results
This project began in 2018 with the implementation in the first warehouse in the city of Envigado, and two years later they renovated the hypermarket number 11 with the Wow concept in different cities of Colombia. Among the main results achieved are the immediate updating of content on all screens nationwide, along with direct consultation with the POS system, which facilitates that if a price is updated in the POS it is reflected immediately on the screens.
In addition, the end user has at his disposal specific and interesting information in addition to integrating communication from one medium to another. "Being direct developers of LG our solution integrates directly to the screens saving costs and in the screens that Grupo Éxito acquired with other suppliers we resort to our players as a solution, in terms of technology we are an AWS partner and all our services are hosted in the Amazon cloud".
Finally, Roger Escobar highlighted that as a result of this project "Visits to the points increased considerably to the point that their figures increased and 15% of their sales come from the Wow format, which indicates that their visitors are satisfied with the shopping experience and visit the Wow stores more and now in this time of isolation the screens facilitate the delivery of information on bio security protocols and conditions of attention".
