As emerging technologies help to improve customer shopping experiences, Sweden-based Ombori Grid is at the forefront of this rapidly evolving industry. Oskar Jakobsson, a retail solutions creator with 20+ years of customer-focused retail background, is instrumental in Ombori Grid's integration of its clients' physical and online environments.
Syncing Two Retail Settings Together
Oskar Jakobsson, who joined Ombori Grid on May 1, 2021, previously managed fashion retailer H&M's innovation and testing functions. During his tenure, he maintained a strong focus on new technology and macro industry trends. To gauge the effectiveness of H&M's proposed strategies and programs, Jakobsson organized numerous customer focus groups.
Oskar Jakobsson also wanted to know how customers responded to a range of varied stimuli in a typical store. Through management of multiple "what if" scenarios in H&M's simulated retail setting, he gained valuable insights that inform his creation of innovative solutions for Ombori Grid.
Traditional Retail Stores Remain Relevant
To begin, Oskar Jakobsson states his belief that brick-and-mortar stores have received scant attention compared to the fast-growing online retail sector. However, he believes stores still have a role in the customer experience equation. Ideally, forward-thinking retailers will find ways to combine the two shopping environments.
"So, I think people will still want to go to the store. They still want to explore and experience things themselves, not just doing everything online," Oskar Jakobsson explains.
"Maybe you want to do your purchases online, maybe you don't want to do your comparisons online, but you want to probably get the experience in the physical, space. So, for us, it's about figuring out how to combine those experiences," he concludes.
To engage those retail store customers, Ombori Grid has designed a growing menu of Solutions, to equip the future of retail and reduce friction, increase the customer experience and empower the staff.
Introducing the Ombori Grid Marketplace Apps
Ombori Grid has provided many retail clients with custom software solutions. After analyzing each client's needs, Ombori Grid customizes an app solution that performs the desired functions.
Without exception, the Company's clients have been pleased with their respective application's performance. In addition, each business has documented measurable results from the solution's implementation.
Now, Ombori Grid is transforming multiple retail solutions into "Plug and Play" applications. In fact, these no-code solutions are the first of their kind in the industry. Business owners without technical and/or coding experience can easily install each standalone app by interacting with an easy-to-use graphical interface.
Today, Ombori Grid includes apps for visitor management, customer experience, and omnichannel solutions. Ombori Grid plans to gradually introduce more apps to the Marketplace, and clients are invited to add their own applications.
Oskar Jakobsson will drive the Ombori Grid Marketplace apps' introduction and expansion. His technology trend analysis skills and retail customer-focused background provide him with a keen understanding of this growing technology arena.
Enhanced Customer Experiences and Increased Loyalty
Ombori Grid's retail clients can enhance customers' experiences in multiple ways. For example, customers can schedule customer service or design appointments via a smartphone-based queue management system. Thus, they can browse around the store until their appointment time rather than wasting time in line.
Customers can decide whether to shop online with curbside pickup or progress through the store with a shopping list. These omnichannel (or multiple channel) shopping options are designed to give customers an increased sense of freedom and choice.
As customers enjoy more satisfying in-store experiences, Jakobsson feels they will develop strong brand loyalty. In turn, this will help Ombori Grid's retail clients increase revenues and enable further business expansion.
"Plug and Play" Solutions Draw Broader Audiences
Retailers continue to discover the benefits of Ombori Grid's "Plug and Play" Marketplace app solutions. These versatile digital applications can also adapt themselves to other varied industries.
To illustrate, Oskar Jakobsson emphasizes that Ombori Grid has provided targeted digital solutions to travel, hospitality, and healthcare industry clients. He believes that many physical space companies are good candidates for these applications.
Andermatt Ski Resort
The Andermatt Ski Resort, located in the stunning Swiss Alps, contacted Ombori Grid for help in managing the resort's long downhill ski lift queues. The maddening lines put a damper on many skiers' holiday moods, threatening to discourage them from spending weekends or vacations at the resort.
The problem escalated during the busiest part of the 2020 winter ski season, already in jeopardy due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If the resort could not immediately resolve its lift line bottleneck, it might be forced to shut down its operations.
Fortunately, Ombori Grid was able to quickly resolve this potentially expensive problem. The Company implemented a smartphone-based queue management system, spacing out lift line reservations and creating a smooth traffic flow on the slopes. In fact, the Ombori Grid system was able to banish all lift lines even during times of peak demand.
Andermatt Radisson Blu Hotel
During the same period, the upscale Andermatt Radisson Blu Hotel was troubled by its own queue bottlenecks. The facility's hugely popular restaurant was overflowing with customers, creating potential COVID-19 infection risks as diners waited in line for a table.
In an even more uncomfortable scenario, the hotel's spa clients often had to wait for their appointments while wearing their spa-issued bathrobes. They also faced elevated virus risks while standing near other patrons. In both cases, the venues might have been forced to close if they could not immediately remedy their problems.
Fortunately, Ombori Grid's queue management solution quickly resolved both facilities' customer bottlenecks. With diners' and spa patrons' reservations smoothly spaced out, both venues could focus on delivering a quality service experience.
Other Notable Ombori Grid Solutions
Ombori Grid has also designed digital solutions to meet other clients' distinctive needs. Apotek Hjartat, a Swedish private pharmacy retailer with almost 400 stores, sought a way to notify parents when it was time to renew their child's prescription. Ombori Grid's smartphone-based push notifications alert parents before the medication runs out. The app offers convenient delivery or pickup options.
At Madrid Airport, duty-free retailer Dufry found a way for customers to shop without worrying about missing their flights. Ombori Grid partnered with Microsoft to design the Guided Selling Store Assistant. This voice- and touch-activated kiosk helps customers to find the ideal duty-free gift, which they can buy in the store or via an online portal. In addition, the display enables a shopper to gain updated boarding pass information from their smartphone.
Marketplace Will Add Other Companies' Products
Finally, Oskar Jakobsson predicts that Ombori Grid's Marketplace solutions will eventually be outnumbered by the Company's partner offerings. Much like there are more non-Apple solutions in the Apple app store today, even if there are some. In addition, he reveals that Ombori Grid has been contacted by firms that have had difficulty reaching their target market retailers. He emphasizes that if these businesses can provide a top-tier product, Ombori Grid will provide visibility to a global audience.
As Ombori Grid continues its market expansion, Oskar Jakobsson is confident that the Company will continue its retail technology leadership. "We as a company are perfectly placed and the product itself is really at the forefront." He believes that the firm's pioneering "Plug and Play" applications offer the game-changing potential for its current and future partners.
COMTEX_400347335/2757/2022-01-11T04:47:21