Alfa Beta Vassilopoulos (AB) Digital Signage
The project included the study, proposal, supply, implementation, configuration and training on a new system for the display and collection of information through specialized Digital Signage equipment at two flagship Stores of AB Vassilopoulos (AB), the one at AB Elliniko in Attica and the other at AB Macedonia in Thessaloniki. The rollout for the rest of 300 AB shops all over Greece followed in due course.
AB Vassilopoulos was established in 1939, is a subsidiary of Ahold Delhaize and one of the top Retailers in Greece with presence at more than 500 stores in Greece. AB supermarkets are known for their wide variety of quality products, including own-brands, they are customer-oriented and continuously apply initiatives on competitive pricing, promotional programs and superb services aiming at the satisfaction and increased engagement of their customers.
A goal for AB is to enrich their customers’ shopping experience thus make them wish to come back to the store for future shopping. The on-site visit, as opposed to online buying, offers instant satisfaction of purchasing something, pleasure of a journey during shopping and better service from face-to-face interactions with store associates.
A means for improving the shopping satisfaction is by providing to the customers an attractive environment, help them with rich and dynamic information and make them feel benefitted from promotions communicated through readily reachable channels presenting clear content. Digital Signage (DS) meets these needs and engage customers in a versatile and easily managed way.
The DS solution was offered by Public in collaboration with Uni Systems and included Displays and licenses from Samsung and mounts from Multibrackets.
It comprises of the following parts: the Displays mounted at the stores, the Samsung Remote Management Solution (RMS) for the monitoring and management (status, operation, scheduling, alarms) of the Displays and the AppSpace platform, provided by AB, for the centralized distribution of content. Additionally, training on the RMS was delivered to AB administrators.
The placement of Displays followed a pattern, similar between the two stores, which was decided in collaboration with AB according to criteria regarding the areas of products, promotional needs, the flow of customers during typical journeys at the stores and best practices derived from past experience and implementations.
The project started from the solution Scoping and Dimensioning on the basis of the study of each store’s layout and on-site surveys for the identification of the specific needs in each store before the number and locations of Displays were decided. The Displays were then procured and delivered at each store.
Once infrastructure prerequisites by AB were delivered, Public/Uni Systems installed the Displays and then integrated them into AB’s network for their connection to the AppSpace and the RMS. Public/Uni Systems designed and specified the HW, to be provided by AB, and then installed, configured and tested the monitoring platform (RMS) and registered (inventory management, Asset ID, location area, IP Address, etc.) the Displays installed at the two stores. Training was delivered on RMS to AB Admin personnel and a monitoring period followed to ensure the proper operation of the installed Displays and their monitoring tool.
Throughout the project, Project Management was provided by Public/Uni Systems, for the dimensioning & site survey, supervision of on-site works, communication between collaborating parties and the monitoring of and reporting on the progress of the project.
The benefits gained by AB from this project are in the aspects of customer satisfaction and the management of the DS infrastructure. The former is achieved by the modernization of the two flagship stores, the area and product -specific information, the simplification of messaging, the facilitation of promotional activities and the avoidance of need for costly and time consuming printed material. The management of the DS infrastructure benefits AB by offering ease of updating content across the entire network or a single Display whereas administrators are able to connect to their digital signage at all times, regardless of their location in order to monitor Displays remotely and adjust security settings based on the company’s policy.