Brick and mortar is here to stay, but only the smartest will survive

Montreal startup NewKnow is harnessing the power of mobile tech to help retailers elevate the in-store customer experience and turn the 'retail apocalypse' on its head.

MONTREAL, Nov. 17, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - There's no doubt that online retail has altered the brick and mortar shopping experience in profound ways. But when it comes to reports of the 'retail apocalypse' that some naysayers predict, don't believe the hype. Why? Because the store still matters.

Two out of three consumers prefer to see products in-store and nine of ten dollars are still spent in physical retail. Far from being the demise of brick and mortar stores, e-commerce has simply hastened its evolution.

Creating stronger customer relationships and providing great in-store experiences is now more critical than ever. NewKnow, a Montreal startup, is helping savvy brands and retailers adapt and thrive in this new retail reality. The company's front-line staff training and communications app now makes it easy and affordable for retailers and brands to collaborate and effectively train their front-line workforce across their retail networks.

The NewKnow app helps sales staff make an impact with customers and sell better by delivering targeted training tools, modules and brand information to their smartphones. Brands and retailers can create, distribute, track, and communicate employee training across retail networks with ease. The days of staff rushing to the back room to check the computer or brushing off dusty binders for training or product information are (thankfully!) over.

After decades of retail experience, NewKnow's co-founders Steven Gendron and Jaffray Hill have first hand understanding of the expense and challenge of on-boarding new employees and training teams on products, policies and procedures. "High turnover, disengaged employees, and infrequent and untrackable training were constant roadblocks for us. And it really bled through to the customer experience," says Gendron.

To overcome those hurdles, Gendron and Hill harnessed tech to empower retail's most valuable asset - front-line employees - with a better training and communication toolkit. "The trick to excelling in physical retail is by competing on the service experience, and blending digital and physical to deliver quality service and memorable in-store touch points," he adds.

NewKnow joins the likes of Lightspeed, Salesfloor, SweetIQ and Thirdshelf as the newest member of Montreal's retail tech scene. Expect a bright future for those taking advantage of tools like NewKnow to meet some of retail's biggest challenges.

SOURCE NewKnow