Myer expects to have a new POS system in place at its 57 department stores across Australia by October this year.
The retailer said it is also nearing completion of a deployment of 3,750 mobile devices by vendor Zebra Technologies, a project it first disclosed in June last year.
In the first half of fiscal year 23 results released today, Myer said he spent the six months through January 28 of this year ensuring that “team members have the technology they need to serve our customers and provide the best experience”.
“We will have new point-of-sale software for all stores by October 2023,” CEO John King said.
“We will also complete the deployment of more than 3,750 separate mobile devices, which allow team members to perform activities such as receive and ship inventory, online fulfillment inventory, [and] acquisition prices”.
An M-Metrics team member app on devices also provides staff with real-time digital communication product knowledge and performance recognition, “delivered directly to our team members’ devices.”
“The app displays all customer feedback and provides a wide range of teachable moments, including video content,” King said.
Omnichannel approach
Myer plans to continue providing customer choice through its omnichannel (in-store and digital) shopping offering.
Online sales in the first half of fiscal 23 fell 9.8 percent to $382 million in the prior corresponding period.
King said that was because customers were coming back to shop and shop at the store; The retailer’s online sales were temporarily boosted by the “mandatory lockdowns,” he said in the financial statements.
However, King said that online business is still well above where it was in 2020 and still accounts for 20 percent of total sales.
A national distribution center (NDC) due to open later this year in Victoria is set to handle 70 per cent of online orders.
“The NDC will support our profitable growth and provide more effective online fulfillment when it goes live in the coming months,” King said.
He added that Myer will continue to work on “continuous improvements to the customer experience both in store and online; new events and enhanced customer experiences, supported by a program of story reshaping and layering.”
It also continues to increase its loyalty scheme.
More than half Myer posted total sales of $1.9 billion, up 24.2 percent year-over-year.
Net income after taxes reached $65 million, its best result since the first half of 2014.
