Why Crate And Barrel Turned To Tablets

In the race to create the best possible customer experience, home goods retailer Crate and Barrel is turning to tablet tech.

In collaboration with customer identification and remarketing services provider CloudTags, C&B is rolling out a single-store pilot program that allows customers to carry around a “Mobile Tote.”

That “tote” will be a store-provided tablet that will allow customers to scan product barcodes for more information or for adding to a wish list. Customers willing to hand over their email addresses can also use the tablets to mail themselves a list of items they would like to buy now or later.

Mobile Totes will also come with their own checkout, where customers pay off of their scanned list, while a sales associate gathers their items for them.

The pilot is running at a Crate and Barrel in Skokie, IL.

The move comes as Crate and Barrel is one of many physical retailers trying to build out a more digital and seamless in-store shopping experience and in way that doesn’t create a mobile-related chore or hassle. Though C&B’s efforts are very limited at this point, the concept behind the CloudTags-enabled pilot has drawn praise — particularly for its simplicity. It has also drawn high reviews for the enhanced checkout speed option for Mobile Tote users, as most experts note this will likely have the biggest change on the in-store shopping experience.