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Wi-Fi: Retail’s Secret Weapon

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Introduction

With the rapid evolution of technology, the retail industry of today, like many other industries, has taken on a considerable makeover compared to years past. Digital transformation is no longer just a luxury but rather a necessity that must be realized in order for many companies to remain relevant. It is no longer enough to rely on quality products alone to retain existing customers and acquire new ones. It is now equally important that a company have a solid technology infrastructure and more specifically, a solid wireless infrastructure that is capable of providing as the super highway (and more) for the data being passed through the mobile devices that populate the retail brick and mortar locations.

Mobile devices serve as extensions to the consumers that own them; they serve as a potential metaphorical link between the individual and the retailer. The keyword here however is “potential”. Wi-Fi is a great enabler when utilized appropriately. The purpose of this article is to briefly touch upon what “appropriate” may mean as it pertains to design considerations, deployment considerations, and optimizing operations as it pertains to wireless in the retail industry.

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Design Considerations

When it comes to the design of the wireless network infrastructure, it is highly important for the wireless engineer/professional to list out and understand the corresponding set of requirements as it pertains to the needs or desires of the customer. It is not always the case that such requirements are made plain and clear by the customer seeking wireless expertise and/or services. Therefore, it is also up to the wireless professional to do due-diligence and ask specific questions to best assess the customer needs. A few initial questions that should be included on the requirements list include: “How will the WLAN primarily be used?”,

“What will be the primary mobile devices used on the network?”, “What will be the primary coverage areas?”, and “How many devices should be expected to utilize the WLAN at any given time and location within the target environment?”. Specific use-cases will vary based on the customer’s business needs but obtaining answers to these questions will certainly aid the wireless professional in creating a most-ideal design. Below is a breakdown of each of these questions from a retail-centric perspective:

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How Will the WLAN Primarily Be Used?

In retail environments, a common use-case of the WLAN will be to service mobile handheld devices that scan inventory via barcodes. In such cases the mobile device will typically run an application in which the respective data will be stored locally on the device or it may be the case that the data goes back to and processes at a local or remote central server. The wireless professional should gain a general understanding of how the application will work, how bandwidth intensive the application is per device and collectively, and how the availability of the WLAN will play into it. Another common retail use-case for how the WLAN may be used is mobile POS (point-of-sale), in which a mobile device replaces the hard-wired point-of-sale solution. In these cases, such application and device combinations can be considered mission-critical due to the fact that revenue-generating sales transactions enabled through this technology serves as a key component for the lifeline of the business.

Design Considerations

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Design Considerations

What Will Be the Primary Mobile Device Type(s) Used on the WLAN?Understanding the devices that will primarily be used on the network allows for the wireless professional to fine-tune the design so that it is best accommodates those devices. Data rate tuning is an example of such. Enabling of features such as 802.11k/r/v are another example. Knowing the primary device type may even play a considerable role in determining the most ideal access point model for a given location. Furthermore, the device type and capabilities may also play a role in deciding on a dual-band deployment versus strictly a 5GHz deployment or even deciding to use access points with flexible radio assignment capabilities.

Design Considerations

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What Will Be the Primary Coverage Areas?Identifying the primary coverage areas should play a role in the WLAN design. For example, in retail locations there may be certain designated areas within a site where mobile point-of-sale transactions take place. There may be wireless kiosk devices at specific locations that rely on Wi-Fi connectivity. In cases such as these it may be good practice to ensure secondary and possibly even tertiary coverage. Furthermore, there may be specific areas where BLE beacon technology is used for customer engagement and interaction functionality. Placement of virtual beacons should be placed strategically to align with the retailer’s business objectives.

Design Considerations

Design Considerations

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How Many Devices Should Be Expected to Utilize the WLAN at Any Given Time?This is an important consideration in terms of capacity planning. A little bit of capacity planning can go a long way towards the prevention of a poor wireless experience; not only for the retailer’s customers but for the internal employees of the retailer as well. In this current era of technology, the unspoken standard and expectation is often that of a ‘wired-like’ experience. It is a reality that client density can fluctuate from one extreme to the other, especially in retail environments such as malls. There’s often a considerable difference between a Monday morning and a Saturday afternoon at a given retail location in regards to client density. In these types of locations, it also cannot be ignored that there are often other retailers with their own WLAN infrastructure in place physically surrounding the target site. This brings the aspect of channel planning into play. A good design should take things such as these into account. The emergence of Wi-Fi 6 is expected to further ensure a ‘wired-like’ experience but it is important to not overlook the relevance of capacity planning and the various considerations that come along with it.

The above questions and ideas are just a sample list around design considerations. Quality professional tools such as Ekahau Pro serve as a key component in addressing this phase appropriately. The importance of the design phase is not to be taken lightly if success is the desired outcome.

Design Considerations

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Deployment Considerations There can be a number of physical challenges common to WLAN deployments in retail environments. Many times these locations are leased and the tenant occupying the retail space has limitations as to what can be done within the space. Additionally, these spaces may consist of various materials and obstructions such as HVAC ducts, pipes, and concrete to name a few.

Track lighting, speakers, and security cameras are often common. Ceiling styles and heights can vary across locations and even within a single site. Sometimes these said obstructions aren’t reflected and/or indicated on a floor plan, thus making a site survey especially essential prior to physical deployment of the WLAN infrastructure. In addition to the considerations mentioned, it is also often the case (especially in retail environments) that aesthetics are important. A retail site will usually have a standard look that represents the respective brand and the access points and cabling must conform to that look and not take away from it. The wireless professional should be aware of these potential constraints before and/or during time of deployment. There are a number of companies that specialize in providing mounting solutions and aesthetic covers to help in this area.

Also at the forefront of deployment considerations in retail environments is the aspect of a technical support presence. Sales associates and other retail personnel should be able to focus on making sales and feeding the bottom line of the company — and not troubleshooting. A faulty access point or mobile device should not be the responsibility of non-technical personnel to remediate. There instead should be a dedicated technical support team available to troubleshoot and remediate issues as they arise. This can be an overwhelming task without a good central system in place. Due to the scale associated with retail locations, a controller-based system is often recommended. Such a system can help tremendously with the staging and deployment of a large quantity of access points across various locations. A controller-based system typically enables the ability to proactively inform the support team of issues as they arise. This in essence can contribute to a reduction in downtime and thus convert to additional sales transactions (directly or indirectly).

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Optimizing Operations

After a WLAN infrastructure has been deployed, it is important to continue to assess and evaluate the performance and behavior of the sites for fine-tuning. There are various solutions available to provide analysis of Wi-Fi data. Identifying worst-performing sites vs. top-per-forming sites, for example, may be a worthwhile study. Identifying problematic devices and certain trends on the wireless network can be key to optimizing the environment. It is certainly possible to assess certain aspects of the network with features integrated into many of today’s Wi-Fi hardware. Spectrum analysis and packet captures can be performed from afar in many cases. However, some situations will call for more in-depth analysis. The solutions collectively known as Ekahau Connect prove to be quite useful in Wi-Fi analysis and ultimately remediation and optimization.

Another very important and worthwhile mention of operational optimization pertains to the actual business operations within the retail environment where sales and profit are the name of the game. Operational efficiency is key. Processes that were previously manual or required being bound to a hard-wired server or register are no longer limited in these regards. Applications can now be run on mobile devices in the hands of multiple employees. What this results in is a reduction in time to perform certain tasks and an increase in productivity. And productivity increases often-times directly correlate with revenue increases. It must be noted however that a key component towards success in addition to the end user, mobile device, and application is the infrastructure to support it. A solid and reliable wireless infrastructure specifically. What good is an application that cannot run optimally or at the very least, satisfactorily?

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Conclusion

The retail industry is ever-evolving and technology has heavily engrained itself into this industry. The proliferation of mobile devices into the hands of consumers and sales associates alike has only enhanced the importance of Wi-Fi in this area. The customer experience is practically as much a part of the brand as the product(s) itself. Even with the presence and success of online shopping in the midst, brick and mortar stores are still alive and well. However, survival of the fittest applies here. The ‘fittest’ must remain technologically current and innovative to survive in this highly competitive industry known as retail. This makes Wi-Fi the great differentiator and retail’s secret weapon.

Author: Dale Tyler, CWNA, CWDP and CCNA-W

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Additional Resources

eBook Guide Infographic

The Do’s and Don’ts of Wi-Fi Design

A Beginner’s Guide to Wireless Tools

Wi-Fi, Meet Your Competition

Case Study

Providing shoppers with reliable Wi-Fi