Wireless printers offer real-time benefits to sports retailer

JD Sports has introduced Zebra QL320+ mobile printers across 330 of its sports stores to improve customer service and stock management. 

The mobile printers allow the retailer to make price amendments, issue replacement barcodes and provide better information to customers in real-time using wireless technology. 

"The technology allows us to make real-time changes to pricing across the store portfolio. This allows us to react to seasonal demands and ensure that special offers have a big impact," said Shaun Armstrong, IT project manager at JD Sports. "Product information is at the fingertips of our staff. This means they can deal with customer queries on the shop floor rather than go to the stock room to check for available sizes."

The technology also helps provide greater visibility across JD Sports' supply chain. The system shows stock levels at head office and can also assess product availability at stores across the chain. "These devices will improve the customer experience because we'll have a much better overview of our product availability across the business. Prices will be consistently correct, which leads to much high customer satisfaction," added Armstrong.

"It was a logical step to bring the printers into JD Sports stores to streamline processes, save time and improve efficiency," said Steve Murray, business development manager at Zebra. "Previous experience has proved that mobile printing can make a significant difference to both warehouse and shop floor operations, and in the retail market, the competitive edge this creates is vital."