Zebra Technologies Evolves Mobile Retail Offering

Zebra Technologies announced it has expanded the Zebra Commerce brand and will be showcasing its latest retail solutions at the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) Annual Convention 2014, which began Jan. 13, 2014.

The latest additions to Zebra’s retail portfolio demonstrate Zebra’s commitment to providing a spectrum of solutions that support a broad range of retail operations from distribution centers to back-of-store management to customer engagement on the store floor.

“We are excited to demonstrate how Zebra’s offerings for our retail customers have evolved in the past year, and how we help retailers be more competitive than ever with innovative solutions that support every step in their value chains,” said Keith LeFebvre, vice president of product marketing and management, Zebra Technologies. “The latest solution enhancements and acquisitions we are showcasing at NRF further solidify our commitment to the retail industry.”

In July 2013, the company fully integrated its investment in StepOne and launched the Zebra Commerce brand with a suite of software and hardware solutions and services targeted at mobilizing the operations of retailers and field service organizations. At NRF 2014, Zebra showcased how Zebra Commerce has expanded, with a focus on how these solutions drive better engagement, efficiency and insight across retail operations. Booth highlights included:

• New Zebra Commerce Engagement and Efficiency Solutions – Zebra Commerce includes a variety of applications meant to keep customers engaged and informed throughout their shopping experience. Featured applications at the event included sales assist, item locator, mobile checkout and mobile payment. Efficiency applications wee also featured and included price mark-down, inventory cycle counting and out-of-stock management.
• Addition of the ZD500R – Released publicly in November 2013, the ZD500R is the company’s first desktop Ultra High Frequency (UHF) RFID desktop printer.
• Merchandise Display Management – In late 2013, Zebra made a strategic investment in ZBD Solutions, a leading provider of fully dynamic digital display solutions for retailers. ZBD showcased how retailers can use Electronic Shelf Labeling (ESL) to support promotional strategies and labeling at the shelf.
• Custom Inventory Solutions – Zebra recently announced the acquisition of Hart Systems, a leading provider of cloud-based physical inventory management solutions. Zebra showcased how the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution helps retailers lower costs and improve inventory accuracy through easy self-managed physical inventory.
• Zatar iBeacon Application Demo – Zebra’s new Zatar platform provides the capability to integrate beacons, location software and in-store displays to deliver personalized messaging to consumers for a better shopping experience. An iBeacon demonstration will show how retailers can connect information from multiple sources, including smart phone applications, video and shopper history through Zatar to send targeted advertising to in-store displays.
• Made for iPod, iPhone and iPad (MFi) Certification for QLn Series – The QLn Series can now print from Apple devices via Bluetooth. In addition to supporting Apple’s platform, the QLn Series also supports other leading smartphone and tablet platforms including Android and Windows Mobile.