5 Ways Technology Is Changing the Retail Landscape

A retail company’s back-end resources are critical for effective sales, and the technology load connected to those back-end resources was exploding in growth even before the eCommerce boom of 2020.

With mobile apps, cloud POS systems, real-time inventory integration into customer-facing terminals, smart cameras, barcode scanners, and tech-based physical security barriers — to name just a few — retail stores face a hefty technological load to keep up with their competitors.

To “keep the lights on” and keep all systems always running at peak performance, retail stores and warehouses will need to increasingly focus on data center power for retail, as well as data center cooling and maintenance.

Here are 5 things to consider as you focus on how you can prepare your data center for a more tech-intensive buying and selling experience:

Floorspace

As a retailer, you understand the importance of maximizing your floorspace. Considering the extreme swings in seasonality for your industry, there will not be a one-size-fits-all plan that will work for every retailers’ available data center floorspace. Some retailers may choose to house all servers in house, others may opt for a hybrid solution, but all retailers will want to plan for flexibility.

Power

eCommerce’s always-on selling model and 2020’s rise in micro-warehousing has changed the requirements when it comes to data center power for retail. In today’s world, retail inventory systems need to be available around the clock to meet modern shopping needs. Downtime can be especially costly in your industry, which is why it is critically important that you have reliable and steady power modulation across all your equipment, with backups and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems fully available at all times.

Cooling

As you know, customer comfort can be a large contributor to positive buying behavior. Similarly, technological “comfort” can be a large contributor to positive performance behavior. All analogies aside, this means that you will want to carefully monitor and manage your server room or data center’s environment, including temperature and humidity, to ensure that your costly equipment keeps humming along comfortably and reliably.

Server Racks

When it comes to data center design, you can get the most “bang for your buck” by utilizing high-density rack systems that squeeze the most computing power out of every square inch of space. However, the smaller and more tightly packed your servers are, the more you need to carefully plan for airflow and cooling to keep those components operating at peak performance. Inefficient planning can drive up your total energy costs significantly and you certainly don’t want to have to spend more on data center power for retail operations than you do on your data center equipment!

Physical Security

Cybercriminals are always on the lookout for another way to get their hands on the valuable credit card data your retail company processes, and your job is to keep cybercriminals out of your cyberspace and physical space. Enclosed cabinets can improve physical security by keeping your equipment out of reach for even the most cunning of cyberthieves.

Reliable Data Center Power for Retail and Data Center Cooling Can Ensure a Seamless Shopping Experience

The many tech bells and whistles used in the retail world are great ways to catch a potential customer’s attention and continue to engage them but, as we all know, the best way to sell a product is to create a frictionless buying experience that customers enjoy.

You’ve invested a lot into cutting-edge technology to make that buying experience as fun and engaging as possible, which means now it is time to make sure you keep your tech investments always running. This takes continued attention to maximizing your data center cooling and data center power for retail success.

When you work with a data center power and cooling expert, you can make sure you will get the most out of your systems at all times.

Learn from the Experts About How to Optimize Your Data Center

Since 1965, Donwil has been the team to trust for sales backed by responsive and reliable service for enterprises that want to get the most from their critical business process power and cooling solutions. As the exclusive provider of Vertiv, Liebert, Starline, and Hitachi, Donwil delivers a range of critical services and solutions to keep organizations across Western Pennsylvania, Western Virginia, and Eastern Ohio always running.