Quick fixes, like shorter checkout lines, are important. But personalization is the key to satisfying customers over the long term. According to McKinsey, roughly three-quarters of customers expect personalized interactions from companies. And retailers that personalize promotions have the potential to increase in-store consumer spending by 20% to 30%—generating a predicted $60 billion to $190 billion in value in 2030.

Personalization can be as simple as compelling loyalty programs that deliver tailored discounts at Point-of-Sale (PoS) to coffee chain regulars or that offer pre-sale early access to select elite members. Digital signage is another key retail technology tool for deploying personalized promotions in brick-and-mortar settings. When integrated with IoT, digital signage gathers new data on consumer habits and preferences that can then be used to display offers and products informed by previous in-store and online purchases.

Up to three-quarters of customers enter a store because of its signs, and 42% of retail customers say they’d prefer to shop at stores with video displays. As a result, the digital signage market valuation is expected to exceed $59 billion by 2033—up from roughly $19 billion in 2023. T-Mobile for Business partners with retailers by providing reliable connectivity—an essential component when deploying and leveraging digital signage to better align with rapidly changing customer desires.

Retail’s distributed workforce requires agility, particularly when communicating between physical stores and supply chains, as well as corporate employees that are either in the office or remote.

Leveraging connectivity tools can help. T-Mobile MultiLine streamlines communication by allowing teammates to call or text one another from a single app. If data from IoT sensors or RFID tags signal potential issues such as inventory bottlenecks or delayed deliveries, employees can use MultiLine to address those issues. Customer service is crucial for maintaining a good reputation, and a significant portion happens over the phone. However, traditional phone systems often lack advanced calling features and the analytics necessary to gain actionable insights into customer interactions. Dialpad aids customer service center employees by using AI to transcribe calls, summarize conversations, and capture important action items.

Retailers that empower “connected associates” with training and technology are increasing employee engagement and customer satisfaction. Further, providing store associates with devices that feature custom in-house apps helps to create frictionless shopping experiences. When apps work together with IoT, employees can provide a new, concierge level of customer service. Associates can leverage real-time inventory visibility to tell customers whether a product that’s not on the shelf is available in the stockroom or in the warehouse. They can also suggest similar products that have received favorable reviews. An optimized device or tablet can even let the employee view a customer’s online shopping cart and purchase history, so they can make personalized recommendations.

Associates can also click through their company’s app to access the detailed information that today’s consumers care about, like where a product was manufactured or where its materials were sourced. Roughly two in five shoppers say that transparency about a product’s journey through the supply chain is important to them when buying clothing.

When retailers combine augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), artificial intelligence (AI), and IoT, they can create immersive retail experiences for customers regardless of whether they’re shopping in person or online.

Ultimately, by combining IoT with digital twins, retailers can leverage data to produce simulations and predictions that optimize decision-making around inventory, layout planning, and more. In fact, companies that use digital twins to develop new products have seen 20% to 50% shorter development timelines and sales that are 3% to 5% higher.

But digital twins are only as effective as the network that powers the solution. To capture the most value, you need the right solutions on the right network. Business Internet from T-Mobile provides reliable connectivity that is quick and easy to deploy, backed by America's largest 5G network. A robust digital ecosystem generates the real-time data that makes digital twins effective, while reliable and consistent connectivity helps ensure that data moves through the supply quickly.