In today’s fast-paced retail environment, convenience and efficiency are key to providing a seamless customer experience. Touchless lockers, an increasingly popular option, are transforming the industry by combining cutting-edge technology with practical benefits.  

These state-of-the-art solutions offer retailers a way to streamline operations while enhancing the customer experience. In this article, we explore everything you need to know about touchless lockers and how they fit into the modern retail landscape.

What are touchless lockers?

Touchless Lockers are secure, digital storage solutions that operate without physical keys, pin pads, or touch interfaces. They provide customers and store associates with a hassle-free way to access locker compartments, making tasks such as order pickup, returns, and rentals more efficient and contact-free. While popular in the retail industry, they also can be deployed in other settings including health care, hospitality, and quick service restaurants (QSR).

How do they work?

Touchless lockers operate through integration with the user’s device. Customers and associates can automatically access locker bays directly from their smartphones. When a customer arrives to pick up an order, they simply click "I'm here" from their electronic order receipt, which triggers the corresponding locker bay to light up and open. To ensure security, the locker bays will close themselves automatically, keeping items safe until they are retrieved. This automated, user-friendly approach enhances convenience and security for both customers and associates.

Benefits for retailers

Operational efficiency: Streamline operations with digital management, reducing the need for manual oversight or intervention.  

Labour savings: These lockers minimize the need for dedicated personnel at service desks. Staff no longer need to manage item handovers, freeing them up for other important tasks and reducing labor costs.

Technological Integration: Touchless lockers seamlessly integrate with other SYNQ solutions. Retailers benefit from centralized management of lockers and other SYNQ solution all in one platform, Frontline Hero.  

Loss prevention: Secure storage solutions provided by touchless lockers help reduce the risk of theft and organized retail crime (ORC). Enhanced inventory control with real-time tracking further boosts security measures.

Customizable configuration: Retailers can tailor locker sizes and configurations to fit specific product lines and business needs. This adaptability allows lockers to accommodate a variety of items, from small electronics to large packages.

Data insights: Touchless lockers collect valuable data on transactions, time spent per transaction, return rates, and other metrics. Retailers can use these insights to optimize locker usage.

Benefits for customers

User friendly experience: The touchless locker experience is fun, interactive, futuristic, and intuitive. Customers follow prompts from their personal devices, and the lockers handle the rest, providing a seamless and enjoyable experience. It’s a physical UX.

Skip the service desk line: Customers appreciate the flexibility to pick up purchases at their convenience without waiting in lines or interacting with staff.

Enhanced Security: Automatic locking mechanisms ensure that items remain safe until retrieval, offering peace of mind in busy retail environments.

Use cases in retail

BOPIS (Buy online, pick up in store): Streamline order pickups for online purchases, enhancing the omnichannel experience.

BISPUN (Buy in store, pick up now): Allow customers to seamlessly collect high-cube, high-risk, and display only items purchased in store.

Touchless lockers provide a fast, efficient and secure solution to anything a customer would traditionally have to stand in line for including:

Drop off: Facilitate returns or exchanges without staff intervention or long service desk lines

Vending and Proactive Picking: Pre-stock fast moving items in locker bays to save labour and time.

Rentals: Manage rental items pick up and drop off such as tools, skates, vacuums, and more.

Servicing: Simplify drop-off and pickup for items requiring servicing or repairs.

Deployment considerations

Retailers must consider several factors before implementing touchless lockers to ensure a successful deployment.

Thorough cost and ROI analysis: The long terms benefits in terms of increased efficiency, labour savings, and enhanced customer satisfaction can justify the initial expense of the touchless locker system. Accounting for the expected lifespan and maintenance costs, retailers should evaluate the long-term return on investment.

Location and space planning: Touchless lockers should be strategically placed in areas with high foot traffic for convenience. Ideally, this placement is near the store’s warehouse or backroom to fully maximize operational efficiency.

User education and training: Proper education and training for both customers and employees are essential. Clear on-site instructions should be provided to customers, while staff training should cover troubleshooting and backend management (SYNQ Technology provides support in these areas).

The future is touchless

As technology continues to evolve, touchless lockers are expected to integrate more advanced features such as AI-driven inventory management, IoT connectivity, and more personalized customer interactions. Retailers adopting these innovations will stay ahead in the competitive market and meet the evolving expectations of modern shoppers.

Check out our YouTube channel to learn more about SYNQ Touchless Lockers: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMOueM3G_-hjm-oWZ4FyNDw