Woocommerce is more than an online shop solution
More Woocommerce for businesses
WooCommerce is great for setting up an online shop, but that's only a small part of what WooCommerce offers. Other tools can be implemented in a physical store, and can be introduced into a company's day-to-day operations relatively quickly, simplifying day-to-day business and preparing the company for the next step of building a fully-fledged online store.
In this article you will learn about the lesser known features of WooCommerce and its related plugins. Read on to learn about 7 tools to use in a physical store!
How do I use Woocommerce in a physical store?
1. Inventory management
- Centralised inventory system: With WooCommerce, you can maintain a centralised inventory. Any changes to stock (e.g. sales, replenishments) can be noted in the system, making it easier to keep track of remaining items and replenish your store in time.
- Integration with POS systems: Many point of sale (POS) systems offer integration with WooCommerce, allowing you to automate stock changes at the point of sale. Examples are Square, Vend and Hike POS.
2. Invoicing
- Automated invoices: WooCommerce offers you the possibility to create and send invoices automatically when a purchase is made or to enter the order yourself and generate professional invoices in PDF format using WP plugins.
- Adjusting your invoices: Customise your invoice design to fit your brand's style and needs. When creating an order, you can add pre-entered items, add new items or give a discount.
3. Creating and scanning barcodes
- Barcode generation: With WP plugins, you can generate and assign barcodes to your products. This will make it easier to track and sell your products in the physical store.
- Scanning barcodes: Integrate the barcode scanner with your WooCommerce system to quickly and accurately record sales and manage inventory. You can also easily use barcode scanning on POS terminals, even if they are not connected to WooCommerce, if both systems have the same SKU (Stock Keeping Unit)
- Additional informationA: It is also possible to produce codes in other formats, such as QR codes, and include the price in the generated file.
- Price sticker: you can use the barcode with the price you have created for price stickers to stick on items in your shop.
4. Customer loyalty programmes and discount schemes
- Loyalty programmes: Use plugins like WooCommerce Points and Rewards to create customer loyalty programmes where customers can earn points for purchases and use them for future discounts.
- Discount vouchers: To boost sales, customise discount vouchers and offer them in-store.
5. Accounting and analysis tools
- Sales analysis: Use WooCommerce's tracking and analytics tools to track sales, product views and customer behaviour. This will help you better understand market demand and tailor your offer.
- Integration with accounting software: Integrate WooCommerce with your accounting software to automate your financial accounting and reporting.
6. Centralised Store Data
- A single customer profile: Create a single customer profile system that allows customers to use their online account in the physical store and benefit from loyalty programmes and other offers.
- Real-time inventory synchronisation: Ensure that inventory data is synchronised in real time between online and one or more physical stores to accurately count the quantity of goods and inform the customer about the availability of goods.
7. Order management
- Click-and-Collect: Offer your customers the possibility to order online and pick up goods in your physical store. This will improve customer service and increase footfall to the store.
Implementing WooCommerce in your eCommerce store can have a significant impact on your sales and overall turnover. While the specific figures may vary depending on the type of business, several sources point to significant benefits.
A study by WP Swings highlights that WooCommerce is one of the leading e-commerce platforms, managing more than USD 11.8 billion in gross merchandise volume (GMV) in 2019 (WP Swings). In addition, Metorik data indicates that WooCommerce stores experience improved performance through various metrics such as improved conversion rates and efficient traffic management, which can lead to increased sales (Blog On Your Own).
In addition, implementing a WooCommerce store can help businesses expand their customer base, offer new sales channels and improve their marketing efforts. For example, effective integration of email marketing and social media through WooCommerce can drive more traffic and conversions (WooCommerce).
In general, although the specific percentage of sales or turnover increase depends on the context, the adoption of WooCommerce usually leads to better sales performance and higher revenues thanks to its powerful features and market reach.
