GK Software, a global leader in comprehensive retail applications for real-time omnichannel business systems, today announced Follett Higher Education, North America's leading provider of collegiate retail and course materials, selected GK as its new cloud-based point-of-sale provider. This partnership will enhance reliability, improve technology integrations, and offer advanced service features for all Follett campus stores, fostering a better shopping experience for millions of students, faculty, alumni and college sports fans who shop with Follett.
As the nation's leading college store operator, Follett caters to a high volume of Generation Z consumers. According to research from the International Council of Shopping Centers, these customers want an efficient experience, with 46% of Gen Z consumers stating that a quick and easy checkout is the most important factor in a good shopping experience. In addition, 39% cited the ability to get what they want immediately and 27% said quick and helpful customer service were top priorities.
With these insights in mind, Follett is committed to exceeding Gen Z consumer expectations by creating a frictionless shopping experience at its over 1,000 stores across the U.S. and Canada. To achieve this goal, Follett sought a partner that could transform the company's POS and enable new touch points like self-checkout and bring your own device (BYOD) self-scanning.
Follett selected GK to create a state-of-the-art and forward-facing experience across all its stores and pop-up shops. GK showcased its advanced capabilities along with enhanced flexibility and team expertise during the provider evaluation process. Follett will now rely on GK solutions such as OmniPOS (Mobile POS, Self Check-Out and Self-Scanning), Advanced Central Services, and TransAction+ payments to create a better purchasing experience for students and sports fans alike.
"Our team evaluated a lot of great POS solution providers, and I was impressed by how GK's intuitive user interface, both online and on mobile, was paired with emerging technologies to ensure ongoing flexibility and innovation," said Emmanuel Kolady, CEO of Follett. "Yet for me, the real clincher was the GK team's ability to collaborate with us and develop customized solutions to meet the unique needs of our campus partners. We were seeking a true partnership from a company that would be with us for the long haul, and GK was the right fit."
Thanks to this partnership with GK, Follett customers – students, parents, faculty, alumni and sports fans – will gain access to more point-of-service and check-out options, creating an even smoother shopping journey. In addition to the in-store environment, Follett will now be able to offer these expansive customer service touch points at pop-up events and stores inside sporting arenas. The ability to deploy and manage diverse point-of-service methods even when offline ensures Follett customers receive the same exceptional shopping experience anywhere, anytime.
"Customers today expect a seamless, efficient customer service experience, and these expectations are elevated for a student who needs a book for an upcoming class or a sports fan looking to buy their favorite jersey during halftime without missing the action," said Michael Jaszczyk, CEO, GK. "We're thrilled to partner with Follett to help students and their families get the learning materials and team merchandise they need via the service touch point of their choice without waiting in lines."
To learn more about how GK helps innovative retailers reimagine their point of service technology with unprecedented flexibility and efficiency, contact us today.
