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Tools of the trade – using online technology to help retail workers

No sector has seen greater impact from the third industrial revolution than retail, with daily stories of high street titans struggling to adapt their bricks and mortar businesses for the online age. But now, as Mental Health Week has put renewed focus on the human cost of this disruption, some of those same technologies are being harnessed to help the people most affected.

my rt well being

my rt well being

Working with Abacus, leading sector charity retailTRUST has launched an online wellbeing site that uses the power of the web to provide proactive and preventative self-help resources, giving retail workers access to the right support at the right time. The service, myrtwellbeing.org.uk, is designed to complement the trust’s existing telephone helpline and counselling services by providing a secure, confidential and safe space for users to quickly get the help they need.

my rt well being iphone2

my rt well being iphone2

The trust supports retail workers throughout their career and beyond, providing everything from educational bursaries and mentoring for new recruits, financial support for those who are struggling with money problems, through to upskilling for those mid-career, and eventually supported living for retirees. With such a broad constituency, it is vital that the myrtwellbeing service can provide a customised digital experience for users ensuring they have easy access to information and services that are targeted around their current needs.

This objective has been met by utilising Webvision Cloud’s powerful segmentation functionality to offer a personalised toolkit for each user. This enables automatic mapping of the trust’s expertly curated content to a user’s needs. And secure behavioural tracking allows the system to learn about the user’s preferences and to suggest other useful content. Content includes self-help videos, training materials and information about retailTRUST’s services. The next phase of the project is to make retailTrust’s front-line support staff available via a live chat widget.

We’ve taken some of those same tools and techniques that are currently revolutionizing the retail sector and applied them to helping the people most affected by this disruption. The critical thing is that this technology delivers the right help at the right time which is central to the retailTRUST’s objectives”

says trust CEO Richard Boland who commissioned the project.

my rt well being iphone

my rt well being iphone

Another key benefit of the Webvision platform is its ability to provide deep insight and actionable data. We can already see patterns emerging, whether that’s geographically or by particular employers,” explains Mr Boland. “By analysing this stream of data we’ll be able quickly respond to these trends by developing new content or adjusting the toolkit and the trust will be able to target its activities more effectively.

Reaction to the site has been overwhelmingly positive with more than 95% of users during the beta period saying they will be recommending the service to their friends and colleagues. “With this kind of feedback and the spotlight on wellbeing around Mental Health Week we think now is exactly the right time to be rolling out this service,” says Mr Boland.

Founded in 1832, the retailTRUST’s mission is to improve the lives of all involved in retail and the supporting services industries. This includes wholesaling, distribution and manufacturing for retail and all support services, with many from digital retail backgrounds. The welfare of everyone involved is their key focus and they offer support through physical, emotional, financial, vocational and educational wellbeing and in particular, for the over 55s in supported living services. 

At Abacus, our mission is to help brands and communities grow revenue and engagement with personalised offers and experiences. If you are looking to upgrade your website, CMS and complement it with a fully-integrated digital experience platform, we have a winning proposition in Webvision Cloud.

For more information, please get in touch.

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