One of the most frustrating parts of the holiday season is waiting in line at the mall. Similar to Disneyland's time stamp system for rollercoasters or numbered tickets at the post office, a shopper could pick up a ticket upon entering the store and shop until her number is called. Better yet, a shopper could check in online (or at a console in the mall) and receive a time stamp at some point in the future, allowing more flexible shopping and front line access at the specified time. Not all registers of the store would have to be dedicated to this system, but enough to encourage more people to participate.
This system could increase revenue for stores since shoppers would be less frustrated with the shopping experience and would maximize shopping time with less time spent in line. Furthermore, if shoppers could access time stamps at home, they may change their shopping schedule if a particular time is still "available" in the system...thus spreading the crowds and enabling stores to better gauge high traffic times.
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I like it!Question: but what about the lost revenues generated by the shoppers waiting in line and buying those afterthought items? Example: you're in line at the Gap. You're looking around at all the "stocking stuffer"-sized merchandise...i.e. the perfume, the socks, the gift cards, the candles. You have enough time to think, "Hey, maybe I need a grass-scented candle," and pick it up.
With a quick queue system, people would be more focused on getting through the line and not looking around. Something for the Gap marketing team to work on.