Many of the locations that I visited last year are in the beginning stages of replacing and or upgrading point-of-sale (POS) systems. Interestingly enough, many retailers large and small are experimenting with a tool that many of us see on a more and more frequent basis being utilized by schools, sales persons and those sitting next to us in airplane. This tool is the tablet.
I recently read a captivating article regarding the interest of retailers in using iPads as POS systems. I also recently reviewed a whitepaper on the importance of multi-channel retailing and within the whitepaper they noted that iPads and tablets are playing a growing role in increasing profitability. “The benefit of a tablet at retail is that it allows the customer (and salesperson) to bring it right to the product under consideration, initially providing information that the consumer can ‘double-check’ on the item itself, and possibly complete the transaction without having to spend time at a sales desk or in a check-out line,” said Dave Zoerb, senior vice president of marketing at Frank Mayer and Associates. “It makes for a more dynamic, interactive and convenient sales experience.” Convenience is one of our industries’ trademarks.
Tablets are already serving as POS systems. “This most famously is occurring at Apple stores, where there no longer is a traditional check-out counter. Instead, Apple associates roam the floor with enhanced iPod Touches, and can process payments directly on the devices. Customers no longer have to wait in line, and the perception is that the check-out time is much faster.”
“Salespeople are excited to work with tablets,” said Tom Tamulewicz, vice president of research and development at Columbia, Md.-based MICROS-Retail, a provider of enterprise applications for retail establishments. “People are comfortable using them, even if they haven’t before, and they think they’re fun to use. That gets people eager to work with them, and eager to get out on the floor and sell.”
The long struggle with sales deflated by merchandise displayed within glass cases resulting in poor customer experience, may be solved with a cashier roaming the sales floor with an iPad. The cashier could perform merchandising duties while also selling electronics and the like with the added ability to show the feature and benefits of the products displayed within the case. With a tablet, the product comes alive; it speaks to the consumer’s visual purchasing mechanism.
So, if you are considering a new POS or an upgrade to your current system, it may be time to research the capability of a tablet and what it can bring to the profitability circle.
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