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Retail TouchPoints: Retailers Focus On Testing In-Store Mobile POS and POP Solutions

Written by Guest contributor

Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion is a summary of a current article from the Retail TouchPoints website.

According to a recent study from Motorola Solutions, 23 percent of retailers have mobile POS or POP solutions deployed. However, results point to more rigorous pilots of smartphone and tablet solutions (11.3 percent of respondents), and retailers' plans to begin testing each within the next six to 12 months (13.5 percent and 11.7 percent, respectively).

Although 74.8 percent of retailers said they currently use desktop computers for customer facing applications, overall investment in these devices will drop to 53.9 percent in the next year. This dramatic shift in usage is due largely to the growing prevalence of mobile devices in enterprise environments, and to retailers wanting to create an interactive, cross-channel environment in brick-and-mortar locations, according to Scott Drobner, director of business and market intelligence for Motorola Solutions.

"More savvy retailers are looking at mobile POS in a holistic way to reach consumers in the store effectively," Mr. Drobner told Retail TouchPoints. "Shoppers are looking for technology to simplify and enhance the customer experience. A lot of the solutions we're seeing in the mobile commerce and payment space are really focused on improving that experience."

As reported by Motorola's Mobile POS Study, future mobile technology implementations versus current investment rates are as follows:

  • Smartphones (49.6 percent vs. 46.5 percent);
  • Tablet computers (51.3 percent vs. 26.5 percent); and
  • Rugged hand-held computers and other mobile devices, not including smartphones and tablets (42.2 percent vs. 26.5 percent)

There also is increased interest in "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD) strategies, in which consumers utilize their own smartphones and tablets to access corporate applications in stores. Among retail respondents, only 16.5 percent said they would be extremely likely to use this strategy, while 36.5 percent said it was "somewhat likely."

Tactical goals and benefits of mobile POS solutions cited by retailers currently using or planning to use mobile POS solutions in the study included:

  • Better customer service (71.3 percent);
  • Deploying smartphones and tablets to complete coverage on the floor (31.3 percent);
  • Special ordering capabilities for out-of-stock items (27.0 percent);
  • Custom orders or assisted shopping (26.1 percent);
  • Aid in line-busting (23.5 percent);
  • Provide mobile device-based loyalty programs (18.7 percent).

 

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