The advent of mobile POS
Smartphones and tablets have become regular shopping devices for consumers, allowing them to research products or, at times, even process payments through apps or mobile wallets. However, some retail industry professionals are also using the technology to improve their store operations.
Retail Solutions Online detailed many of the advantages to deploying a mobile point of sale solution. Some of the benefits will be helpful during the holiday shopping season, but their benefits extend well past Black Friday and the days after. The source highlighted that this POS platform can enhance the overall shopping experience by speeding up the pace of transactions and dealing with the long lines that many businesses endure throughout November and December.
By deploying a mobile POS system, merchants can also clear out some of the floor space devoted to shopping lanes mostly intended for peak shopping periods. This in turn can be used to display more products.
As smartphones and tablets grow in popularity, many staff members will also need less training in their use, as they will already be acquainted with the technology. This could help onboard the large volume of temporary employees hired during the holiday season.
The mobile nature of tablets and smartphones can also enable workers to assist customers on the storeroom floor, rather than limiting interactions to the checkout area. This increases employee' productivity as well as the shopping experience.
Take mobile POS step-by-step
Retail Solutions Online highlighted one problem that some organizations are running into with their mobile POS, and that is that many companies are "paralyzed" from trying to fully deploy smartphone- and tablet-based technology into their operations. Rather than trying to create a comprehensive solution that covers all aspects of the business, decision-makers can focus their efforts on using the devices for one part of the business, and then another, as they slowly build up to a more comprehensive platform.
The additional efficiency afforded by smartphone- and tablet-based POS, though, makes the move a hard one to ignore. The cost savings, floor space and mobility of the workforce can benefit retailers, and likely create an uptick in productivity. Gradually implementing a few parts of this process into the holiday season may help streamline the shopping experience and, come next year, make an even better, more productive use of time for staff members and customers alike.
