Mobility As Key To Improved Omnichannel Experiences

Ever since pub owner James Ritty invented a mechanical device to tally sales in 1878, the cash register has been a fixture of the point of sale experience. The transaction has been the most important part of the point of sale process –the conclusion of the shopper’s journey!

Today, however, the POS has evolved significantly. It needs to be much more than just a device used to transact sales. Customers shop with the brands that offer the best overall experience, above all, which is why so many brands and retailers are investing in Mobile POS (mPOS) to better engage with customers.

Recently, iVend Retail published a series of research reports examining consumer omnichannel preferences.

Two important trends emerged from this research:

• Most consumers want the in-store experience to have more features like they find online –convenience, ease of use and personalization
• A surprising number of consumers (35 percent of those surveyed in North America) want store sales associates to use tablets to look up product information and allow them to avoid checkout lines

With mPOS, sales associates can guide the shopper through their journey. Equipped with tablet devices, associates can check product inventory across an entire store network, while interacting with the customer; imagine a sales associate saying, “we don’t have that in red in your size here currently, but our store in Florida does and I can have it shipped to you to arrive by tomorrow.” They can also access the customer’s past purchase history – including purchases they’ve made online – to recommend similar products, increasing upsell opportunities.

In addition, the customer can not only pay for their item on the spot, but also check rewards balances, redeem loyalty offers and coupons digitally.

Without moving an inch from where they initially met the customer, the sales associate has made the customer’s experience faster, more personalized and more satisfying.

Just think about the things that didn’t happen.

The customer avoided waiting in line to check out. The associate didn’t have to make the customer wait while they checked inventory out back. Additionally, the customer didn’t have to dig through their pocketbook or wallet to find a coupon or loyalty card – they could do so digitally, using a Digital Passes application.

mPOS helps the store to perform like an online shopping environment, which is what many consumers are looking for, as discussed in the iVend Retail research reports. Additionally, mPOS allows stores to either eliminate fixed checkouts entirely, or even add extra checkouts when store volumes increase.

iVend Mobile POS, which is available on iOS devices and select Android-based tablets wirelessly connects to the store server or a retailer’s head office server, gives sales associates the power and functionality of a fixed terminal POS on the go. iVend mPOS also includes a Loyalty management system, eCommerce, Digital Passes and business intelligence delivered through Reporting & Analytics – everything your store needs to increase sales and boost customer loyalty.

If you’re ready to mobilize your stores and cater to your customers’ mobile habits, download our fact sheet to learn more about how iVend Mobile POS can transform your business.