MOBILE DEVICES IN RETAILAn overview of mobile technologies at the 2014 National Retail Federation’s “Big Show”

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN A PART OF RETAIL FOR YEARSSales and Stock Floor use two-way radios for

communication, wireless inventory scanners, and portable network printers for keeping merchandise properly tagged

Scanners and printers depend on the store having a secure wireless network in place

This network connects to a corporate WAN from which price and inventory information is pushed to and from the stores

CURRENT RETAIL MOBILE DEVICES

InventoryScanners

Sales FloorWalkie Talkies

Portable Printers

NEW MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES IMPROVE EFFICIENCY New handheld scanners

Show inventory at other stores

Can connect warehouse/distribution center info

May connect to Web for more info on products

Answer phone calls Digital Signage

Department locations Promotions Sales Shelf Labels Reduces paper waste Centrally updated

Scalable Store Management Systems Use the same system for

mall kiosks through large chain stores

Add modules, capabilities, as needed

Mobile Point-of-Sale Sales floor, trade & craft

shows Self Checkout and Express

Checkout Mobile Wallets

BYOD/Customer Mobile Devices

NEW MOBILE DEVICES Display Data ESLs

Electronic Shelf Labels Wirelessly update

price, promotion information

Motorola MC40 Integrates radio,

telephony, and inventory info

INTEGRATING CUSTOMER DEVICES Retailer mobile web sites and apps

Pared down, specific information Shopping lists Mobile coupons Inventory view Online ordering

SMS sale notifications Customer self-service

Scanning Mobile checkout

QR codes Mobile wallets

EXAMPLES OF MOBILE SITES AND APPS Michaels Arts and Crafts

Mobile AppMain Page

Mobile WebMain Page

MobileCoupon

EXAMPLES OF MOBILE APPS Target

Mobile Web Mobile App Mobile Menu

NON-BRAND-SPECIFIC RETAIL APPS Coupon-sharing apps

Snip-Snap, Retail-Me-Not, etc. Code Scanners

Barcode Scanners Link to reviews, availability Sell through online marketplaces

QR Scanners Link to manufacturer information, reviews May also link to online marketplaces

TAG Scanner Microsoft’s color code scanner Acts like a QR Scanner for TAG-coded items

Product review sites

TRACKING IN-STORE CUSTOMERS Uses include

Store merchandise display management Loss Prevention Push notification of specials Analytics – What are customers looking at,

versus what are they buying, and at what price point?

Done with WiFi beacons (video)

Public WiFi Bluetooth beacons Activated by consumer apps

ASSOCIATE MOBILE DEVICES Company owned devices

Inventory, price, location; sale completion Interstore ordering and cross shipping Associate task notification

Customer movements (as seen by cameras, beacons) Customer “Call buttons”

Personal devices Usually not allowed on sales floor, but essential to

provide excellent customer service Bing/Google research obsolete products to suggest

similar ones Pinterest to demonstrate ideas for using the store’s

products YouTube and blogs for instructions and techniques

Remote access for store and district managers

THE MODERN CASH REGISTERPoint of Sale System

(POS)Computer-based

(software)

Barcode scanner

Cash drawer

Card swipe

Receipt printer

PAYMENT PROCESSING

A separate system and/or service may be used to verify card payments

Verification requires robust, secure communication (either telephonic or Internet) between the service, the payment processing terminal, and the POS terminal

HOW THE CASH REGISTER WORKS The POS system (software) controls the

opening and closing of the cash drawer for cash sales

The Payment Processing Terminal processes non-cash payments and sends approval or denial messages to the POS

A receipt is printed upon acceptance of payment

CASH REGISTER OF THE FUTURERevel SystemsiPad-based POSsystem

Verifone PWM e410iPod-based paymentprocessing system

UPDATED COMPONENTS Mobile POS software (e.g., Vend) Tablet-based POS terminals (e.g., HP MX10) Ultra-small USB and Bluetooth barcode

scanners

UPDATED WORKFLOW The POS still controls the cash drawer Mobile payment processing peripherals fit onto

tablet-based POS terminals Terminals also accept mobile-wallet payments Customers are offered e-mail receipts

Physical receipts may still be available E-mail addresses are harvested for customer

loyalty programs

ISISNFC Mobile WalletPayment Terminal

MOBILE PAYMENTS Mobile Device as Payment Processing Terminal

Square, Pay Anywhere, PayPal Here, Intuit, etc. Swipe credit cards, connect to payment processing systems Requires network connection

Payment Processing Cradles Fit over iPhones or iPads More stable swiping technology Integrate into store’s secure networks

Mobile Wallets PayPal Mobile, Amazon, Google Wallet Powered by connections to bank accounts, traditional credit cards

NFC (Near Field Communication) Wallets e.g., ISIS Connects to specific bank cards, manages bank cards Uses NFC chip, secure layer, and password Tied to specific device Hover to pay

SUMMARY From before you walk into the store until well

after you walk out, mobile devices are hard at work to bring you the magic of finding what you want, when you want it, letting you pay by a variety of methods, and minimizing the time you need to wait for service