“To me, it’s a no-brainer and something every retailer should invest in,” Forrester retail analyst Sucharita Kodali tells BizTech. Participating merchants range from Dollar General to Macy’s both added a self-service feature for shoppers in 2018. That could help explain why two-thirds of North American retailers plan to offer a mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) option within the next three years, according the latest POS/Customer Engagement Benchmark Survey by Boston Retail Partners - practices that also include apps for customers to scan items and check out independently. Mobile in-store checkout technology, she said, is “lowering the barrier to getting people physically in the stores.” “We all know waiting in line is a massive pain,” regardless of the season, brand consultant Deb Gabor told the Los Angeles Times. Target and Walmart each did so last year before the holiday shopping season.Īmong potential clientele: The 52 percent of shoppers who, according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics, skip the hectic Black Friday shopping weekend because they don’t enjoy the experience. That concern has led some brick-and-mortar brands to deploy handheld devices to their employees with the intent of helping customers pay for items on the fly. At the very least, an unexpected delay could create a negative impression of a retailer’s staffing and efficiency. For some shoppers, the sight of a long or slow-moving checkout line - even at self-scan kiosks, which aren’t always a quicker option - might deter a sale.

Nordstrom rack app checkout