5 Reasons to Deploy a Mobile Point of Sale System

Retail point of sale (POS) technology has evolved, giving you options for redefining in-store checkout. It’s no longer necessary to use wired POS terminals deployed on countertops to ring up sales and manage transactions. A mobile point of sale system allows your sales associates to assist customers anywhere inside – or even outside – the store.

If your checkout processes require customers to line up at a stationary POS terminal, it’s time to consider how your team can work more productively and deliver more personalized service. Here are five reasons why adding a mobile POS system will benefit your retail business.

You Can Do Everything on a Mobile Device that You Can Do on a Terminal

If you’ve demoed mobile point of sale systems in the past, you may have found solutions with limited feature sets compared to terminal POS systems. While mobile POS systems at one time were “POS light,” they’re more robust now. With the right software, mobile POS tablets display the same screens as terminals, allowing your team to perform the same tasks.

Today’s leading mobile point of sale systems give your employees the flexibility to access inventory data and verify prices, creating endless aisle capabilities. Sales associates can also enter customer data and place orders for pickup and delivery when items are out of stock.

In addition, tablet enclosures that include PIN pads and printers complete a mobile POS solution that allows employees to accept payments anywhere, anytime.

Less Waiting Means Happier Customers

Your customers prefer not to wait in line. A 2022 Waitwhile survey revealed that nearly 70% of consumers associate feelings of frustration, boredom, and impatience when they’re standing in a queue – and it’s something they deal with fairly often. Most consumers, 90%, wait in line a few times per month, and 41% say it’s common in retail stores.

While decreasing the time your customers spend waiting will boost customer satisfaction, keep in mind that it can also increase revenues. According to Chainstoreage.com, 82% of customers won’t go into a store with long lines. The survey also found that 68% will leave a line without completing a purchase. Therefore, keeping lines moving can help save sales.

Mobile point of sales systems are ideal line-busting solutions. They allow sales associates to check out customers as soon as they’re ready to complete their purchases. It also gives stores an easy way to set up a new lane, checkout, or return counter to minimize waiting during the holiday rush or other high-traffic times. When a line starts to form, team members equipped with mobile devices can make sure customers get fast service.

More Engagement Is Happening Outside the Store

Since 2020, more consumers have engaged with retailers digitally, browsing and ordering online for curbside pickup. It’s a trend that gained momentum in the first few years of the decade during pandemic shutdowns. However, it’s become a habit for many consumers, outpacing home delivery. A 2023 PYMNTS and Cybersource study found curbside pickup increased by 66% year over year in 2022. Customers say they prefer it because it allows them to receive their orders more quickly and avoid shipping costs.

Mobile point of sale software gives sales associates the ability to meet customers outdoors and confirm with data in your system that they’re getting the correct orders. These solutions also make it easy to capture incremental sales when customers decide to purchase additional items when they arrive. Using a mobile POS solution, the sales associate can accept payment and print a receipt curbside, delivering convenient, customer-centric service.

Mobile Point of Sale Systems Take Back-Office Tools Where the Action Is

Mobile solutions allow employees to access and capture digital information, eliminating paper-based processes – and the human error associated with them. Retail mobile POS software and handheld computers, or ring scanners allow your store to streamline inventory management. With mobile solutions, employees capture data for inventory counts and replenishment in a fraction of the time of legacy processes.

Additionally, full-featured mobile POS software allows retail teams to check current pricing information and generate new shelf labels. It also puts the tools at employees’ fingertips for receiving and managing direct store delivery (DSD) orders so they don’t have to walk back and forth to enter information on a terminal.

Mobile point of sale solutions also make online order fulfillment more efficient. They allow employees to pick and label orders quickly and accurately so they’re complete and ready on time.

Deploying a Mobile Point of Sale System Doesn’t Mean Managing an Additional Solution

Concerns over creating a more complex IT environment may have held you back from deploying a mobile point of sale system in the past. However, it doesn’t have to stop you now. With browser-based, hardware-agnostic retail management software, you can run the same software on any device. This model of software delivery allows you to manage one solution for all use cases throughout your operation. It has the added benefit of the same user experience wherever you deploy the software. That means employees can work on any device and even cover different tasks with minimal training. Customer experiences are also consistent whether they engage at a checkout counter, at a self-service kiosk, or with a sales associate using a mobile device.

Redefine the “Point of Sale”

With customer service and operational efficiency key to retail success, mobile point of sale systems offer immediate value. They give you the freedom to innovate, rethink store layout, and craft customer experiences that differentiate your brand from competitors. It also allows you to take a different approach to customer engagement, making service more convenient and personal.

Think beyond service at the counter to create a more efficient, competitive business. Nous contacter to learn more about a full-featured yet accessible mobile point of sale system that’s easy to deploy and manage.