Mobile POS (mPOS) systems give customers convenient options for checking out in the store and can provide employees with additional information to assist shoppers. IHS Technology found that mPOS shipments rose by 50 percent globally in 2013, reaching 8.4 million units, according to Retail Solutions Online. These numbers illustrate the growing trend toward using retail technology to improve the customer experience.

Why mPOS?
Mobile hardware for retail transactions can include tablets, smartphones, dongles and other portable devices. These gadgets enable store clerks to be available for customers without being bound to a register counter. Therefore, they can quickly help a customer while stocking merchandise or help drive sales by assisting shoppers who are examining products. Today, many of these devices are similar to the platforms store associates are already familiar with due to personal use.

"Retailers increasingly are embracing tablet- and smartphone-based systems to check out customers, providing an alternative to the cash registers used by large- and medium-sized merchants, or the informal systems—such as cigar boxes—employed by the smallest businesses," said Wincey Tang, digital ID & IT security analyst at IHS. "The wide availability and low-cost advantages of mPOS card-reader accessories make them a feasible payment acceptance solution for any business owner."

Overcoming low usage
Retail Solutions Online reported that even though more merchants are purchasing mPOS systems, up to a million units are going unused. The IHS study indicated that smaller retailers are more likely to falter in their adoption of the technology, whereas larger merchants have begun to implement the resources successfully. One of the roadblocks to the transition can be acclimating staff and customers to new types of interaction. In addition to training employees to use the devices effectively, it can be helpful to consider new routines and workflows that take advantage of the technology.

Focusing on the benefits of mPOS systems can also give merchants a bit more incentive to put the product to good use. According to Merchant Warehouse, Accenture determined that retailers have observed the following positive results from using mobile systems:

• Increased sales from on-the-spot purchases and reduced shopping cart abandonment
• Better inventory management through greater awareness of seasonal and trending demands
• Provide better immediate information to customers about products, pricing and purchasing

NCR Hospitality noted that mPOS systems can provide opportunities like making sales during special demonstrations and signing customers up for loyalty programs. The source explained that a hybrid approach using both traditional POS and mPOS can be effective and offer more flexibility.