“What’s a Cashier?”
Checkouts haven’t changed since the beginning of retail. Sure, there are different models of the checkout, such as customer-unload designs, cashier unload designs, and even self-checkouts. But all of these types of checkouts have one thing in common: Cashiers.
With the Mobile revolution and the continued development of RFID technology, checkouts as we know them will soon be a thing of the past. This is not just a sci-fi vision into some impossible future. This is our new reality. Some say that within the next 10-20 years, children will be asking, “What’s a cashier?”
Winners Always Want the Ball
Some retailers will wait on the sidelines as their more in-tune-with-reality competitors pass them by in this new world. Unfortunately for them, they may never recover. In his recent blog, The Missing Piece in the Mobile Payment Puzzle and How RFID Completes It, RFID expert Hilbert Dijkstra lays out not only the benefits of mPOS, but also how retailers can protect their merchandise in this new, fresh and exciting retail environment.
The new world of mPOS still has unclaimed land, meaning there are still creative ways to deploy it. This is demonstrated in our whitepaper, How to Prevent High Shrinkage Levels When Introducing Mobile Checkouts in Retail Store. As stated in the whitepaper, Apple stores employ a unique version of mPOS. Any Apple employee walking the sales floor carries an iPad that allows them to ring up customers where they stand, thereby eliminating lines that traditional checkouts still contend with. This system of ringing sales may work well for Apple, but other retailers are experimenting with an even more unique way to use mPOS: one that involves RFID.
Leveraging Labor
There are many forward-thinking retailers today who understand the importance of being on the leading edge. Those first to adapt to the consumers’ push for mPOS will reap the rewards that come with building strong brand loyalty. But other benefits, such as labor reallocation or reduction, can be realized with mPOS.
Imagine a customer walking into an apparel store. She sees a handbag she wants and simply scans the item using her smartphone, then exits the store. Far-fetched? Not at all. Some retailers are already doing this, while others are still wondering when the right time is to start their RFID journey. But one thing is for sure. Customers will flock to those utilizing this RFID technology.
Omnichannel Bliss
The use of RFID with mPOS is not the only benefit to retailers. Those in the omnichannel space also need RFID to solve their customer service woes. To successfully implement omnichannel strategies like click&collect or ship from store an accurate stock is a must have. When items that are ordered for instore pick up or to be send from the store are not the apologies that ensue does little to help the brand damage that takes place each time this type of incident occurs. To read more on why RFID is the true omni channel enabler, please read more here.
With the introduction of mPOS to the market, omnichannel has come full circle. Now, when customers arrive to pick up the items they already paid for online, they can simply arrive at the store, select their purchased item, scan it out and leave. No lines. No hassle. No employees needed.
This is an interesting time in the world of retail, and consumers are in the stands patiently waiting to cheer for and support the retail winners who want the ball. Who will that be?
About Nedap
Nedap’s retail loss prevention products include electronic article surveillance, RF EAS systems, RFID EAS systems, Customer Counting and Retail Store Access Control systems. Nedap’s retail solutions are based on intelligent identification and registration of people, animals and objects, or on innovative, ‘green’ electronic controls and power supplies. Innovation is driven by clients’ operations: systems are developed and adapted to optimize clients’ production and information processes.
Nedap brings 40 years of global experience, market expertise and close cooperation with leading retailers. Everything Nedap Retail does is driven by their mission to make it simple for retailers to always have the right products available. To achieve this, Nedap Retail offers industry-leading solutions for their customers’ diverse needs in loss prevention and stock management. For more information, visit Nedap Retail’s website: www.nedapretail-americas.com.
