Home improvement giant Lowe’s just
bought 42,000 handheld point of sales devices for its 1700+ outlets.
Its competitor Home Depot spent $64 million placing 30,000+ of its
First Phone Motorola mobile devices. Nordstroms has 6,000 devices.
Urban Outfitters and Pacific Sun are following. Mobile and tablet
technology is changing the way we shop.
Smaller businesses use Square, a free tiny box like card reader that
plugs into smart phones or pads to transform them into registers on
the go. In fact, there are a host of other companies offering ways
for stores and vendors to capture sales without using a cash
register. Great for those who have small stores or do kiosk type
shows to now accept credit cards and sales with little expense and
no hassle.
Major chains like Whole Foods Market, Gap, Patagonia, Sears, and
Kmart are now using mobile devices to email receipts to customers
instead of handing them paper. Of course, they are also tacking on
email alerts and advertisements, which may explain why only about
one third of customers are opting in. Customers can now try and buy
in the store and have stuff shipped home for free. Better than
lugging it around the mall as they continue shopping.
Amazing how, in a few generations telephones, cash registers,
typewriters, incandescent light bulbs, etc., once revolutionary,
have already become obsolete. For techies in the crowd,
the Singularity has begun.