{"id":13209,"date":"2012-06-27T12:31:23","date_gmt":"2012-06-27T19:31:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/content26.com\/?p=13209"},"modified":"2017-02-14T11:19:51","modified_gmt":"2017-02-14T19:19:51","slug":"retailers-race-to-keep-up-with-smartphonatics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/987654321.space\/c26_dev\/blog\/retailers-race-to-keep-up-with-smartphonatics\/","title":{"rendered":"Retailers Race to Keep Up with Smartphonatics"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pop quiz, hotshot: What’s a smartphonatic<\/em>?<\/span><\/p>\n

A<\/strong>. A person who’s both smart and hooked on phonics<\/span>
\nB<\/strong>. The name of an obscure 70s <\/span>Motown<\/a> group<\/span>
\nC<\/strong>. Someone who changes their shopping, financial, and payment behavior as a result of owning a smartphone<\/span><\/p>\n

As much as I’d like to say the answer is B, in truth, it’s C<\/span><\/a>. And smartphonatics have the attention of retailers. Why? Because smartphonatics love to shop.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Mobile shoppers make a purchase 59 percent more often than desktop PC shoppers and over a two-year cycle will bring in 32 percent more profit,”\u00a0Custora<\/strong><\/span>, a web and mobile analytics firm, reported in a recent study<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Wired and Ready to Buy<\/span><\/h2>\n

In an effort to keep up with tech-savvy shoppers, Best Buy<\/strong> announced last week it would outfit store employees with tablets<\/span><\/a>. And Best Buy is just the latest brick-and-mortar to add in-store mobile technology. Retailers such as Nordstrom<\/span><\/a><\/strong>, Gucci<\/span><\/a><\/strong>, Disney<\/span><\/a><\/strong>, Macy’s<\/span><\/a><\/strong>, and Home Depot<\/span><\/a> <\/strong>are tripping over themselves to follow Apple<\/strong>‘s<\/span><\/a> lead, arming sales associates with mobile devices.<\/span><\/p>\n

But do “wired” sales associates better serve tech-obsessed customers? Or is this just the latest ploy by retailers to distract shoppers from the fact that they could buy similar products for less money online?<\/span><\/p>\n

Enhancing the Retail Experience<\/span><\/h2>\n

For the uninitiated, a point of sale (POS) simply refers to the location where a purchase takes place–typically, a cash register terminal within a store. A mobile POS moves the sale from a stationary terminal to a mobile device that resembles a modified iPod touch or iPad with a barcode scanner and credit card slider.<\/span><\/p>\n

The benefits of a mobile POS extend far beyond replacing outdated cash registers and moving sales associates about the floor. In fact, with well-integrated mobile service, retailers can create a more cost-effective and automated operation and redefine the retail shopping experience. Compelling benefits include:<\/span><\/p>\n