Making Mobile Point of Sale (POS) Happen: Five Ways Stores Can Better Compete and Grow

Accenture research indicates that mobile POS will become pervasive in retail through a three-stage evolution. Retailers need to calibrate their approach so they can navigate effectively through each of these stages in terms of duration, number of devices, target department, target customer segmentation, and exceptions in transactions.

There is no one-device-fits-all plan, but by successfully navigating these three stages, retailers can adopt new technologies in ways both sales associates and consumers will welcome.

Fixed POS terminals have made retail operations more efficient for decades. Retailers know how to use them, and customers know what to expect from them. But there are limits to what they can do; stores and their customers are demanding newer and more efficient technologies.

Fixed POS terminals will not disappear any time soon. There are many ways in which fixed and mobile POS work well together, and smart retailers know that consumer devices will be used in their stores more and more.

Our research shows that introducing mobility to POS helps retailers leverage their existing investments in fixed terminals and makes POS easier.

Our research shows that there are specific locations and situations where mobile POS terminals provide both stores and consumers with more value. That research unearthed five main findings toward making mobile POS succeed:

1. Mobilize in stages
2. Rethink seasonal demand
3. Eliminate POS deserts and let customers buy where they want to
4. Increase basket size
5. Prevent loss

Too many mobile POS initiatives are brief pilot projects, scaled back too soon after rollout. But businesses need to stick with it. Customers want to buy items at the point of service and will buy more if they can. Mobile POS makes that possible.