Maximizing Retail Efficiency: POS Systems and Mobile Carts

POS System

There are MANY different elements and aspects of “retail efficiency”. For any large retailer that includes what is almost always a global supply chain – where every aspect of it has its own metrics and are improved incrementally and have an impact on the bottom line. Each piece of the supply chain puzzle – from sourcing raw materials (for some) to processing the returns has its own specialized needs, its own unique innovations and its own collection of experts working full-time on their piece of the “retail efficiency” puzzle.

Today, we’re going to pick up where we left off on our previous article Maximizing Retail Efficiency – Rethinking Mobile POS Systems) and go a little deeper and wider into Maximizing Retail Efficiency with a specific focus on the in-store customer checkout experience.

What is an “Untethered POS System”?

The “Untethered POS”, more commonly referred to as “mPOS” (mobile POS) is exactly what it sounds like – a POS system required no cords for either power or connectivity, and implicitly easy to move (wheels may or may not be included!). On a broader level, it does also include eCommerce applications (i.e. on your phone!).

Basically, it means that the combo of Wifi + Cloud + Battery Power = Cutting the credit card merchant cord.

An article in “Fit Small Business” at the end of last year shared a number of excellent data points that paint a good picture of how pervasive mPOS is and how much running room is still in front of us in terms of improved retail efficiency:

Worldwide transaction value was projected to reach $3.30 trillion in 2023.
In a 2022 survey by Retail Consulting Partners, POS hardware upgrades were the No. 2 priority for 44% of respondents (with 60% naming POS software upgrade as No. 1).
Data shows 60% of Gen Z consumers willing to pay more for improved service as younger buyers care less about price if they get great service.
From a McKinsey report, 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions. 76% get frustrated when this doesn’t happen!
Some POS systems now offer mobile self-checkout, often with the use of QR codesand a companion mobile app. As an added bonus—self-service kiosks may result in people ordering more.

“Driving Free, the World's My Home, When I'm Mobile”

None of us suspected Pete Townsend of being a prophet when we used to listen to his 1971 hit on the radio, but for all the early hype at start of the “mobility” revolution, it truly defines the current expectation of the modern-day customer. They want to be at home EVERYWHERE. So what does this imply for your retail space?

POS System2 Today’s large-scale retail POS systems are generally cookie cutter versions of the same thing – with a large number of fixed stations that are going to stay right where they are until the next remodel or store closing, and then a lot of fiddling with the layout of the lines where customers are expected to queue up while waiting their turn.

As we described in September (see Maximizing Retail Efficiency – Rethinking Mobile POS Systems), what if we rethought how we set up and locate permanent POS installations, and made their deployment flexible in terms of location and quantity instead?

In addition, some POS systems now offer mobile self-checkout, often with the use of QR codes and a companion mobile app. As an added bonus— some evidence suggests that self-service kiosks may result in people ordering more.

How The Future of Retail Efficiency Might Look:

The innovators in the POS space have a vision that goes far beyond the universal standard of creating a line for a group of permanent registers locked together in a line near an exit. “Curbside pickup” is already almost five-year-old channel. But if foot traffic is a core element of driving retail sales, why would you not create opportunities for someone making the trip all the way to your store and not making it easy for them to come in and perhaps shop for more?

Go “Phygital”? Given the ubiquitous use of online resources not only to order direct, but to research desired items before going out to shop for them in physical stores, retail innovators are now using the term “Phygital” (Yes, say it out loud – it still sounds awkward!). It’s defined as a space that bridges the gap between physical and online experiences via the integration of digital technology – with the aim of creating a more fluid customer journey. By looking at things “phygitally”, a retailer – or their suppliers – can better create the end-to-end “holistic” approach to aligning both their in-store and supply operations, home delivery, marketing and loyalty campaigns and even their post-sale service, support and return processes. If a “curbside pickup” order is enough to justify an entire trip to the retailer, then surely it makes sense to use the same digital platform to create a personalized offer to get them to come in?

POS System3 If they do – then why make the wait in line with everyone else? One idea would be a roving concierge with a mobile POS system who can meet the customer in the relevant department and along with providing the item they original ordered along with other items that might be useful or desirable to pair with it (and at a discount). Personalizing the in-person experience above and beyond the online experience would seem like an appealing way to nurture and retain retail customers who still find the in-person experience rewarding.

The blending between online and offline experiences SHOULD be a natural evolution for retailers who know their long-term success will continue to rely on brick-and-mortar stores where shoppers may prefer the experience and not just the convenience of online purchasing.

Further Reading:

While we don’t normally send our readers elsewhere for more information, this topic is uniquely compelling enough that we recommend two additional articles in addition to our previous article on