Retailers touting mobile devices deemed innovative by shoppers

BOSTON — Retailers that use tablets and other mobile devices in place of cash registers are perceived as being more innovative by mobile shoppers than those that do not, according to the latest AisleBuyer survey.

The final installment of the Mobile Shopping Survey series, more than one-fifth of shoppers (22%) have visited a store where associates use mobile devices instead of cash registers, while 57% of mobile shoppers said they believe retailers that use mobile devices in place of traditional cash registers are innovative. What's more, nearly two-thirds of these shoppers (64%) said they believe store associates are more helpful when they're on the store floor where consumers are shopping, versus being behind a cash register. Another reason shoppers may want to see traditional cash registers replaced with tablets is to make room for additional merchandise (41%).

The full results of the “Tablets as Point of Sale” survey, along with additional surveys in the Mobile Shopping Survey series can be found here.

"The cash register has a new rival. We're seeing increased interest from retailers in supplementing and potentially replacing traditional registers with a tablet-based mobile POS or store associate solution," AisleBuyer founder and CEO Andrew Paradise said. "Equipped with a tablet, store employees can do much more than just help customers check out. Now, they can share product information, show video demos and suggest related products — making them a more valuable and profitable part of the in-store sale."