No one wants a jumble of in-store hardware cramping their style. Streamline payments, empower staff, and enhance customer experiences with an all-in-one Android mobile POS system.
Mary faces the madding crowd. She’s the manager of a busy clothing store, and her day isn’t going to plan. The barcode scanner isn’t responding. The payment terminal has a card read error. The printer is throwing a tantrum. The line is getting longer and more agitated with each passing minute. Finallyher new trainee runs out, screaming in terror.
During a much needed coffee break at a café down the street, Mary notices her server, Lucas, is having a very different day to her own. As a nineteen year old casual waiter, Lucas can typically check the football scores, post a photo on Instagram, and fire off a dozen Whatsapp messages all before the café’s ancient sales system can process an order. But not today. Today, Lucas is serving customers with ease, synching with the kitchen staff, and ringing up orders with a tap of his finger. Even better, he’s barely looked at his phone. So what’s different? The cafe is using a new range of Android mobile point of sale (mPOS) devices. As consumers, we’re accustomed to having the latest digital technology at our fingertips, from the smartphones in our pockets to the voice assistants in our kitchens. When it comes to brick-and-mortar stores, however, it’s a different story.
The future of Android mPOS terminals
Just as we navigate our daily lives with smart devices, it’s a natural choice for businesses to cater to modern customer needs with Android mPOS terminals. These devices present an exciting and uncomplicated opportunity for you to catapult your business to new heights.
From supermarkets to fashion retailers, many businesses have been slow to embrace new payment technology. A report by 451 Research showed that only 35% of US retailers surveyed used mPOS, and just 29% offered self-checkout. A RIS/Gartner Retail Technology Study found 30% of retailers had no plans to upgrade systems like item master data management, stock replenishment, allocation, price management, or promotion management for the next 24 months.
Even as technology advances and priorities are reshuffled, such inertia has made scenarios like Mary’s above a reality for many stores today. It’s still not uncommon to see a jumble of legacy devices scattered around a checkout, accompanied by an equally clunky cash register. These mismatched collections of hardware, and all their separate systems, often do more harm than good: increasing cost of ownership, provoking operational inefficiencies, and disrupting staff and customers alike.
Failing to meet evolving customer expectations has a direct impact on your bottom line. 451 Research shows that retailers lost $15.8bn in potential sales to their competitors in 2018 because of customers making a purchase elsewhere due to long lines. Add to this customers’ recent anxieties about queuing in COVID-19 times, and it’s clear how crucial it is to leverage payment technology that champions more streamlined experiences.
One device to rule them all: Android mPOS
Android mPOS devices are all-in-one, smartphone sized tools that can be used to replace many of the hardware and systems complicating your in-store processes. On top of the flexible payment experiences provided by standard mPOS devices, mPOS devices powered by an Android OS can completely transform your daily operations, from orders and payments to staff and inventory management.
Many legacy systems are infrastructure heavy and not easily compatible with one another, reducing efficiencies, and placing an operational burden on managers and associates, who are required to use several different devices for business and payment functions on a daily basis. This is a big plus for your bottom line too. Having to manage multiple systems and hardware to run your business can quickly lead to high costs, from set up to maintenance. Consolidating your systems can reduce cost of ownership, helping you free up budget for other investments and innovations.
