Another great post from industry analyst, Michael Koply. Being that I am a HUGE lover of all things Apple, it seems more than fitting to do a post on retail apps that bring POS sytems onto i-phones and i-pads!
For years, retailers had been waiting for a great tablet computer, and they now have one in the Apple iPad. Only a few months after the iPad's announcement, a July 2010 mobile retail study by Forbes found that 73 percent of retailers had already begun some type of mobile initiative. A powerful, lightweight and easy-to-use tablet device would allow retailers to move point of sale (POS) solutions from behind the cash register and onto the sales floor. With Apple’s iPad and iOS, software vendors now have a device and platform to develop great retail applications. Retailers have three main options when they want to use point of sale software on their iPad:
Point-of-Sale iOS AppsTo help users with their search, we’ve put together a list of our ten favorite retail iOS POS applications. Celerant Demo Software licenseWarehouse management, inventory lookup, CRM, and point-of-sale functionality can be found in Celerant’s M-Commerce application. The Command Retail M-Commerce module is compatible with the iPod Touch/iPhone and iPad. Epicor Demo Software licenseJust announced a month ago, the Retail Mobile Store application from Epicor is a full-featured solution, compatible with all Retail Store 6 versions. Runs on iPod/iPhone, iPad and Windows/PC mobile devices. Users can use the App Builder to customize the menu layout. JDS Solutions Demo Software licenseGreat solution for liquidations, festivals and sidewalk sales. WinGo is a combination of WinRetail and Micros’s Xstore. Compatible with iPod Touches/iPhones and iPads, the app combines sales processing with back office management, including inventory lookup and analytics. LightSpeed Demo Software licenseCan perform price lookups, accept on-screen signatures and email receipts directly to customers. Integrates with Linea Pro barcode scanner and magnetic stripe reader. Designed for the iPod Touch or iPhone 4, an updated version will likely be deployed soon for increased iPad customization.POSLavuMonthly subscriptionIdeal for restaurants. PCI compliant, native-iOS application that runs on iPhone 4, iPod Touch, and iPad. Integrates with cash drawer hardware and server-based printers.Revel SystemsMonthly subscriptionDesigned for both restaurants and small retail operations. Offers fifteen custom reports, including a PLU and employee checkout report. Features include ordering and management modules. Radiant CounterPoint Demo Monthly subscriptionCPMobile is useful for retailers that want software to perform line-busting when checkout lines get backed-up. Runs on iPod Touch or iPhone 4 only. Integrates with both server-based and Bluetooth printers. Radiant offers compatible third-party infrared scanner and credit card reader cases. SalesVu Monthly subcriptionIdeal for all types of retailers. Single-device license is free, while additional devices are $9.95 per device each month. Offers a free magnetic stripe reader if retailer enrolls in payment processing with Mercury Payment Services. SWIM Demo Monthly subscriptioniPad application specifically for jewelers. Includes order customization, customer history, jewelry ranges for browsing customers, quoting and stock counting - in addition to core point of sale transaction processing. ShopKeep Monthly subscriptionGreat for food service, gift shop, and other specialties. Offered as both a native iPad and web-based application. Solution is compatible with cash drawer and wireless printer hardware.Web-based POS SoftwareWeb-based POS solutions can be accessed via the iPad’s Safari browser, but these solutions weren’t initially developed with the tablet in mind. As such, the user interface can be awkward to navigate without a mouse, and the iPad’s on-screen keyboard cannibalizes some of the screen space. That being said, using web-based applications is great for retailers looking to use an iPad for certain occasions, while still primarily relying on a desktop computer. Solutions from ECR Software:
Have you used any of the retail applications above? Do you use a point of sale application on your iPad that we missed? Please leave a comment below and share your experiences.
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AuthorLeah Chevallier, serial entrepreneur in the Juvenile Industry sharing insight, success and 18 years of award winning retail experience! Took $2000 Micro-credit loan and turned it into $30 million! Archives
May 2014
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