Evolution Of The POS

June 2012 Integrated Solutions For Retailers

By Matt Pillar, editor in chief

Rapidly changing consumer shopping habits are forcing big change at the POS. Can retailers keep up?

Has there ever been more opportunity to integrate store systems with customer-facing technologies and applications? Here, Bhartendu Sharma, VP of operations for POS integration specialists Chetu, addresses the pace of POS change.

As POS evolves, with what other retail systems must retailers integrate their POS?

Sharma: The POS has changed from a traditional role as just an employee-facing cash register. With technological and social advancements, the POS is challenged to be customer facing and always available and to provide information.

Today’s POS is integrating with multiple sales points. Customers want a more interactive POS that they can use for self-checkout. They want online access to the POS to shop from home. They want transactions to be reflected immediately in their credit card or bank account. They want to see additional information on products, on multiple screens at the POS, in what used to be a face-to- face setting. They want real-time acknowledgement with mechanisms like SMS tracking of order confirmation.