Tablet PCs Trade Up A Shopping Revolution!
It was just six months ago that combined global sales of smartphones, netbooks and tablets were reported to be about to overtake annual PC sales of 400 million for the first time. By the start of 2011, over a quarter of UK internet users were already using a mobile to go online, while search by a deskbound PC search fell by 15 per cent.
Now global ecommerce site, eBay UK have announced that sales of tablet PCs overtook the traditional desktop computer in May by 40 per cent. The shopping revolution appears to be continuing as consumers take to using a tablet PC to search the internet. Undoubtedly, use of the handheld computer in retail sales will force a radical change by major vendor sites competing to provide the best shopping experience for a growing new audience user.
As the change from ‘fixed location' access of the web to ‘on-the-move' mobile search increases, the ultramobile PC is catching up with the smartphone by shoppers seeking fast track price-comparing, online purchasing and product information sharing on social network sites.
The handheld PC now accounts for around 21 per cent of a retailer's total mobile traffic, according to the Retailing Online Report (SORO) 2011. Other studies found that nearly three quarters of tablet owners say they have bought or would purchase online using their mobile tablet PC with over a half claiming to share online shopping sites, offers and discounts with friends.
On the ‘other side of the counter', a lightweight tablet, weighing just a few pounds and easy to carry around, is always going to be a significant customer service benefit to a large supermarket or department store. Shopfloor and warehouse staff can now have a light, compact highly user-friendly technology for key actions wherever needed, such as, fast online checking of stock availability, customer ordering/purchasing, product demos/info collecting, customer ratings, etc
A touchscreen PC can also be mounted like an interactive information kiosk at top locations around the store for easy customer browsing. Searching and finding the required product information when shop floor staff are unavailable will, undoubtedly, increase the likelihood of adding to sales! The introduction of a fixed position PC as an online catalogue also allows out-of-stock items or online-only products to be ordered while the customer is still physically in the store.
Self-service checkouts have been in existence in many UK supermarkets for around a decade or more and are regularly used by shoppers. However, the opportunity to offer mobile POS for one or two item shoppers only is a key advantage of using a tablet over having to wait to use the fixed checkout. By reducing waiting time for the 1-2 item purchaser and thereby, decreasing multi-item queues, a mobile tablet is a highly efficient and cost effective method to retain customers.
Handheld computers are fast becoming the essential retail service tool to help drive up sales and provide better customer service, whether front-of-store, in the warehouse, or for on-the-road delivery. Going mobile is already the customer technology of choice – the touchscreen computer is pointing to a further trade up in the shopping revolution.
Now global ecommerce site, eBay UK have announced that sales of tablet PCs overtook the traditional desktop computer in May by 40 per cent. The shopping revolution appears to be continuing as consumers take to using a tablet PC to search the internet. Undoubtedly, use of the handheld computer in retail sales will force a radical change by major vendor sites competing to provide the best shopping experience for a growing new audience user.
As the change from ‘fixed location' access of the web to ‘on-the-move' mobile search increases, the ultramobile PC is catching up with the smartphone by shoppers seeking fast track price-comparing, online purchasing and product information sharing on social network sites.
The handheld PC now accounts for around 21 per cent of a retailer's total mobile traffic, according to the Retailing Online Report (SORO) 2011. Other studies found that nearly three quarters of tablet owners say they have bought or would purchase online using their mobile tablet PC with over a half claiming to share online shopping sites, offers and discounts with friends.
On the ‘other side of the counter', a lightweight tablet, weighing just a few pounds and easy to carry around, is always going to be a significant customer service benefit to a large supermarket or department store. Shopfloor and warehouse staff can now have a light, compact highly user-friendly technology for key actions wherever needed, such as, fast online checking of stock availability, customer ordering/purchasing, product demos/info collecting, customer ratings, etc
A touchscreen PC can also be mounted like an interactive information kiosk at top locations around the store for easy customer browsing. Searching and finding the required product information when shop floor staff are unavailable will, undoubtedly, increase the likelihood of adding to sales! The introduction of a fixed position PC as an online catalogue also allows out-of-stock items or online-only products to be ordered while the customer is still physically in the store.
Self-service checkouts have been in existence in many UK supermarkets for around a decade or more and are regularly used by shoppers. However, the opportunity to offer mobile POS for one or two item shoppers only is a key advantage of using a tablet over having to wait to use the fixed checkout. By reducing waiting time for the 1-2 item purchaser and thereby, decreasing multi-item queues, a mobile tablet is a highly efficient and cost effective method to retain customers.
Handheld computers are fast becoming the essential retail service tool to help drive up sales and provide better customer service, whether front-of-store, in the warehouse, or for on-the-road delivery. Going mobile is already the customer technology of choice – the touchscreen computer is pointing to a further trade up in the shopping revolution.