3 Reasons Retailers Need iPads

Even for the non-tech retailers out there, many reasons exist that it helps to have an iPad for your store. This one-time luxury is quickly becoming a must-have tool for indie retailers. Whether using your iPad to accept payments or referring to it to see what your website looks like on an iPad (knowing consumers will be doing the same), it’s important to be realistic and upfront with what customers expect and the pace of changing retail trends.

1. Keeping Up With Technology. 

Even if you aren’t a tech geek, it’s fair to say if you don’t keep up, you will eventually fall behind. Sure, there are exceptions – thankfully – but consumers know what they want, know what the marketplace offers and expects businesses to cater to this. That includes you. If mobile payments soon takes off and becomes the norm versus the exception in payment options, will you be ready to jump on board? Want to be able to be portable with accepting payments? Or will you still be pushing buttons on a cha-ching style cash register? Essentially, it comes down to keeping up with consumer trends. And consumers are getting more and more use to payment options that are cloud managed, fast, efficient and even have the capability to offer e-receipts.

 2. Saving You Money & Space 

The cost of an iPad is significantly less than a laptop or computer. And for many retailers, you don’t need a laptop of computer in your store. The small scaleof the iPad also takes up less space and is easier to travel with, so carrying it with you to trade shows and other retail events is easy. Investing in two iPads may be a good idea if you have multiple employees and reasons to refer to it, but even at around $1K you are still getting a great deal compared to other pricier computer options. Finally, the options to use your iPad as a payment option lets you use it in multiple ways – again, saving you money from having to invest in other technologies or products to manage your cash flow.

3. Allowing You to Interact. 

Between Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and everything else web focused, there are a lot of reasons for you to get online easily. The iPad lets you do this with ease. Factor in editing your own website and managing your own blog, product inventory online and other web based activities, and using an iPad simply makes sense. You want to experience your website, in particular, how many of your customers do, so the iPad is a must.

While there are certainly pros and cons to all technologies, products and functions of any operational activity in a store, we think iPads are rulling the way in terms of supporting retailers. Who knew a fun little device could be so effective in retail management?