iPad in Retail

Since Apple introduced iPad displays in 2011 in all of its Apple Stores to replace clear acrylic cards placed alongside each product, many retailers followed its example. Besides the products these are placed alongside, the iPads display info for others in similar product lines. The iPads can also be used for the following:

• Displaying selected YouTube videos created by other customers, in addition to the official product videos
• Providing reviews from the official website or even other sources such as Amazon
• Collecting data for sending email newsletters, etc., or for product development
• Allowing customers to share whatever they like about the products they see, with family or friends, through social networks
• Letting them customize the products they wish to buy
• Accepting payments in the ‘self-service’ format and thus reducing queues at payment counters
• Providing assistance or support when requested through an iPad placed anywhere in a store

Advantages

• As customers interact with the iPads in-store in the manner described above, stores generally see increase in sales
• Because the number of salespersons gets reduced considerably on account of the iPad usage, significant reductions in costs take place

How Different Brands are Using iPads for Retail

Here are a few examples:

1. The Delta Airlines terminal at the JFK airport has nearly 140 iPads installed. Passengers can access digital entertainment or food and drink through the devices. There are no ordering minimums or time restrictions, allowing people to pass their time happily while they wait at the terminal.

2. J.C. Penney, among the oldest department stores worldwide, uses iPads as part of its ‘findmore’ experience. For instance, associates in the stores’ jewelry departments can show customers the entire collection, rather than the pieces available at any given location.

3. Puma uses iPads to let people customize the sneakers they want to buy from within its stores. The in-store iPad stations are referred to as The Creative Factory and connect Puma wearers around the world. Users can compare designs from Puma store locations around the globe.

4. The Benetton Group has a custom iPad catalog app to give its sales staff a fast and lightweight visual interface to streamline sales. This has replaced the bulky printed catalogs that the company had to distribute to staff four times annually. Salespersons can navigate quickly through the collections and focus on selected garments.

If you are a retailer and haven’t yet had an iPad app developed for your store(s), partner with us, at Click Labs, to build one at the earliest.

In case you are already using iPads for your retail business, please do share your experiences with us in the comments section below.