Shoppers at Barneys New York’s Madison Avenue flagship will not have to wait in line to pay for their purchases this holiday season. The luxury retailer has partnered with Infinite Peripherals to equip sales associates with Infinea Tab mobile point-of-sale devices that allow check out at any part of the store. In addition to turning an iPad into a bar code scanner and magnetic stripe reader, the Infinea technology can also accept signatures, print or email receipts, and conduct inventory searches.
A mobile check out process is designed to enhance customer service and increase conversions as associates can work with clients on a personal level at any point of the shopping process. “Instead of customers standing across from associates at the cash wrap, they now can stand next to each other and progress through the transaction together,” said Artie Byrne, Barneys director of financial and store systems. “The greater level of interaction gives us an opportunity to offer other items or services that are a good fit.”
While Barneys is one of the first retailers to use the just-launched Infinea technology, a number of other luxury brands are also embracing point-of-sale devices to enhance the in-store experience. In the beginning of the year, beauty retailer Sephora entirely did away with traditional cash wraps in favor of iPad checkout at one of its New York stores. Italian brand Gucci has also equipped select stores with mobile point-of-sale programs that even allow users to access the Gucci Style app and use a translator and currency converter on the spot. Barneys first tested its mobile point-of-sale strategy with another partner last holiday season. “Mobile check out for high-end items makes sense,” Greg Sokolowski, vice president at Boston Retail Partners. “Consumers shopping with a luxury brand expect a technologically-advanced checkout process, considering the retail market as a whole is moving in that direction.
