Urban Outfitters Drops the Cash Register

Urban Outfitters announced the company has placed its last order for a traditional cash register and plans to deploy Apple iPads in all stores going forward. The company’s CIO Calvin Hollinger said equipping stores with these systems would save both space and money and allows associates to have more customer interaction. The iPad’s cost is only about 20% as much as a cash register and can be used for many additional functions.

The company deployed iPad point of sale in stores about two years ago and the technology was very well received by its customers. One drawback is that the device cannot hold cash, but as customers continue to move away from cash into other forms of payments this will become less and less of an issue.

Urban Outfitters also operates Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain, and BHLDN so there’s a very good chance these stores will get the iPad integration as well. The company will also be equipping Urban Outfitters sales associates with iPod touch devices.

Chain Store Guide is at the forefront of researching mobile device usage at the location level.  CSG researches the mobile device models that are in use at retail and restaurant store locations and provides insight into which companies will be deploying these devices in the next 12 months.