Electronic-point-of-sale (EPoS) has never experienced as rapid a change as it is seeing now.

Following the start of the omni-channel era, EPoS’ function has developed from a straightforward payments system to one that needs to manage all sales and customer information. For today, it is vital that it can keep up with the changing pace of retail, which is more focused on the customer-centric shopping experience. As a result EPoS is now expected to also handle real-time inventory updates, comprehensive product descriptions, shopper profiles, customer purchase history and more.

Despite its more single-minded beginnings, EPoS is rising to the challenge. It is growing at such speed that retailers never have the most up-to-date system for long, but then this is nothing new in technology. Look at the speed in which the latest TVs, smart phones and tablets are being produced. In fact according to a study Retail Info Systems (RIS) News’ ‘24th Annual Retail Technology Study: New Direction for Retail’, just 41.2% of US retailers have up-to-date PoS terminals in place and an even smaller number (32.8%) have the latest software.

RIS comments: “PoS will undergo profound transformation over the next several years, driven by the integration of mobile devices, in-store sensors, new customer experiences and changing customer behavior. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of all retailers say their next PoS will be a unified transaction engine also used for m- commerce and e-commerce (RIS News/IHL Group, “11th Annual Store Systems Study 2014: Stores Reinvented”), creating deeper integration between PoS and back-office systems, as well as providing copious amounts of data for a more personalised in-store customer/associate experience. For retailers hoping to keep up with the pace of change, the time is now.”

Retailers are well aware of the emphasis being placed on a suitable PoS system and the industry is seeing a significant amount of upgrade activity right now with more than one-third of US retailers having budgeted projects in place for major upgrades. 25.6% of retailers say they are currently in the process of upgrading and 10.3% will start within six months, according to the RIS News “Your Last Traditional PoS” report. The US retailers leading the interest in PoS hardware investments are food, drug and convenience, while specialty soft-goods US retailers lead for software.

While PoS hardware and software investments are certainly high on the agenda for US retailers, according to the RIS 24^th annual retail technology study, investment mobile PoS is also very hot right now. While fixed PoS systems have many advantages over mobile PoS, such as easy access to cash, security tag tools, space for a shopping basket, bags, etc, there is still a future for mobile thanks to its equally valued benefits which include the flexibility to serve customers from any point in store for payment, price checks, loyalty schemes, but mainly come down to cost. Fixed PoS systems are basically more expensive to roll out then mobile PoS devices and making mobile PoS an understandably attractive alternative.

While mobile is experiencing growth it can be expected that fixed PoS will see a decline in response. RIS say that more than a quarter of US retailers (25.4%) say they plan to decrease the number of fixed PoS terminals in their stores due to mobile PoS rollouts. Whether there is a future for both mobile and fixed PoS remains to be seen and ultimately comes down to a retailer’s requirements and priorities. Right now in the US the number of retailers using mobile devices for PoS is expected to triple in the next year with nearly 30% of retailers are planning to adopt tablets or handhelds in the next 12 months.

So, where is all the mobile PoS being used and exactly what is it being used for? RIS reports that the majority is still in the testing phase while retailers are over coming a number of challenges such as connectivity, devices, store processes, training, payment and security. At the moment only 12.8% of US retailers have actually rolled out mobile PoS chain-wide.  RIS says : “Mobile PoS is certainly a major component of the next-gen PoS, but only 13% of retailers have rolled out the capability chain-wide. That number is expected to rise to 50% by 2016, but retailers need to address connectivity, training and security issues before full functionality can be realised”.