Putting the You Into iPad

It's about time to stop thinking about the iPad as a big smart phone and start thinking about it as a selling tool in your store.

Sure, the iPad is chock full of videos and games, not to mention other tools and gadgets plus a pretty potent web browsing capability. But it’s the iPad’s potential as a point-of-sale, merchandising and back-end operations tool that has specialty retailers and industry marketing gurus drooling.

Casey Ayers, founder of MegatonApps, an iPhone and iPad app development studio, says the possibilities of the iPad at retail “extend throughout the entire business. An iPad can serve as a great inventory tracking system when tied into a simple database that can be managed via iPad or a traditional computer, giving proprietors immediate access to every item in their store.

“The iPad can also be used as a display platform to show customers items that may not be in stock, or may be available in other colors, empowering stores to offer their customers options that extend well beyond what's available on the show floor.”

Intrigued yet?

“Another possibility is creating a combination selection and display system for various items,” Ayers adds. “For example, a women’s retailer could use an iPad to help customers build and price an entire wardrobe, from shoes and handbag to skirt and top. Apps could be designed to intelligently suggest items that may complement the wardrobe based on category tags, color, designer, price and more.”

For marketing and operational purposes, though, the iPad is proving to be an easy-to-use tool. There’s also a “hip factor” when it’s used by customers. The Nike Sportswear store at the Montalbán Theatre in Los Angeles, for example, is using iPads to enroll customers on the store’s mailing list.

For the small, specialty retailer, the iPad is dreamy. Vanessa Coppes, who owns the New York-based custom jewelry business enV by Vanessa Coppes, describes her iPad as “the gadget I’ve been waiting for. It’s big enough that I can show customers a virtual catalog of my designs, but also allows me to place orders on the spot through mobile credit card processing.”

For more on how to use the iPad in your specialty business, including five Insider Tips, check out the latest issue of Specialty Insider magazine online at specialtyinsider.com. You'll also see how to sign up for your subscription. Become an Insider.

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