Nordstrom testing based on the iPod Touch, mobile POS systems

Seattle-based retailer Nordstrom mentioned during its annual shareholders meeting yesterday that it has been testing mobile point-of-sale devices at its Bellevue and Seattle stores, to reduce wait times for customers checking out with credit cards. It’s not a new concept in retailing, of course, but when the customer-service icon adopts a new technology, it’s worth paying attention.

The company tells GeekWire that it has been testing iPod touches with a sled attachment for credit-card swiping, in addition to other types of portable devices. The plan is to have these mobile check-out capabilities in all full-line Nordstrom stores in time for the retailer’s annual Anniversary Sale in July, according to the company.

“Our hope is to learn from this initial rollout and to hear from our customers and salespeople about how best to move forward,” a spokesman says. “We then plan on significantly expanding the number of handhelds we’ll have in our stores by the end of this year.”

Also worth noting: The company has been using iPads in its Personal Styling, designer departments and Wedding Suites for some time, as part of its broader effort to use devices to improve the retail experience.

Nordstrom , Seattle-based chain of department stores, is testing the iPod Touch on the basis of point of sale system for their stores in Seattle and Bellevue to reduce waiting time for customers checking out with credit cards, according to a report with Geekwire . The company uses an unnamed sled attachment for the iPod Touch, which allows remote devices to credit cards and barcode readers obtain stock information from a scanned bar code, and then allow customers to pay by moving, which generates an automatic e-mail receipt.
system described by Nordstrom is similar to Apple promotes being tested by Gap, Old Navy, Guess Jeans and Apple's own golf stores . It differs from Square reader this support also supports reading barcodes using traditional laser readers, instead of credit cards. Apple's system in particular has the advantage of tying the various back-end inventory and accounting management systems.

If the system used by Nordstrom is the same as that used by Apple, the substrate is known as Linea Pro by Infinite Peripherals . It combines a battery with a swipe card reader and bar code reader. Other companies, such as XSilva , use it in conjunction with its own Lightspeed Mobile application to create a wireless “terminal”, which scans the products and accept payments when updating Mac application Lightspeed in the same network.

Nordstrom, who was also using iPads in some special services as part of broader efforts to improve customer service, spoke of her use of the new POS system in its Annual General Meeting yesterday.