“More retailers adapting iPad technology”

Posted: 01 Mar 2011 08:49 PM PST

Apple's iPad technology is now being merged with in-store shopping. Many retailers are now beginning to incorporate the electronic tablet into their stores.

This past month, J.C. Penney began carrying a Modern Bride fine jewelry line and they are testing out iPad technologies with the line in about 50 stores.

As of right now, it is in around 10 to 15 stores, but associates love having it, Kate Coultas, J.C. Penney spokesperson, said.

"Modern Bride associates have this iPad and they can sit there and show all of the different bridal jewelry options that they have," Coultas said.

"It's a great way for customers to come in and find what they're looking for and also for associates to offer really great customer service and really be able to show customers all of our full assortment and additional information about products as well," she added.

Coultas said J.C. Penney introduced large interactive kiosks in stores in the spring of 2009 to help customers and associates find information on merchandise.

J.C. Penney also recently launched their first mobile commerce site.

"So we're really seeing that we're trying to merge our online and offline world, and we don't see the J.C. Penney customers as a store customer or an online customer. They're one customer and they shop in multiple ways," Coultas said.

"Having an iPad — it's just the latest way we're kind of bringing the digital experience into our store," she added.

Chris Merrill, technology education coordinator at ISU, explained how the iPad would change things for employees.

"Salespeople will begin to have much more power at their fingertips, so they will be able to communicate with the customer, walk around the store with the customer, and answer any questions that the customer may have by looking up the information without having to go back to their store terminal," he said.

"Customers will appreciate the fact that they can streamline their shopping experience if salespeople have answers at their fingertips," Merrill added.

Linda Showers, professor of marketing, explained how the iPad being used in stores would work with the customers' decision-making process.

"Anything that facilitates the customer's decision, helps them see the options, gives them confidence in the choices they're making, helps them confirm information they weren't sure about…brilliant," she said.

Showers said the decision making process was a model created in the early 1900s, and includes problem recognition, search, alternative evaluation, purchase and outcome.

"It's basically how the brain operates, it's how we think and how we make decisions. I think human beings are human beings, but technology can be leverage to make that process easier, smoother, simpler—so the technology is really working with that process," she said.

Showers said she believes the iPad in stores is here to stay.

"I think it's probably going to be one of those pieces of technology that's just, you know, over time integrated as part of the retail environment," she said.

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