Urban Outfitters Rolls Out Mobile POS Across Three Brands
Urban Outfitters, which has been piloting mobile POS devices in selected stores since late 2010, will roll out the technology across three of its brands this year, according to CEO Glen Senk.
The chain's brick-and-mortar locations include 179 Urban Outfitters and 156 Anthropologie stores in the U.S., Canada and Europe, as well as 47 Free People stores. Senk, speaking during a conference call discussing the retailer's first-quarter results, did not provide details about the chain's mobile plans, saying only that "the rollout of mobile POS systems across all three brands" would be part of "planned strategic growth initiatives for the year.
Other 2011 initiatives include opening 50 to 55 new stores; accelerated European expansion, including new distribution and fulfillment centers and accelerated store expansion in Germany; the final implementation of Urban Outfitters' order management system and a new planning and allocation system.
In March, Senk had confirmed that Urban Outfitters was testing mobile POS technology. The retailer has been working with Starmount to develop a mobile POS solution since the middle of 2010. The technology uses Apple iPod Touch hardware outfitted with a sled containing a magnetic stripe reader and barcode scanner, and includes the full functionality of a fixed-base POS system as well as integration with in-store databases.
For related content see: Urban Outfitters Pilots In-Store Mobile Point-of-Sale Technology
Mobile Gets Urban-ized
The chain's brick-and-mortar locations include 179 Urban Outfitters and 156 Anthropologie stores in the U.S., Canada and Europe, as well as 47 Free People stores. Senk, speaking during a conference call discussing the retailer's first-quarter results, did not provide details about the chain's mobile plans, saying only that "the rollout of mobile POS systems across all three brands" would be part of "planned strategic growth initiatives for the year.
Other 2011 initiatives include opening 50 to 55 new stores; accelerated European expansion, including new distribution and fulfillment centers and accelerated store expansion in Germany; the final implementation of Urban Outfitters' order management system and a new planning and allocation system.
In March, Senk had confirmed that Urban Outfitters was testing mobile POS technology. The retailer has been working with Starmount to develop a mobile POS solution since the middle of 2010. The technology uses Apple iPod Touch hardware outfitted with a sled containing a magnetic stripe reader and barcode scanner, and includes the full functionality of a fixed-base POS system as well as integration with in-store databases.
For related content see: Urban Outfitters Pilots In-Store Mobile Point-of-Sale Technology
Mobile Gets Urban-ized