As barcodes were originally invented for the retail industry, it should come at no surprise that Socket Mobile products have been deployed to retail environments ever since we began offering portable barcode scanning products 15 years ago. However, it's not just our barcode scanners that have made their way into retail operations — our SoMo handheld computers are also used in grocery stores and other retail shops as well.
Photo: Haruyama Trading Company
Here is a list of the top 5 retail applications involving Socket Mobile products:
- Point of Sale / Linebusting: Yup, you guessed it — mobile POS is one of our top retail applications. Recently, we've seen a lot of our CHS Bluetooth barcode scanners being deployed with the Apple iPad for retail POS, linebusting and reading customer loyalty cards.
- Examples: Haruyama Trading Company, Zoom Room and LightSpeed for iPad - Retail Merchandising: There's a lot of work involved in making sure products are in stock, displayed attractively and offered with the latest promotions at your local shop. Retail merchandising agencies in the U.S. and Europe deploy Socket handheld computers and barcode scanners to their local reps who travel from store to store.
- Examples: Zync Solutions and Eastern Sales and Marketing
(4th image in animation shows SoMo) - Bookscouting: This is the primary e-tailing application for Socket products. Online booksellers use the SoMo or CHS to quickly determine if a book is worth purchasing for resale.
- Examples: Neatoscan, MediaScouter, ScoutPal and ASellerTool - Order Tracking / Inventory Management: Retail shops use Socket barcode scanners to manage orders and inventory.
- Example: ScanControl for Dry Cleaners - Price Audits: Mystery shoppers use Socket CHS barcode scanners with Android smartphones to verify that products are priced accurately on store shelves.
