Nordstrom Rack in Canada to Offer Mobile Checkout Like Apple Stores

Nordstrom Rack locations in Canada are set to get the same mobile checkout option to let shoppers skip lineups, just like their American counterparts.

According to Nordstrom Rack president Geevy Thomas, mobile checkout will let customers pay for items from anywhere in the store, by checking out with staff members and their mobile point-of-sale (POS) devices.

The new mobile checkout option will debut at the Vaughan Mills location north of Toronto in the next two weeks, its first location in Canada which opened last month. Other new locations will gain mobile checkout as they’re built.

Thomas says mobile checkout from a smartphone has been used at their U.S. locations since 2011, but wanted to ensure everything was in place before debuting the technology north of the border. According to the president, out of retailers in Canada, only Apple Stores are using a similar mobile checkout technology.

With mobile checkout, it aims to reduce the “friction” when it comes to buying while also saving customers time. The Seattle-based company says despite having adequate staff on hand, lines at checkouts were still an issue during busy times.

The next Nordstrom Rack locations are set for downtown Toronto and at Deerfoot Meadows in Calgary. Later this fall, new locations will open at South Edmonton Common, Heartland Town Centre in Mississauga, Ont. and the Ottawa Train Yards.

In 2012, after implementing over 6,000 mobile POS devices for checkout in stores, Nordstrom said both average number of items sold and average selling price increased at stores.

These mobile POS units are a modified Apple iPod touch, which includes a merchandise scanner and credit card slider. Customers can sign for their purchases and also get an emailed receipt. Units also allow staff to search store inventory as well.

[via Huffington Post]