A few weeks ago, I explained some ways in which the iPad could be used to revolutionize the retail industry, specifically in the way it can be used to boost sales associates' knowledge and overall usefulness. However, as we've seen in recent weeks with the iPhone 4, Apple is not infallible, and its products do contain their faults, which could prevent it from becoming a player in the retail business space. So this post will be somewhere between a reality check for Apple fanboys (yes, we know a few work in retail) and the right side of a SWOT chart.
First of all, a major problem is simply a security matter: Having a $700 piece of technology laying around your store with access to much of your business intelligence isn't a very safe system. After all, it's much easier to slip an iPad in your shirt than trying to, for example, fit a kiosk in your purse. Plus, as a hot consumer device (with waitlists to even get one), they're more likely to walk out the door than, say, an IBM 4690 would be.
But beyond the logistics of keeping track of loose iPads, the devices still have many problems that brings their usefulness in retail into question. A major barrier is Apple's app store, which doesn't allow third-party applications. Retailers could "jailbreak" the device (or some less criminally named process since it's now an "enterprise activity") to allow them to deploy in-house developed "apps," but this would likely void the warranty and render the device bricked with the slightest code errors.
There are also a slew of hardware problems that make the iPad hard to use.
- reports of WiFi connectivity issues
- no multitasking, which means 100% application integration on the back end
- no camera, which means it can't be used to scan barcodes (unless you want to buy an external camera or barcode scanner, which pretty much defeats the purpose of such a sleek and sexy device). This is a huge disadvantage for the iPad, since many customers will be walking into stores with barcode-scanning abilities in their own pockets via smartphone.
Similarly, the iPad very publicly and explicitly does not support Flash. Many retailers such as Nike, Converse, Arctic Cat, and IKEA use Flash elements on their websites, which would make accessing those sites impossible via the iPad. The iPad also doesn't support GPS, and with geolocation becoming a hot new thing in retail, not having GPS ability will greatly impair the iPad's retail impact. For example, it makes it much harder for the sales associate to help a customer find a nearby location where they can find the item they're looking for if the store they're currently in doesn't have it in stock.
Another problem with the iPad is that you need adaptors like CRAZY to hook anything up to the tablet. You even need an adaptor for a USB plug! This would make it very inconvenient to attach the iPad to any of your in-store devices. One last problem is simply a matter of typing ability: The touch-screen keyboard makes it rather inconvenient to type with one hand while holding the iPad with your other hand, which would be the typical position sales associates would be in when using the tablet to help customers.
With all these downfalls, it seems unlikely that the iPad will catch on as a major tool for retailers to employ. Like so many "next great things" at the consumer level, the enterprise implications are just a little too challenging to make adoption easy.
However, this isn't to suggest that tablets aren't useful in retail; in fact, their potential is enormous. Cisco's recently released Cius tablet is specifically aimed at businesses, and it explicitly fixes many of the aforementioned problems with the iPad: It is compatible with a company's current Cisco business applications, it has a camera and can be integrated with existing Cisco telephone and conferencing products, it offers both USB and bluetooth connectivity, and it even will support 4G. Plus, to Steve Job's chagrin, it runs on the Android platform which offers far greater adaptability and configuration options.
It remains to be seen who what tablet maker will come out on top in the retail space, but with Cisco specifically targeting businesses rather than consumers, the battle has already begun.
