Retailer Devices Vs. Consumer Devices

May 2014 Integrated Solutions For Retailers

By Frank Riso, principal, Frank Riso Associates

As long as time, labor, and cost savings matter to retailers, rugged and durable devices beat consumer devices every time.

Let’s first define what is meant by retailer devices and consumer devices. Retailer devices are the mobile computers used to communicate data to and from retail applications as well as to communicate by voice between store associates and store customers. These are the devices sold by companies such as Motorola, Honeywell, and Datalogic. They are also referred to as rugged devices. These retailer devices are now available in two forms of resilience — durable and rugged.

Rugged devices are the products still used both in the warehouse and in-store, and the devices are used all day long and shared among many users. The more uses for a device, the more likely it will not be handled properly and will be dropped, banged, or hit during the day. Durable devices are those to be used by one person or only a few people and for a full shift, so it will be taken care of by the user. These devices are being used by managers, sales staff, and supervisors. Without these durable devices, they would not be able to do their job or provide service to their customers.