IHL report details growing use of tablets and impact on POS

New York — More than four million tablets will be used in retail by 2015, according to IHL Group. The group’s new report, “Mobility: A Gutenberg Moment for Retail, A Threat to POS,” has forecasts for rugged handhelds, consumer handhelds (i.e., iPhones, iPod Touch), and tablet computers to be used at store level from now until 2015 in North America.

Some of the key highlights include:

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  While many would suggest that rugged handhelds will just get replaced by lower priced consumer devices, this will not be the case as this market will rise close to 30% over the next four years through more competitive offerings.

  
  


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  Shipments of nonrugged small format handhelds will increase 400% from 2010 to 2015.

  
  


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  By 2015, more than 2.7 million tablets a year will be shipped for use in North American retail/hospitality, fundamentally changing some segments.

  
  


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  All of these handhelds will have a dramatic impact on traditional POS shipments over time, reducing overall POS shipments by 11% in 2015 and in some segments as much as 20% from previously forecasted volumes.

  
  

For more information or to purchase the report, go to IHLservices.com.