tablets enable "mixed," retail and online sales

• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, February 23, 2012

Tablets have interesting implications for retail: Derek Fridman, Creative Director, SapientNitro, says that when retailers equip sales associates with tablets, they have enabled "mixed sales," where customers buy an item in the store but then complete the purchase by ordering something online (which isn't necessarily available in the store).  All this is highly track-able, notes Fridman, and turns sales associates into "self-serve" points of purchase with both retail and e-commerce access. In addition to potentially boosting sales, that seems like it would be a boon for sales associates from the commissions perspective, especially if they get credit for online sales.