Apple Retail Stores to Start Self-Checkout via iOS App

Word on the street has it that Apple, in a bid to make their retail experience a little more streamlined, is planning to introduce self-checkout through their iOS retail store app. All the details aren’t out yet, but it seems that the purchase would go to the buyer’s iTunes account and the buyer would be emailed a receipt (promptly I would hope) that they can use to show that they aren’t just walking out with merchandise.

Of course, it’s not like this is something you can use to buy an iPhone, considering that all of the high value merchandise is locked away, and rightly so. But for anyone who’s looking to just drop by the Apple store and pick up their accessories there, it should remove the “wait around for someone to check you out and then ultimately leave without purchasing because you get sick of waiting” aspect of shopping with Apple.

In addition to self-checkout, there’s word that Apple is restructuring their online store to allow multi-item transactions to be routed to different mailing addresses, meaning that you can buy 4 or 5 items all at once and arrange for them to be mailed to different addresses. And right before the holiday shopping season is starting. Coincidence? I think not.

Apple’s willingness to start running physical transactions through their own devices certainly shows how confident they are in their software, their staff, and the physical security of their stores. It’s hard to imagine any other outlet making this kind of advance at this point, but it’s good to see someone experimenting with it. As we march on, however, it looks more and more like cashiers might be going the way of the soda jerk. What’s a soda jerk? Exactly.

(via Mac Rumors)

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Eric Limer