A complete transformation of the customer experience is happening at stores and restaurants. With a tablet, sales associates can pull up your purchase history, help you compare options, and check out items, while customers can research in-store inventory and place orders as soon as they enter the store or restaurant.

In the quick-service restaurant industry, mobile devices will lead to more efficient turnover; restaurants that have deployed mobile devices have seen a 25%increase int he number of times they can turn the table, thus serving more customers every shift.  By 2015, more than 2.7 million tablets a year will be shipped for use in North American retail and hospitality centers, presenting an increase of 450% over the next four years.  Specialty retailers will deploy nearly half of all the tablets shipped to retail.

Handheld devices are also expected to reduce the shipments of traditional point-of-sale devices by 11% in 2012 and by as much as 20% in some segments.  By 2015, annual shipments of mobile devices will be four times that of traditional POS terminals.  While the most popular tablet by far is the iPad, it remains a big unknown if the Windows or Android tablets will make a dent.

Apple’s influence is being felt in other ways, as well.  Many retailers have a strong desire to replicate the Apple Store experience.  The efficiency and speed with which customers are served when they walk in the door is undeniable.  However, being able to duplicate the ease with which Apple store employees can look up information, bring out items, and process credit card payments will not be easy for everyone to replicate.

Using mobile devices would be a huge win for retailers, but it’s still a significant investment that will require training.  Retailers will need to think carefully about how they’re going to apply digital devices to their stores. There is also no guarantee that equipping sales associates with mobile devices will deter consumers from whipping out their smartphones or tablets and making an online purchase from another retailer right there in your store.

Retailers need to accept the fact that more and more consumers have smartphones.  They can either fight this uphill or embrace new ways to be the customers’ advocate by making an in-store experience that is so compelling that people want to come in.  While tablets and smartphones should not replace great service, retailers who master complementing the comprehensive in-store shopping experience with new screens will win significant market-share in the future.