A compelling price may get people through the door, but it’s value that helps turn browsers into loyal customers. That’s the top-line item of the 2026 Retail Industry Global Outlook report by Deloitte.
More importantly, the research reveals a reassessment of what defines value for customers. As much as 40% of brand value comes from factors beyond price, including customer service, employee attitudes, easy checkout and loyalty programs.
Unfortunately, that’s the same percentage of retail staff that say they waste time dealing with dated or poorly designed technology, according to the 2026 Employee Sentiment Report: Retail by Waitwhile. The report also states one in two associates crave more automation.
That points to an opportunity for businesses to adopt technology that aligns with this changing perception of value and empowers retail staff to deliver more of it. Here’s how:
Confirm prices and promotions for clarity
The price is the price, except when it’s not. What’s listed on an item may not match what a customer saw in a promotion or on signage elsewhere in the store. If associates have to go to the back office to check pricing details, the customer may not be there when they return.
Providing real-time pricing visibility lets associates instantly confirm a customer is getting the best possible deal. Using the built-in camera on Samsung Galaxy S26 Series and XCover7 Pro mobile devices, they can verify SKU data without bulky barcode scanners. They may also quickly pull up pricing data from internal retail platforms.
This clears up confusion over markdowns, limited-time promotions, bundles and loyalty pricing. Instead of worrying they’re overpaying, customers appreciate the associate’s speed and transparency in serving them.
Using mobile devices for real-time pricing visibility doesn’t just improve brand perceptions. It has a direct impact on the bottom line by speeding service and reducing lost or abandoned sales.
Track inventory to reduce frustration
No one wants to trek to a store only to discover the item — or a version of it — they wanted isn’t available. That wasted time and effort changes the customer’s story from satisfaction and success to frustration and failure.
Enabling inventory lookup on devices like Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Series and Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+ Series means associates can double-check whether an item is available, how many are available, which versions are available and where it’s located. It also makes it fast and easy, saving associates from having to pore through a stock room while customers wait.
What’s more, the items look great on the Tab S11’s powerful AMOLED 2X display, which brightens to 1,600 nits and employs a vision booster and blue light reduction to keep content clear, bright and appealing. This is a good chance for the customer to spot an upgrade or a commonly paired product on the screen, potentially increasing the basket size. That helps keep customers where they are, rather than seeking the product elsewhere.
Accelerate checkout times
Even once they’ve picked their next must-have purchase, customers may be dissuaded from following through if they see a long line at checkout.
Retail shops and staff can eliminate this major pain point with a mobile point of sale solution (mPOS). This transforms Galaxy S26, XCover7 Pro, Galaxy Tab S11 and Galaxy Tab A11+ into a register that can come to the customer, rather than the other way around. That’s particularly good for impulse buys at the shelves and racks themselves, as customers show interest in an item.
Faster checkout is particularly important during peak periods and holidays, when staff can serve more people with a simple, convenient payment process, keeping traffic moving. Adopting mPOS may also enable the removal of register spaces, opening them up for additional inventory, pop-ups and in-store experiences, further enhancing value.
Strengthen loyalty programs
Empowered with the right devices, retail associates can lay the foundations and deepen the roots of a long-term relationship between the brand and the customer. For example, they can help customers quickly enroll in loyalty programs, explain benefits and check balances.
Signing more customers up for retail loyalty programs comes with the added bonus of customer data that helps personalize future service. This not only significantly improves the individual customer’s sense of value but also helps spot larger trends and opportunities that do the same at the collective level.
The ultimate goal for retailers should be to help associates offer faster service, fewer handoffs and better access to information. Equipping employees with these capabilities is an investment in a better customer experience, the one part of retail that remains priceless.
Differentiating from the competition
In the retail world, there’s no shortage of competition. In fact, it’s often right next door. When associates do more than simply greet customers and ask if they need any help, and instead take steps to instill value in their shopping experience, they make the brand — and that brick-and-mortar — stand out from the rest. Equipping staff with Samsung devices goes a long way toward that end while also projecting the image of a connected, modern business.
Learn more about how to turn retail associates into revenue powerhouses with mobile tech. Also, read this white paper on how an mPOS shifts sales from transactions to relationships.
