Leading global commerce platform, Shopify has launched integrated retail hardware for Shopify Point of Sale (POS) and Shopify Payments for in-person transactions.
New Shopify research has shown that despite online shopping likely to double, most Australians still prefer to shop in-store. However, retailers are having to cater to new ways of shopping accelerated by the pandemic such as contactless payments, local delivery, and click-and-collect.
According to Shopify managing director for Asia Pacific, Shaun Broughton, there is a fundamental shift in how people shop following the pandemic.
“This new retail renaissance is forcing retailers to adapt to new business models, as digital disruption is fuelled by rocketing customer expectations for convenience, personalisation, experience, and safety,” he said.
Shopify research also revealed that 8 in 10 shoppers say buying local is important to them, with proximity (77%) and supporting local business owners (60%) cited as the main reasons. Almost two-thirds (29%) of online shoppers would select pick-up from a physical store location if free-shipping is not available, and 52% expect retailers to offer click and collect.
“Australia has quickly become an important market for Shopify, so bringing integrated retail hardware and in-store payments to our Australian retail merchants is a pivotal step in future-proofing their businesses,” Broughton added.
The introduction of Shopify Payments and an integrated card reader for Shopify POS provides Australian retailers with more ways to accept in-person payments, a fully unified selling experience in-store, and a single destination for online and retail payments and payouts.
Benefits of integrated hardware and payments with Shopify POS include the ability to accept all major payment methods; seamless, secure, and reliable checkout through a single POS system; unified back office to track and manage sales, payments, and payouts from a single location; frictionless returns and exchanges, as well as clear and upfront pricing with a single rate for all credit cards and no hidden fees or hardware rental fees.