[January 14, 2014]

Big Brother is Watching: 63% of Consumers Find Point-of-Sale Prompts Intrusive, According to CompuCom Poll

CompuCom, a leading technology infrastructure services company, today announced the results of its recent website poll, revealing that 63 percent of consumers surveyed find point-of-sale (POS) prompts, such as discount alerts on their mobile devices, "Big Brother-ish and intrusive." The poll collected 307 responses from consumers from November 16, 2013 through December 17, 2013.

Smartphones and tablets are enabling new categories of products and services, including mobile POS - giving retailers the ability to send location-based information such as discount offers directly to consumers at the point of purchase and enabling associates to answer questions and provide relevant information to customers on the spot, among other capabilities. For consumers, mobile POS enables digital receipts and personalization, the ability to compare prices, read reviews and price match in real time, and will soon mean standardized and widespread digital payments/e-wallets.

"Consumers need to remember that they are in cntrol when it comes to POS technology and that it can be a benefit, not a nuisance, if they know how to use it and decide to what extent they'll 'let it in,'" said John Little, VP and GM of Retail Sales, Service Sales Management, CompuCom. "For retailers, there are smart ways to take advantage of the technology, by striking a balance and not overburdening consumers, respecting their preferences and letting them opt in to alerts. As security issues around POS are addressed, retailers - and consumers - will continue to adopt the technology in greater numbers and with greater levels of comfort."

Respondents to CompuCom's poll were asked, Do you find point-of-sale technology prompts, such as a customized alert for discounts upon entering a store:

63% - Big Brother-ish/Intrusive

37% - Helpful and Cool

Noted Little, "POS technology is advancing rapidly as consumers continue to embrace their mobile devices to help them shop. For example, there is now sonic technology that's blended with your mobile device signal to image and identify you, and tell a retailer when you enter their store and exactly what product you're standing in front of. This triggers an application that queries a database of your purchasing history to deliver you a relevant discount, on the spot. It can even send an alert to a store associate so they know what type of assistance to offer. This technology is gaining a stronghold, with more retailers looking at using it."

CompuCom works with several of the nation's top retailers who leverage leading-edge, smart marketing to remain competitive. CompuCom deploys, secures and manages the technical infrastructure and applications that enables these retailers to deliver a personalized, on-demand shopping experience for consumers.

About CompuCom

Dallas-based CompuCom Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of end-user services, service experience, and cloud technology services to Fortune 1000 companies. Founded in 1987, privately held CompuCom has approximately 11,500 associates and supports more than 3.8 million end users in North America. For more information, visit www.compucom.com.

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