More than one-fifth (22 percent) of shoppers have been to a store where associates use mobile devices instead of cash registers, according to survey results released by a company that provides mobile payment solutions to retailers.

The survey by AisleBuyer found 57 percent of those consumers think retailers who use tablets and other mobile devices in place of cash registers are more innovative than those who still use traditional cash registers.
The findings come from the final installment of the Mobile Shopping Survey series, a three-part series on smartphone owners’ in-store experiences sponsored by AisleBuyer. Other key findings from the last part of the survey include:
• 64 percent of shoppers feel store associates are most helpful when they are on the store floor where consumers are shopping, rather than behind a cash register
• 41 percent said they would rather see retailers replace traditional cash registers with tablets to make room for additional merchandise
• Almost half (43 percent) are familiar with the term mobile wallet. Conversely, only 12 percent know what NFC – the acronym for Near Field Communications – means

“The cash register has a new rival. We’re seeing increased interest from retailers in supplementing and potentially replacing traditional registers with a tablet-based mobile POS or store associate solution,” said Andrew Paradise, founder and chief executive officer of AisleBuyer. “Equipped with a tablet, store employees can do much more than just help customers check out. Now, they can share product information, show video demos and suggest related products – making them a more valuable and profitable part of the in-store sale.”

The results of all three surveys are now available as a downloadable research brief and can be found here.

The Mobile Shopping Survey Series is a national survey designed to provide insight into the in-store shopping behavior of smartphone owners. The three-part survey was conducted in February 2012 via Zoomerang, an online survey services provider, and is based on 1027 respondents. The survey is sponsored by Boston-based in-store mobile commerce provider AisleBuyer.

AisleBuyer offers a mobile commerce platform for retailers, brands and quick service restaurants. The company claims its  mobile self-checkout solutions improve the in-store shopping experience, conversion rates and average cart size by delivering targeted product recommendations, promotions and coupons to smartphone users while they shop.