Haruyama Trading Company selects Socket barcode scanners and Apple iPads for retail POS

Socket Mobile, Inc., provider of mobile productivity solutions, has announced the selection of the Socket Bluetooth Cordless Hand Scanner (CHS) Series 7 by Haruyama Trading Company, a specialty clothing chain in Japan that has developed the use of nanotechnology in products such as waterproof business suits and H1N1 swine flu-resistant clothing.

Haruyama Trading Company represents the first volume customer for the Socket CHS that is using the barcode scanner with the Apple iPad in the retail industry. The barcode scanners were supplied by CF Company, an exclusive distributor of Socket Mobile products in Japan.

"Using the CHS with the Apple iPad enables sales associates at Haruyama Trading Company to not only process transactions anywhere in a store but also check out items faster," said Mamoru Tadaki, president of CF Company. "In the past, handwritten invoices required 10 minutes per customer to complete, but now with the CHS, sales staff can quickly scan price tags and customer loyalty cards, resulting in significantly reduced wait times."

Using a digital format also enables the clothing chain to decrease paper usage, helping the environment. Besides mobile POS, sales associates use the CHS and iPad to look up customer rewards status and to show multimedia product presentations in the pre-sales process.

"As the Apple iPad quickly gains traction in the retail industry, there is increasing need for a fast, easy-to-use barcode scanner for Apple devices that is also aesthetically pleasing around customers," said Dave Bledsoe, senior data collection product manager at Socket Mobile. "Using the CHS with an Apple iPad not only enables retailers to enhance customer service and improve store operations, but also promote a positive image, especially important in the style-conscious fashion industry."

The CHS Series 7 provides commercial-grade rapid and robust barcode scanning to iPad, iPhone and iPod touch devices as well as Android, BlackBerry and Windows based platforms. An SDK is also available for developers who want to add custom barcode scanning support to their mobile applications.