Today’s retailers are expected to deliver mobile-first checkout, accurate real-time inventory, personalized engagement, and a brick-and-mortar experience that competes with digital convenience. When those systems don’t talk to each other, lines get longer, shelves go empty, and shoppers leave for a competitor that’s faster.
Retailers are investing in connected store ecosystems—not stacks of point products. ScanSource helps partners design solutions that reduce friction at checkout, extend the infrastructure already on the floor, and open new revenue from the moment a shopper walks in.
The connected store is a growing opportunity
- $450B global smart retail market projected by 2033, growing at 30% CAGR, driven by AI, IoT, AR/VR, and unified commerce platforms (Grand View Research)
- 79% of customers expect consistent interactions across departments, and 70% expect every brand representative to have the same information about them (Salesforce State of the Connected Customer, Sixth Edition)
- Self-checkout deployments are projected to grow from $5.64B in 2024 to $18.01B by 2032 as retailers respond to labor pressure (Fortune Business Insights)
- A single retail engagement now spans POS, payments, mobile apps, RFID and barcode, video surveillance, loss prevention, and inventory analytics
Partners who lead with boxes get squeezed on price. Partners who lead with integrated store strategy own the relationship.
See how convergence works inside the store
CONVERGENCE IN ACTION — THE STORE FLOOR
From browsing to buying.
A shopper enters, the loyalty app pings their phone with a personalized offer, and a store associate sees real-time stock on a mobile device to answer questions on the spot. No empty shelves. No “let me check the back.” Just a path to the sale. Behind that outcome: mobile devices, RFID and barcode, Wi-Fi infrastructure, and loyalty platforms working together.
CONVERGENCE IN ACTION — CHECKOUT
Faster lines, higher tickets.
The shopper finishes at a self-checkout lane, taps a contactless card, and walks out under cameras that quietly confirm every item was scanned. Transaction times drop. Shrink stays in check. Labor moves to the floor where it sells. Behind that outcome: POS systems, payment terminals, self-checkout hardware, and AI-driven video analytics operating as one.
Convergence in Action — Operations
Real-time decisions, not end-of-day reports.
Store managers see live sales, inventory, foot traffic, and incident alerts from one dashboard—and adjust staffing or replenishment before the rush, not after. Behind that outcome: networking, video surveillance, inventory analytics, and cloud platforms integrated from day one.
What we support across retail environments
Every store is different. A grocery chain doesn’t run like a specialty boutique, and a quick-serve drive-thru doesn’t run like a big-box. We help partners understand those differences before they’re in front of the customer.
- POS, mobile POS, and self-checkout systems—faster lanes and reallocated labor
- Payment processing, contactless, and digital wallet acceptance—the new minimum bar for shoppers
- Barcode scanning, RFID, and printing—accurate inventory from receiving dock to shelf edge
- High-density Wi-Fi and SD-WAN—the foundation every other system runs on
- Video surveillance, access control, and AI-powered loss prevention—protect people, product, and margin
- Digital signage and in-store engagement—personalized messaging without adding staff
- Inventory analytics and unified commerce platforms—one view across stores, web, and curbside
What’s next in retail technology
AI, computer vision, and mobile-first commerce are reshaping what partners need to scope today—and what they’ll need to lead tomorrow.
AI-driven demand
forecasting and dynamic pricing at the shelf
Computer vision
for frictionless checkout and real-time shrink detection
Mobile checkout and BOPIS workflows
reducing dependence on fixed lanes
RFID-enabled
inventory visibility across every store and DC
Personalized engagement
powered by loyalty data and on-device AI
We’re already helping partners scope for what’s coming—so they’re positioned to lead it, not catch up to it.
Why partners choose ScanSource for retail
Most partners win in retail by moving from product conversations to platform conversations—and from one-time hardware refreshes to multi-year store transformation programs.
ScanSource brings together:
- Supplier access—across POS, payments, mobility, networking, and security
- Solution design support—through our Integrated Solutions Group
- Staging, kitting, and configuration services—so stores roll out faster
- Financing options—for multi-site deployments and refresh cycles
- Lifecycle support—to extend value long after the install team leaves
We support the full deployment—not just the product side. From staging through post-deployment, we help you deliver a complete customer experience and build the practice around it.
For more information, check out these deliverables
Featured Products
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What technology is required to build a connected retail store?
A connected store requires integrated POS, payment processing, networking, mobility, security, and inventory analytics that work together in real time to support both the customer experience and store operations.
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How do partners expand into retail solutions?
By leading with outcomes—faster checkout, lower shrink, accurate inventory, and higher per-visit revenue—rather than individual products. ScanSource provides design support and supplier access so partners can build complete, multi-vendor solutions.
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Can existing retail infrastructure be upgraded instead of replaced?
Yes. Most retail projects extend what's already on the floor. The focus is on integration—connecting legacy POS, networking, and security systems into a unified platform that supports new capabilities like mobile checkout and AI analytics.
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How does ScanSource support partners through a multi-site retail deployment?
From pre-sales design through post-install lifecycle support. Our Integrated Solutions Group and POS Portal teams help partners scope, stage, and configure store rollouts at scale—so kits arrive on-site ready to deploy, store by store, without surprises.
