Squared

New York: Square
 

In the US the Square-tablet cash register has so rapidly become part of the retail landscape, particularly amongst newer businesses that haven’t yet made the capital investment in their larger brethren. Interested to see how the tablet cash register plays out in South Korea, given the extreme penchant for displays and a tight ecosystem for payments, and the smaller physical footprint of stores.

One downside of processes/ecosystems in transition is the mental model clash. It’s a subtle and subtly annoying thing: at the square register opting for emailed receipt and forgetting to ask for a tangible one; on returning from a business trip having to print out otherwise digital receipts. The next leap forward is on what happens after the purchase.