Whole Foods to roll out iPad-based Square Stands
Payments services company Square on Tuesday announced a new partnership with Whole Foods Market that will see the rollout of iPad-based Square Stands at select grocery store locations nationwide.
The Whole Foods deal is Square's second such partnership with a major retailer and comes a year and a half after the company signed on with Starbucks to deliver a similar system in 2012.
As part of the tie-up, Whole Foods will deploy Square Stands at ready-to-eat food kiosks in select stores, offering customers a quick and easy alternative to traditional checkout lines.
"Together with Square, we'll deliver options to expedite checkouts, and we look forward to developing new concepts to further simplify and improve grocery shopping," said Walter Robb, co-CEO of Whole Foods Market. "Square's forward-thinking vision and technology makes them an ideal partner to create a convenient, responsive experience for our customers."
The first units will be set up at sandwich counters, juice and coffee bars, pizzerias and beer and wine bars, Square said.
At the heart of the Square Stand is Apple's iPad, which delivers a high-powered hardware platform for Square's proprietary point of sale software. Along with major credit cards, Square Stand can also record cash transactions, accept gift cards and perform other digital transactions. The unit sells for $99 in the Apple Store and is in use by a number of smaller merchants nationwide.
In addition to the hardware deployment, Whole Foods plans to give customers the option to use Square Wallet. The digital credit card, loyalty card and receipt storage app allows users to pay via QR code and is currently accepted at a number of merchants, including Starbucks.
Currently, only seven Whole Foods Markets have adopted the technology, including stores in Austin, New York City, Florida and San Francisco, though rollouts at additional "lab stores" are in the works.
The Whole Foods deal is Square's second such partnership with a major retailer and comes a year and a half after the company signed on with Starbucks to deliver a similar system in 2012.
As part of the tie-up, Whole Foods will deploy Square Stands at ready-to-eat food kiosks in select stores, offering customers a quick and easy alternative to traditional checkout lines.
"Together with Square, we'll deliver options to expedite checkouts, and we look forward to developing new concepts to further simplify and improve grocery shopping," said Walter Robb, co-CEO of Whole Foods Market. "Square's forward-thinking vision and technology makes them an ideal partner to create a convenient, responsive experience for our customers."
The first units will be set up at sandwich counters, juice and coffee bars, pizzerias and beer and wine bars, Square said.
At the heart of the Square Stand is Apple's iPad, which delivers a high-powered hardware platform for Square's proprietary point of sale software. Along with major credit cards, Square Stand can also record cash transactions, accept gift cards and perform other digital transactions. The unit sells for $99 in the Apple Store and is in use by a number of smaller merchants nationwide.
In addition to the hardware deployment, Whole Foods plans to give customers the option to use Square Wallet. The digital credit card, loyalty card and receipt storage app allows users to pay via QR code and is currently accepted at a number of merchants, including Starbucks.
Currently, only seven Whole Foods Markets have adopted the technology, including stores in Austin, New York City, Florida and San Francisco, though rollouts at additional "lab stores" are in the works.
Comments
No one in their right mine would buy Android system - Samsung/Google - they want secure, closed - Apple. Too scary to have Google/Samsung - all data belongs to Google and can be used against the business or person.
Good job Apple team!! Whole Foods rocks as does Apple
Very nice indeed.
The iPad can serve as an iBeacon device for iPayments as well when available.
Now we see why Apple may build larger iPads with sapphire glass screens.
Imagine a bank's cash machine accessible via TouchID on an iPhone.
Pretty sure the iPad is just a toy. Should be fun to watch businesses struggle to use them. /s
pretty ignorant comment there? where are you now, South Korea?
pretty ignorant comment there? where are you now, South Korea?
I think the /s means sarcasm
Very nice indeed.
The iPad can serve as an iBeacon device for iPayments as well when available.
Now we see why Apple may build larger iPads with sapphire glass screens.
Imagine a bank's cash machine accessible via TouchID on an iPhone.
Like that - smart/open thinker - thinking outside the box - this is reality
Thing blowing my mind is the question WHY DOESN'T APPLE OWN TELEVISION GAMING?????
With Apple TV - and iPhones/Minis usable as game controller - it is INSANE that XBOX/Playstation even exist.
Recollect Apple now owns the company that created XBOX Kinetic/Motion.
Apple core/processors much better - use that computing power for their TV "XBOX" - this is NUTS -
I can't believe that this is not coming out BEFORE the Summer. Remember Apple TV is now listed next to Iphone/I Pad et al - its a real business - this must be the business angle - Game Center for TV - and before Summer is my prediction - it is too nuts to let MSFT have this business for a device that no one needs or wants other than gaming.
We want Apple TV Box for all else in our home theater - add the gaming and the Game Center like ITUnes/ App store - Apple sales will RIP
Thanks for the definition!
"never mind" - ..actually good sarcasm ……...
I believe so much is cooking … and its being served this year … and I think the dishes start coming out (new great additions like gaming, watch, larger phone, larger iPad) …….starting in May (I think the gaming)……...
There is no way gaming and the watch are both coming out at the same time ……..spread the sales out ….
Like that - smart/open thinker - thinking outside the box - this is reality
Thing blowing my mind is the question WHY DOESN'T APPLE OWN TELEVISION GAMING?????
With Apple TV - and iPhones/Minis usable as game controller - it is INSANE that XBOX/Playstation even exist.
Recollect Apple now owns the company that created XBOX Kinetic/Motion.
Apple core/processors much better - use that computing power for their TV "XBOX" - this is NUTS -
I can't believe that this is not coming out BEFORE the Summer. Remember Apple TV is now listed next to Iphone/I Pad et al - its a real business - this must be the business angle - Game Center for TV - and before Summer is my prediction - it is too nuts to let MSFT have this business for a device that no one needs or wants other than gaming.
We want Apple TV Box for all else in our home theater - add the gaming and the Game Center like ITUnes/ App store - Apple sales will RIP
I think the AppleTV box will get a major update this year including gaming and 64 bit OS with stunning graphics.
The cable companies are still a problem. We need senator Jay Rockefeller's Consumer Choice in Online Video Act bill to pass soon.
http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/rockefeller-wants-give-online-video-services-parity-cable-153795
http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/rockefeller-to-introduce-bill-to-give-online-video-parity-with-cable-and-satellite-providers-1200822937/
Apple doesn't rush to market. Apple had quite a lot of foundation to build before they could seriously consider becoming a contender in the game console market:
I am far more concerned about the fate of net neutrality.
That, or Redmond. Take your pick. /s
Imagine how easy it will be to buy new Apple products!
Hey Tim, please buy Square before someone like Google snaps them up.
Quote:
Apple should have bought square when they were smaller. Now they have a $4B - $5B valuation.
Please buy Square? Should have bought Square?
You guys make it sound like it is there for the taking. Please understand that there are two sides to an acquisition. Often more, in fact.
Please understand that when you talk acquisitions, the interested acquirer, however rich, doesn't hold all the cards.
Please understand the company of interest, such as Square, before you shoot your mouth off about whether it should have been acquired or not.
Square is Jack Dorsey's company. Do some research and you might (emphasis on "might") understand that Apple could not have acquired it when it was smaller, and still might not be able to acquire it. Regardless of price.
Do you guys care whether your comments are accurate, fact based or do you just shoot your mouth off 100 times a day and hope that one comment of those might make sense?
Man ...
Apple should have bought square when they were smaller. Now they have a $4B - $5B valuation.
Apple does not need to buy square, just own a high enough percentage of the company to fend off hostile take overs. Apple can not do everything. Moreover square's market is still fairly small compared to the iPad market for example.
For example, people are expecting Apple to release an actual TV set. I bet Apple may prefer take a large stake in Sony's spun-off TV business and inject its AppleTV and its Quantum-Dot enhanced display technology into the partnership to build iTV sets under the Sony brand. Why? Because the TV market is cut-throat with razor thin margins. The most likely reasons Sony spun-off the TV business is to sell it off or take on partners. I don't think Sony is ready to sell of its TV business. Google may also be interested.
Time will tell.
Apple is nailing it at all angles - beauty, reliability - "organic" - lifestyle, schools -
No one in their right mine would buy Android system - Samsung/Google - they want secure, closed - Apple. Too scary to have Google/Samsung - all data belongs to Google and can be used against the business or person.
Good job Apple team!! Whole Foods rocks as does Apple
Agreed, Nyues....
I have to believe an iPad based system is going to offer more flexibility down the road than anything from any other manufacturer. Good show Apple and Whole Foods!
Pretty sure the iPad is just a toy. Should be fun to watch businesses struggle to use them. /s
Nice going, Newton!
I take it that you're offering a tribute to Alex Cook, who four years ago authored the dumbest prediction of all time just days after the first iPads were put on the market.
http://seekingalpha.com/article/196963-why-the-ipad-will-flop
Nice going, Newton!
I take it that you're offering a tribute to Alex Cook, who four years ago authored the dumbest prediction of all time just days after the first iPads were put on the market.
http://seekingalpha.com/article/196963-why-the-ipad-will-flop
Suddenly Newton was being sarcastic (note the /s in his post).
Suddenly Newton was being sarcastic (note the /s in his post).
Of course he was. He knows, I know, and I know that he knows that I know!
I regard Suddenly Newton as one of the sharpest guys on this forum.
Maybe I should have put "/s" after my post so that you would understand how I intended it.