Mobile devices are bringing vast changes to a number of industries, and retail is no exception.  Whether they're making cash registers and traditional payment methods obsolete, making it easier for store owners to calculate various figures or putting price comparisons and offers at consumers' fingertips, devices from mobile phones to tablet computers have practically transformed the industry in the last few years.

Here are 10 mobile apps retailers should know.

1. MOBICART
While this first pick isn’t particularly an app itself, retailers can use MobiCart to turn their e-commerce store into a mobile app supported by iPhone, iPad, Android or HTML5. Over 10,000 companies use MobiCart, which can also be integrated with an existing website and has been covered by TechCrunch, Venture Beat, ReadWriteWeb and PC World.

2. PAYANYWHERE
PayAnywhere requires users to apply for a Merchant Account, at which point they receive a free credit card reader with support for select iOS, Android and Blackberry devices. The app accepts swipes from Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, and while there are no monthly fees or minimums, it does take 2.69% per transaction.

(Image credit: iTunes)

3. RING IT UP
Ring It Up is a point-of-sale app for the iPhone and iPad with support for six credit card apps and the RedLaser barcode scanning app. Additionally, the app allows retailers to set up a product catalog with the app and store regular customers’ information. Receipts and invoices can be e-mailed to customers, or can be printed with any AirPrint compatible printer.

4. RETAIL MATH
Ever wish your phone’s calculator were specifically configured for retail math? The Retail Math app, available on iPhone and iPad, is probably for you. This app comes packed with the retail industry’s most-used formulas and definitions, and can support multiple companies. Retailers can use the app to track both planned and actual month-to-month inventory sales; calculate monthly, seasonal and yearly plans based on past figures; and calculate factors such as gross margin, average stock and turnover.

5. RETAIL CALCULATORS
Another free iOS app for retail math, Retail Calculators comes with seven calculators that help retail store owners quickly calculate contribution margin, loan payment, inventory turnover, markup, money conversion, DCF valuation and shift hours. More than 36 additional calculators including various financial ratios, inventory management and pricing formulas are available through various upgrades.

6. INVENTORY DROID
RomiSys touts its Inventory Droid app as the “first and only” inventory management system for Android devices. The app can be used by small businesses to itemize and manage their inventories, and many items can be filed automatically with the use of a UPC database. Several variations are available, including a “Pro” version that stores your inventory in an online database viewable by others in your organization on their Android and iOS devices, or through their web browsers.

7. RETAIL ME NOT
Retail Me Not is the most popular digital coupon site in the U.S., and it has apps available for both iPhone and Android. The apps make thousands of coupons available to consumers for use in online and brick-and-mortar stores, and both now support location-based offers for thousands of stores nationwide. Retailers can contact the company’s partner management team at [email protected] for information on how to offer their own in-store and mobile-exclusive coupons on the app.

(Image credit: iTunes)

8. SQUARE
Another mobile payment system, Square accepts all major credit cards and works with iOS and Android devices. The app charges 2.75% per transaction, or a flat $275 monthly fee. Additionally, the $299 Square Stand turns your iPad into a hi-tech cash register, complete with a card reader built into the base.

9. GOOGLE SHOPPER
Google’s Shopper app allows consumers to scan a product’s bar code in a brick-and-mortar location to bring up product, pricing and ratings information. This type of instant comparison ability available at consumers’ fingertips makes it an app worth knowing for retailers, especially since it can show a consumer all local stores carrying a particular item. A recent upgrade refined its category-specific search ability and added a light-box viewer for high-resolution images. The app is available for Android and iPhone.

10. CHARGE ANYWHERE
CHARGE Anywhere offers mobile payment solutions for iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows and JME devices at what it says are the lowest costs in the industry. Several card reader and receipt printer options are available, and the standard app costs $9.99 a month with unlimited transactions. A Mobile Payment Apps Solution bundle listed on the site at $239.99 includes the app, all-in-one card reader/receipt printer, PCI-validated ComsGate payment gateway, Web-based transaction manager, 10 rolls of thermal paper and the first month’s subscription free.

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