Aptos report: retailers heavily underestimating financial value of modernising their PoS systems
Aptos has released a new study conducted by Coresight Research. A key takeaway: 85% of retailers that have recently modernised their Point of Sale systems say the investment either met or exceeded their return on investment expectations. The report is based on a survey of 150 global retail decision-makers involved in PoS strategy, selection and modernisation.
“Modern PoS platforms, typically characterised by cloud native deployments, microservices-based architectures, mobile first development and API driven integration, help retailers adapt to the changing role of stores as well as shifts in consumer expectations,” the report states. “Retailers that view PoS modernisation as simply a checkout upgrade risk undervaluing its strategic and financial impact.”
Beyond the headline ROI finding, the study found that retailers that have modernised their PoS systems reported:
A 1.2 percentage point average increase in in-store conversion rates.
A 4.3% increase in average transaction value.
68% of retailers running cloud native PoS reported a moderate to high positive impact across operational efficiency, inventory visibility, customer experience and sales performance.
Additionally, Coresight Research modelled the impact of PoS modernisation for a hypothetical retailer with $1 billion in annual revenue and 750 stores, estimating $4.4 million in annual cost savings and $39.6 million in annual revenue uplift. The savings were based on reductions in costs associated with hardware, software, maintenance and IT support, with the revenue gains achieved through increased ATV, in-store conversions, network uptime and omnichannel orders.
At the same time, however, the report finds that many retailers have yet to complete the shift to modern, cloud native architecture. Currently, 22% of retailers operate hybrid or fully on-premises PoS environments, while 36% use cloud hosted systems that stop short of the flexibility, modularity and continuous update capabilities that cloud native platforms provide. Core PoS systems in use today have been implemented on average for 4.3 years, with 30% of respondents operating systems that are at least five years old.
The study also found that retailers that have already modernised consistently report stronger outcomes than expected by those still planning to invest. The largest gaps between realised benefits and objectives are in improvements in store productivity - 49% of modernisers achieved this outcome versus 24% of planners expecting it; mobile checkout enablement - 44% versus 20%; improvements in store conversion rates - 44% versus 27%; and improved real-time inventory visibility - 50% versus 36%.
The survey data shows that execution - not conviction - is what stands between retailers and realising that value. Integration complexity emerged as the most widely cited obstacle, with 45% of retailers that have modernised their PoS systems ranking it among their top three implementation challenges. Notably, difficulty justifying ROI to senior leadership emerged the least challenging, cited by just 19% of respondents.
“Retailers have moved past debating whether PoS modernisation pays off. The data and real-world results settle that question,” says Deborah Weinswig, CEO and Founder at Coresight Research. “As the conversation shifts from ‘why’ to ‘how,’ we see leading retailers investing in cloud native PoS platforms that are built from the ground up to streamline integration and partnering with vendors that can support their PoS transformation end to end.”
“This report confirms what we hear directly from our retail customers: the ROI is there and the path to capturing it is clearer than ever,” says David Bruno, Director of Retail Industry Insights at Aptos. “PoS modernisation can directly and positively impact nearly every aspect of retail operations. The key to capitalising on the opportunity is to select the right vendor who can guide you through the process and help you capitalise on the financial and operational benefits of modernisation while minimising disruption.”
So hot right now
Aptos is included in RTIH’s first ever Retail Technology Hot 100 List. Launching in August, this sees us bringing you the hottest companies whose solutions and systems are helping drive the retail sector forward.
Our Founder and Editor, Scott Thompson, drew up a list of 150 companies that had consistently been on his radar over the past 12 months whilst bringing our community the latest retail tech news and views that matter. These companies operate across the omnichannel retail landscape (stores, online, mobile, supply chain, payments etc).
Our judging panel, including Vineta Bajaj, Group CFO, Holland & Barrett, Dan McGrath, JD Group Customer Operations, JD Sports, Dr. Astha Purohit, Director of Product Management, Customer Data and Identity, Walmart, and Paula Bobbett, Chief Data and Digital Officer, Boots, provided feedback on those who have the most innovative, forward thinking technology offerings and are also best addressing retailers' current challenges, painpoints, and opportunities.
The judges used the following framework when making their picks:
1. Retailer problem fit - how meaningful, strategic, and widely felt the retailer pain being addressed is.
2. Production traction in retail (2025–2026) - real named retailer deployments, pilots.
3. Innovation and defensibility - genuine technical novelty paired with a defensible competitive position.
And there was also a public vote, with thousands of members of our community of retail tech enthusiasts getting involved. Thanks to all those who took part! Based on the judging panel's feedback and the public vote, we then drew up our first ever RTIH Retail Technology Hot 100.
So, without further ado, here are the 100 hottest global retail technology ventures right now. Drum roll, please…
You can download the hot 100 in pdf format here, or flick through it here 👇👇👇 Enjoy!
