Technology
Toshiba leader talks mobile device innovations, retail customer experience tech
Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions is going big when it comes to mobile solutions for the retail segment.
April 2, 2026 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com
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ClaudeToshiba Global Commerce Solutions is going big when it comes to mobile solutions for the retail segment.
In mid December 2025, a month before the annual NRF industry event, it announced the TCx M7, that joins its TCx Mll mobile device, which allows store associates to serve customers anywhere, creating a bridge between digital and the in-store experience.
The goal is helping retailers modernize operations to drive new levels of efficiency, accuracy and customer satisfaction.
At Away, a travel and lifestyle brand, the Toshiba technology has transformed engagement with customers.
"At Away, our customers are at the center of everything we do, and that means delivering seamless, intuitive experiences wherever they choose to shop," Mohan Itwaru, senior director of direct to consumer technology at Away, said in a press release.
"Toshiba's TCx M7 and TCx M11 empower our teams with the speed, mobility, and real-time personalization today's customers expect, transforming any sales floor into a fully capable checkout and service destination. These solutions keep us agile in-store and event-ready with built-in scanning, tap-to-pay, and simple device management."
Mobile-first technology is becoming a foundational element for retailers seeking to stay agile, deliver exceptional experiences and compete effectively.
But mobile was just one part of the equation for Toshiba and its announcements at the NRF 2026 event in January.
Retailers, including Weis Markets, a Mid-Atlantic food retailer, are tapping Toshiba's Elera Security Suite to boost loss prevention measures and drive a better customer experience.
The suite enhances the self-checkout experience by eliminating the need to manually input product codes.
The Elera Security Suite is up and running across self-checkout lanes in 199 Weis locations, with plans to extend the technology to dual-use and cashier lanes
"Our goal is to upgrade our technology stack and invest in Elera Security Suite to provide a frictionless experience for our customers. Our customers have embraced produce recognition, with over 94% selecting to use it at self-checkout," Greg Zeh, CIO and SVP of Weis Markets, said in a press release. "We are one of the first retail chains with Elera Security Suite across our stores, ensuring speed, privacy, and performance. It is already strengthening real-time loss prevention."
Grupo El Rosado, an Ecuador-based retail group, is also elevating in-store efficiency and transforming the customer experience with the Elera Security Suite.
The retail group operates supermarket chains, toy stores, cinemas, restaurants, music and video stores.
The 27 locations participating in a pilot are already generating benefits in customer satisfaction and store productivity.
Stores are reporting a 50% to 70% increase in self-checkout transactions. The solution is also reducing staff self-checkout intervention rates from 50% to about 10% to 20%.
"The self-checkout improvements provided by Toshiba and Elera Security Suite are especially significant on high-traffic days when produce promotions attract more shoppers. My team and I can provide better customer service when we can work efficiently and with less stress during peak hours," Adriana Correa, store manager at Hipermarket El Dorado, a chain under Group El Rosado, said in a press release. "When fewer team members are at self-checkout, our staff can focus on other operational tasks and increase overall productivity across the store."
The rollout was completed in less than four months
"Grupo El Rosado's success with the Elera Security Suite reflects Toshiba's commitment to innovation and our role as a trusted technology partner. By combining AI, computer vision and edge computing, we're enabling Grupo El Rosado to reimagine self-checkout to drive measurable improvements in customer experiences, shrink, and store operations," Manuel Medecigo, VP sales LATAM at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, said in the release. "This collaboration showcases the significant impact of close, strategic partnerships and Toshiba's deep retail expertise."
The Elera Commerce Platform was named Best Multi-Vendor Commerce Platform at the 2026 Vendors in Partnership (VIP) Awards.
U.K. fashion and homeware retailer Matalan is also tapping Toshiba solutions to drive an improved in-store experience.
Matalan's partnership with Toshiba began in 2017 with the rollout of Toshiba's point-of-sale hardware solutions across Matalan's store estate and Matalan is the first U.K. retailer to deploy Toshiba's VisualStore Commerce Platform, which allows Matalan's IT and retail teams to implement new point-of-sale functionality quickly and independently.
The platform's self-enablement features include an intuitive screen designer, a promotion tool and configuration management that allow store teams to make updates without relying on third-party support.
"We introduced our software proposition to the U.K. market last year to empower retailers with tools to better serve their customers," Martin Ward, head of software UK&I at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, said in a press release. "Throughout the process with Matalan, we demonstrated how our software is fully featured and more flexible, enabling retailers to manage and update capabilities independently, with no ongoing costs. We believe self-enablement is the future of retail technology, and we're thrilled to lead this shift. Securing our first deal in such a short time frame is testament to the strength of our solution."
Implementation workshops are already complete, with pilot deployment set for late summer 2025 and full rollout across Matalan stores planned by spring 2026. As part of the project, Matalan will also upgrade approximately 1,800 in-store devices to Toshiba's latest generation hardware.
"We're delighted to be expanding our partnership with Toshiba, who shares our commitment to delivering innovative solutions that improve the experience for both our customers and our colleagues. We're always trying to find new ways to serve our customers better and look forward to rolling out the VisualStore platform across our stores," Chris Salkeld, Matalan's director of IT and transformation, said in the release.
RetailCustomerExperience reached out to Kacy Homans, product line manager 11, at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, to gain further insight on Toshiba's mobile device strategy and what's driving its technology innovation.
Q. At this year's NRF Toshiba debuted a range of solutions from mobile enterprise solutions to point of sale solutions. What retail trends or consumer trends, or both, are driving mobile enterprise innovations at Toshiba?
Homans: Retailers today are under increasing pressure to deliver faster, more personalized, and frictionless shopping experiences while also improving store efficiency. Consumers expect the same speed and convenience in physical stores that they experience online, whether that's line busting during peak periods, buy online pick up in store, or real-time product availability. These expectations are pushing retailers to equip store associates with mobile tools that enable assisted selling, mobile checkout, inventory lookup, and task management anywhere on the sales floor.
At Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, our mobile innovations are designed around that intersection of customer experience and operational efficiency. Retailers are looking for flexible, scalable devices that integrate seamlessly with their commerce platforms and support multiple in-store workflows. For example, the TCx M7 handheld mobile device allows associates to access retail applications, assist customers, check inventory, and complete mobile transactions directly on the sales floor. As stores increasingly function as fulfillment hubs, mobile technology empowers associates to move seamlessly between customer engagement and operational tasks to improve productivity, reduce wait times and ultimately strengthen customer loyalty.
Q. Toshiba works alongside retailers and partners as a strategic collaborator in developing solutions. Can you share insight on that collaboration process? Does it include testing and pilot programs?
Homans: Collaboration with retailers and technology partners is central to how Toshiba develops solutions. Rather than building technology in isolation, we work closely with customers to understand their store operations, associate workflows, and long-term transformation goals. That process often begins with discovery and co-innovation sessions where we map out key use cases that can include improving checkout throughput, enabling mobile-assisted selling, or creating more flexible store operations through software like the Elera Commerce Platform. This collaborative approach ensures tailored solutions that integrate smoothly into existing environments while giving retailers the flexibility to evolve as their business needs change.
Pilot programs are also an important part of the process. Many retailers test new solutions in a small number of stores before scaling across the enterprise. These pilots allow retailers to evaluate performance, gather associate and customer feedback, and refine workflows in real-world conditions. Insights from these pilots often inform adjustments to both the technology and deployment strategy, helping ensure solutions deliver measurable value when rolled out at scale.
Q. The broad range of solutions at NRF touched on several industry verticals. Can you outline why each one requires a specific solution approach?
Homans: Each retail vertical operates with different store formats, workflows, and customer expectations, which means a one-size-fits-all technology approach rarely works. In the convenience sector, speed and reliability are critical. These stores manage high transaction volumes in small footprints, so retailers prioritize compact, durable POS systems and mobile tools that enable fast checkout and quick inventory lookups.
Specialty retailers, on the other hand, focus more on customer engagement and personalized service, where mobile solutions, like the TCx M11 tablet, help associates stay engaged on the sales floor, access product information, and deliver a more consultative shopping experience.
Hospitality and entertainment venues such as stadiums, theaters, and food service environments require highly mobile solutions that can support rapid transactions and handle peak demand.
Grocery retailers face a different set of challenges, including high SKU counts, fresh inventory management and omnichannel fulfillment like curbside pickup. As a result, they often deploy a mix of fixed POS systems such as the TCx 820, self-checkout solutions, and mobile devices that support tasks like picking, restocking, and customer assistance. Tailoring technology to each vertical ensures retailers have solutions that match the pace and complexity of their operations.
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