A new study claims the point of sale activity must transcend past a transaction and provide a personalized experience expected by consumers.

A study, released by Revel Systems and conducted by Forrester Consulting, reports today's point of sale systems aren’t being properly used, with just 45 percent of retailers provided a back-end system integrated with the POS. The study also notes 81 percent of decision makers believe a failure to adapt and deliver on customer expectations poses a threat to the business.

The April 2016 study, Step Up The In-Person Experience, polled 150 decision-makers from both retail and restaurant industries.

"A whopping 93 percent agreed it is important to infuse digital capabilities into physical locations to improve customer experience," states the study, and 94 percent of retailers "see in-store digital capabilities as important not only for customer experience but also for store operations."

In developing the study Forrester created the hypothesis that the use of an advanced POS, which includes aspects of insight and engagement, can boost customer experience, operational efficiency and empower employees.

"Without sufficient POS integrations, retailers and restaurants risk loss of business," states the announcement.