Apple Retail Stores to be Outfitted with iPads Running new RetailMe Software

As reported by PadGadget earlier this week, Apple retail stores will be shrouded in black during the overnight hours from Saturday May 21st into early Sunday May 22nd.
While the reasons behind the temporary shutdown are still unclear at this stage, it would appear that Apple is about to launch a new concept for its retail stores, with employees now using iPads running a custom app named RetailMe, to record and finalize transactions without having to use traditional registers.
According to AppleInsider, most Apple retail stores have already received dedicated iPad 2s, and employees are expected to be trained during the weekend:

People familiar with Apple’s retail operations revealed that stores across the U.S. have been stocked with dozens of iPads that are being prepared for use by employees. Training and utilization of the hardware could begin as soon as this weekend. In one location, nearly 40 iPads were supplied for a store with about 100 specialists. Based on those numbers, everyone working on any given day could be equipped with an iPad, perhaps in place of an iPod touch-based EasyPay terminal, which Apple stores switched to in 2009.

If the rumor proves to be accurate, the new ordering and payment system would replace the current EasyPay / iPod touch combo used by Apple Store employees. We’re still wondering how the employees will be able to swipe credit cards, but the system might come with bluetooth credit card readers, or use readers similar to Square’s credit card reader.