Is it a case of retail envy? At National Retail Federation's Big Show, the organization's annual conference and exposition in Manhattan, one of the running themes this week was technology that could make physical stores seem more like online stores.

The ideas range from handheld devices that roving salespeople can use to check stock, get product details and ring up customers to a touchscreen beauty counter that is now being piloted in several Macy’s stores that lets shoppers essentially be their own cosmetics salespeople.

Among those offering the handhelds is a 2-year-old startup called I Love Velvet, which aims to mobilize the point of sale for retailers with its U-Holster, a sled and data-entry device that can slide over an iPad, iPhone, tablet, or smartphone handled by a salesperson.

The devices—currently used by salespeople at Nespresso, Giorgio Armani, Verizon, and Sears stores—come equipped with a bar-code scanner and a secure payment network and attach to the iPhone and iPad, smartphones, and other tablets.

Basically, the gadgets let salespeople ring up customers and store information on their buying history with the store.

“I’ll know the time you came in last, what you spent, how much is on your loyalty card,” says Patrick Bouaziz, the chief visionary officer behind the company, demonstrating the system. “It’s creating a new kind of relationship with the mobility, and you can sell more when you’ve got people on the floor.”

One cool feature: If you find, say, a tie you like, but the color you want is not in the store, you can tap in to the store’s warehouse to find the precise item, view it, and order it that way.

“There’s also a sales pitch telling the salesperson what to say about the tie,” Bouaziz says. The gadgets also can be loaded with training information for particular products so that salespeople can read up during downtimes, and they don’t need to be replaced each time Apple comes up with a new version of the iPad or the iPhone.

NCR Corp. —the company that first invented the cash register—is pursuing independent retailers with a cloud-based point-of-sale software platform, introduced at NRF, that lets small retailers manage transactions, track sales and inventory, process credit cards, and market to consumers using either traditional terminals or Apple mobile devices, including the iPad, iPod Touch, and the iPhone.

The idea is to provide entry-level retailers with an affordable version of the retail technology and a way to be more flexible with their business. The system could, for example, be used by a sporting-goods store that wanted to bring its operation to the site of a sporting event and sell equipment on site from the back of a truck, offering online-like convenience.

Another example of brick-and-mortar shopping looking more like an online shopping spree could be found in Intel Corp.’s booth, where its latest innovations for retailers were on display.

“The trend we’re seeing is that physical stores want features that let them become more like online stores,” says Danielle Mann, a public relations and marketing strategist for Intel.

Among the examples of this: Macy’s Beauty Spot kiosks. Currently in testing at four of its U.S. stores, the Intel-powered kiosks aim to help shoppers find and evaluate cosmetics and fragrances, again using a touchscreen that lets them input the type of product they’re looking for. Shoppers can simply browse, getting detailed information about beauty products, and download useful information to their mobile devices about cosmetic trends, new products, and seasonal promotions. Or they can make purchases and pick them up at the counter later.